Need advice on adjusting my 273 HN baler

[Alpagas]

Hello everyone

Baled about 100 bales this weekend with no problem until i broke 2 shearpins on the flywheel. As I was almost done i took the baler home and started going through every components i could think would need adjustment. The timing is right on and the knotter works perfectly. As i started it again i noticed that with every turn the crank would hit the needle latch. For maybe a 1000 turns it just brush it but if the needle latch is too far inside then the crank hits it dead on and thats when the shear bolt breaks. I checked the manual i got from Jensales and on page 20, figure 32, i see the needle latch but nowhere there is a mention on how to adjust it. Does the crank just have to clear the needle latch or is it OK if it hits it even very slightly? The tip of the needle latch has started to wear out. I adjusted it so the crank barely clears the latch. Am I on the right track?

Thanks

Dom

 

[mattv1]

On my 273 there is a good bit of clearance between the latch and the crank. Looks like there is a nut to adjust the spring tension so the latch is held back.

 

[Tx Jim]

If hay baler is timed correctly then you did the correct thing adjusting the stop location so it will clear.

 

[leeave96]

I'm not familiar with the plunger stop on a 273, but on my New Holland 68, it was just a hair from touching the plunger and sometimes it would and the mushroom shape on the stop, told me many shear pins had been broken prior to me buying it. This was one of the first things I checked when I bought the baler. In my situation, I set the needles per the manual where they were coming into the bale chamber as the plunger face passed by the needles (getting ready to enter the bale case).

If I recall correctly, to do this, I let the knotter cycle such that the needles were at the bottom of the bale case, ready to enter. Then I took the knotter drive chain loose, turned the flywheel until the face of it passed by the tips some 3/4 inches per the manual. I then reattached the knotter drive chain and let the knot cycle complete.

Works now like a champ. The timing marks on my knotter are off a chain link or two - but this is not unheard of for New Holland balers.

Again, this is what worked for my 68. It has the flow action feeder system, two sprockets, a chain and a bar with 3 sets if feeder tines. Not sure how setting a 273 as I did for the timing would impact the feed rack system on a New Holland 273.

Good luck,
Bill

 

[Alpagas]

Thank you all for the advice. I have about 200 bales to make this week-end with the new adjustment. Ill keep you posted on how it went.

 

[Blueacre2]

Works now like a champ. The timing marks on my knotter are off a chain link or two - but this is not unheard of for New Holland balers.

Good luck,
Bill

I bought a New Holland 311 baler a couple of months ago. It is in pretty good shape.I just used it for the first time on Friday - baled 275 bales of second crop grass hay - never missed a bale but I did break 3 shear pins on the flywheel when the needle safety stop came out and stopped the plunger arm. Each time I pulled the needle back to the home position by hand, changed the shear pin and it worked fine again for until the next pin broke. I am pretty sure that each time it is was at the start of the tying cycle with the needles moving into the bale chamber.

I thought the needles might be drifting out of home position so each time I broke a shear pin I tightened the knotter brake a little more - not sure if that improved the problem because I didnt have much baling left to do after the final adjustment - originally I could move the needle arm by hand fairly easily - after the third tightening the springs are pretty much fully compressed and I can still move by hand a little but not easily.

The needle safety stop has some mushrooming on its tip so the plunger arm must have been hitting the stop before I bought it. I figured it must be a timing problem - checked the knotter timing marks and they are bang on within 1/8 inch. Checked the needle timing to plunger and it is out quite a bit - needles are supposed to enter the bottom of chamber when the tip of the triangle extension on the front of the plunger is 1/4 to 3/4 past the tip of the needles. On mine it is more like 3" past the tip of the needle. I checked the needle safety latch operation during the knotter cycle and the latch comes into the chamber just after the front of the plunger arm passes it and is fully in the chamber by the time the plunger arm is all the way past the latch.

If I jump the knotter drive chain on the sprocket to get the needles to enter the chamber sooner it seems to me that the timing marks on the knotter will be off quite a bit. Based on the quote above from a previous post sounds like this is not uncommon.

I am also worried there will be even less clearance between the plunger arm and the needle safety stop - if I jump the chain so the needles come in sooner the safety stop will come in sooner and greater chance of hitting the plunger arm ?

I just wanted to get some feedback before I change the timing - assuming it doesnt cause issues with the plunger safety stop is it more important to have the needle to plunger timing set correctly even if that means the knotter timing marks are not lined up ?

 

[RickB]

You can make minor adjustment to the plunger/needle timing without affecting knotter timing. Shorten or lengthen the needle carriage tie rod. A better way is to adjust the knotter ‘home’ position as detailed in the operator’s manual. I have found this adjustment to be off in many NH balers.

 

[Blueacre2]

Re: Need advice on adjusting 311 New Holland Needle Tining

You can make minor adjustment to the plunger/needle timing without affecting knotter timing. Shorten or lengthen the needle carriage tie rod. A better way is to adjust the knotter 蘇ome position as detailed in the operator痴 manual. I have found this adjustment to be off in many NH balers.

Thanks for the reply RickB - when you say knotter "home" position, I assume you mean what is called the "Knotter Stop" adjustment in my owners manual - is that correct ? - it shows the adjustment of the knotter trip arm in relation to the clutch pawl with the needle crank arm 1/2 to 3/4 off of an imaginary center line from the knotter main shaft to the clevis pin where the rod connects to the needle yoke.

I will check the "home" position and if off will set it to specs - if the needle entry in the chamber is still coming in late will try adjusting the rod length to bring the needles in a little earlier.

My concern is that if I get the needles coming in sooner near the front of the plunger extensions it will also mean the needle safety stop will come in sooner - the stop comes in very close to the point where the plunger arm passes it so I am afraid if it is coming in sooner there will be a greater chance of the plunger arm striking the safety stop which is the problem I am trying to correct.

 

[RickB]

The safety stop linkage is adjustable.

 

[retro7570]

Make sure the knotter brake is holding the knotter in home position until the knotter trips