JD 14T baler with small tractor

[Texasmark]

What kind of bale quality do you get with your Deere baler? I need a cheap baler to get started and a Deere or New Holland are on my short list. I don't think I can afford a Hesston inline yet but would like to have one. Gonna be pulling with a 38 horse 4,500 lb tractor.

I had the 14T and later the 24T and both put out good bales. Was surprised at how few worn parts I found when purchasing for balers that old. Would buy one again if I were to do any square baling.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The 14T and 24T had an option of an air-cooled engine that sat on the baler and powered the baling.

And, from time to time I still see them in use around here...

SR

 

[powerscol]

Did you ever try a side pickup baler before moving to the Hesston? Curious your thoughts on the two.

Yes day and night difference. Baler was an older IH similar to the 24T. Flywheel on the side with the side pickup. It rocked my tractor very hard front to back and side to side. My Hesston will rock me just a little bit , but is very easy on me in the seat. With a side pickup I was fighting banana bales. Never throw one in the field with the Hesston. Its also a heck of a lot easier to operate and fits through gates better.

 

[Texasmark]

Yes day and night difference. Baler was an older IH similar to the 24T. Flywheel on the side with the side pickup. It rocked my tractor very hard front to back and side to side. My Hesston will rock me just a little bit , but is very easy on me in the seat. With a side pickup I was fighting banana bales. Never throw one in the field with the Hesston. Its also a heck of a lot easier to operate and fits through gates better.

Funny, I had forgotten about the ram and the rocking and weight of the driving tractor countering effect.

 

[powerscol]

Funny, I had forgotten about the ram and the rocking and weight of the driving tractor countering effect.

Mass in motion can do strange things. Hesston pretty well balanced out the plunger and stuffer rock ( as plunger compresses the stuffer forks move in the opposite direction) with the massive fly wheel rotating to counter the effects, Think about a side pick up with the fly wheel in the same plane as the plunger - big back and forth rock - then add the side stuffing forks and you start to get an additional side motion. I had to run the side pickup unit a just below 540 as at full power the harmonics kicked in and would snap my neck back and forth. Now if I had a heavier tractor I probably would not have felt it as much, but I am lucky my Bobcat with filled tires and FEL scales just over 3600 lbs, Heavier than the equivalent Kubota or JD, Now possibly the newer ones have the dynamics a bit better, but the old one beat me to death when I tried it out.

BTW - before you buy a baler give it a test run.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Not quite to this extreme, but I've often wondered if my JD 3005 would run my dad's MF 12 baler. The 3005 has 27hp/24pto, but I'd bet that baler is more weight than the tractor can handle on my hills. And factor in the pto/drivetrain shock from the plunger momentum, I'm hesitant to try.

 

[zzvyb6]

Not quite to this extreme, but I've often wondered if my JD 3005 would run my dad's MF 12 baler. The 3005 has 27hp/24pto, but I'd bet that baler is more weight than the tractor can handle on my hills. And factor in the pto/drivetrain shock from the plunger momentum, I'm hesitant to try.

Plunger 'shock' is eliminated by the flywheel (which should be tightly keyed to the plunger drive. There will be a relatively mild RPM deceleration torque, but shock (as in a huge sudden and immediate torque spike) isn't in the play. That's why you should be running at the rated input PTO rpm. Of course sharp knives and bale restriction force as well as hay moisture level play into the tractor loading.

My video (posted earlier in this thread) is my 14T pushing out 40 - 50# bales every 13-14 seconds (1 plunge per second). I'm not feeling any rocking and my rpm change is not noticeable because the governor is holding it's own on a 35 hp motor.

 

[powerscol]

Not quite to this extreme, but I've often wondered if my JD 3005 would run my dad's MF 12 baler. The 3005 has 27hp/24pto, but I'd bet that baler is more weight than the tractor can handle on my hills. And factor in the pto/drivetrain shock from the plunger momentum, I'm hesitant to try.

ZZ is correct and the baler is connected to the draw bar, so most of the energy is directed to the frame. There is a slight loading on the PTO at full plunger stroke. Otherwise the stresses imposed arr minimal.

 

[Tx Jim]

Plunger 'shock' is eliminated by the flywheel (which should be tightly keyed to the plunger drive. There will be a relatively mild RPM deceleration torque, but shock (as in a huge sudden and immediate torque spike) isn't in the play. That's why you should be running at the rated input PTO rpm. Of course sharp knives and bale restriction force as well as hay moisture level play into the tractor loading.

My video (posted earlier in this thread) is my 14T pushing out 40 - 50# bales every 13-14 seconds (1 plunge per second). I'm not feeling any rocking and my rpm change is not noticeable because the governor is holding it's own on a 35 hp motor.

I disagree that plunger head stroke shock is eliminated by flywheel. Yes flywheel helps momentum of operating baler but I can feel engine fluctuations & see tachometer rpm variations while pulling my JD 347 baling with my Kubota M7040(64 pto hp) baling 55#-60# bales

 

[zzvyb6]

I disagree that plunger head stroke shock is eliminated by flywheel. Yes flywheel helps momentum of operating baler but I can feel engine fluctuations & see tachometer rpm variations while pulling my JD 347 baling with my Kubota M7040(64 pto hp) baling 55#-60# bales

There is a BIG difference between shock and rpm variations (acceleration and deceleration) in a machine going through "simple harmonic motion". Displacement (linear travel) is a sinusoidal, velocity is proportional to its first derivative with respect to time. and acceleration is also a continuous derivative (no disruptions). This is especially true in a baler which has a long connecting rod compared to the crank throw diameter. Shock loading would occur if the crank or connecting rod bearings had slop (lash) in them.

For example, many folks believe that fuel 'explodes' in a piston engine. It doesn't, and shouldn't. It burns along a flame front from the top down creating a smooth pressure pulse. However, sometimes there are hot spots in the cylinder or the compression ratio causes pre-ignition. This is called 'knock' and is a jerk in the crank torque signal. Now we all should know that engine knock is a bad thing because it causes damage to motor, clutch, transmission etc. parts.

BTW: that's also why short engines (rod to crank pin ratio) need or should have balance shafts. The crank and rod bearing gets some extra math components that depart from simple harmonic motion, thus exposing the motor to possible higher levels of damage. (You've all heard of a "square" engine, right ???)