14T knot is getting stuck

[macecase]

Brand new to baling.... Have a John Deere 14T that seems to be working great other than the fact that when the knotters go to tie up a bale, it seems that one consistently stays hung up or stuck in the bill hook.

Is this a symptom of any obvious or common problems? I cannot get this to work right.

 

[petes]

Your billhook is WAY too rusty. It should be shiny and smooth, which helps the knot to slide off. Clean it up and I'll bet your problem goes away (and after setting the proper tension if it's been adjusted trying to get it to work)

 

[macecase]

Your billhook is WAY too rusty. It should be shiny and smooth, which helps the knot to slide off. Clean it up and I'll bet your problem goes away (and after setting the proper tension if it's been adjusted trying to get it to work)

OK, I will do that (make sense!). Just use some light grit sandpaper and work it over?

 

[flusher]

Your knotters are really filthy. I'd clean all the dirt, grime and rust off them. Get the cleaned knotters working correctly. Then after each baling session, spray WD40 on them and repeat every few weeks when the baler is in storage between seasons.

Your knotter should be as clean as the ones in this video

John Deere Baler Knotter Action - YouTube


Good luck

 

[macecase]

Your knotters are really filthy. I'd clean all the dirt, grime and rust off them. Get the cleaned knotters working correctly. Then after each baling session, spray WD40 on them and repeat every few weeks when the baler is in storage between seasons.

Your knotter should be as clean as the ones in this video

John Deere Baler Knotter Action - YouTube

Good luck

Heading up today to give them a clean-up.

 

[rtimgray]

To the fellas that have commented and actually know all the names of the knotter parts, I apologize in advance if I get the names all messed up:

I had a very similar problem on the knotter on my 24t baler a couple of weeks ago, and it ended up being a broken part that wipes the knot of the billhook (I think). I was able to pull the part off of the working knotter and go make another one with some flat stock and grinder. I have no idea if that could be the same thing in your case.

I don't have my parts manual with me, or else I could scan in the diagram and show the part I'm talking about.

Hopefully, the knotters are just a bit rusty and need to be cleaned and they will start working.

Good luck and take care.

 

[macecase]

To the fellas that have commented and actually know all the names of the knotter parts, I apologize in advance if I get the names all messed up:

I had a very similar problem on the knotter on my 24t baler a couple of weeks ago, and it ended up being a broken part that wipes the knot of the billhook (I think). I was able to pull the part off of the working knotter and go make another one with some flat stock and grinder. I have no idea if that could be the same thing in your case.

I don't have my parts manual with me, or else I could scan in the diagram and show the part I'm talking about.

Hopefully, the knotters are just a bit rusty and need to be cleaned and they will start working.

Good luck and take care.

So, I did a lot of investigating and have come to the conclusion that the wiper is worn on the left knotter; just like yours. If you review the attached photo, I hope you'll agree that the left wiper is a worn down semi circle whereas the right one seems more flat and makes good contact with the hardened bill hook.

So, your fix.... You took the arm off and just welded more metal on and then ground it? Imam not sure how to do that.... Know anybody that offers that service?

I read about bending as well. Does anybody think this can just be bent to make better contact?

 

[macecase]

So, I did a lot of investigating and have come to the conclusion that the wiper is worn on the left knotter; just like yours. If you review the attached photo, I hope you'll agree that the left wiper is a worn down semi circle whereas the right one seems more flat and makes good contact with the hardened bill hook.

So, your fix.... You took the arm off and just welded more metal on and then ground it? Imam not sure how to do that.... Know anybody that offers that service?

I read about bending as well. Does anybody think this can just be bent to make better contact?

 

[macecase]

Any thoughts on what to do?

 

[zzvyb6]

Any thoughts on what to do?

Wiper arms are made of malleable iron. That means its softened and bends without breaking. The manual instructs you to bend the wiper arms so that they make hard contact with the billhooks. It should take 5 - 10 lbs of force to pull the arm across the jaw when its done correctly.

I use TWO Crescent type wrenches to do this with the arms in place: First one is on the arm itself and the second one is on the first wrench. This allows you to draw the wiper area back to a contact position without having to remove it from the knotter frame.

No need to file or grind the wiper in the contact area. Check the other side, too. The manual indicates that there is such a thing as a 'modeling tool' available to do this same adjustment, but the two wrenches give me all the movement I need. We're not talking a quarter inch, it should only be off by 1/16" or so before trouble starts.

These parts don't get out of adjustment because of wear usually. It's because other causes of knot failure make multiple knots build up on the billhooks and this makes the wiper bend away to clear the tangled up twine.