NH 565 twine, sisal or plastic?

[Happy Gilmore]

Hey guys, I'm down to my last two rolls of NH sisal twine on my 565. I've been thinking of switching over to plastic. What are your thoughts? Does it knot and cut well? Pros / cons?

 

[RichZ]

I've always preferred sisal, but it's just gotten so expensive this year, I've switched to plastic with no problems. However I use a New Holland round baler, I don't have any experience with square balers. Obviously, I can't tell you how it knots, but I've had no issues with it cutting. My friends with square balers are all using plastic now, and I haven't heard of anyone having any issue with it.

 

[RickB]

If the twine knives are sharp, the change should be seamless. New Holland 500 series balers come equipped with billhooks designed to tie plastic twine. Older NH balers should be retrofitted, especially if the lighter, thinner 130 lb plastic twine is used. I prefer 170 lb knot strength plastic twine for small squares.

 

[bjr]

I fought the ol' NH 269 to a standstill on tying. Finally got poly to tie a knot, had to give up on the the Sisal for a while. I really want to switch back to the Sisal. Not that I'm Greenie extremist, but, I really don't like the plastic all over my field ( the little knot ends) and the people I sell too say they prefer Sisal twine. bjr

 

[BeeferMan]

I am still using sisal for square bales. I went to plastic a few years ago for round bales - I keep outside, covered but on the ground, so the plastic twine helps a keep the bales in shape and prevents a lot of loss. But other than that, I hate plastic twine. I carefully take it off every bale I fed (I never bothered with sisal) and pick up every scrap I see. But no matter how careful I am, I still find pieces here and there, wrapped around the rake teeth, in the manure. Drives me nuts. So I'll stick with the sisal for square bales, even though it costs a bit more. I buy whatever is cheapest and I can count on one hand (even if I was missing three fingers) the number of knots my good ole 311 has missed...

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Point taken on the having to pick it up or else, I can imagine the problems. I make a point to always pick up and dispose of twine, even with sisal, I can be a little OCD. I guess I can buy a couple rolls and give it a run.

 

[dan28040]

i have a NH 565 square baler and had problems with the plastic knotting. the sisal does very well in my baler. never have any issues with it knotting. other than running out of twine.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

i have a NH 565 square baler and had problems with the plastic knotting. the sisal does very well in my baler. never have any issues with it knotting. other than running out of twine.

Dan, any idea what caused the knotting issues with plastic? Did you correct the issue or give up on it?

 

[RickB]

Dull twine knives and or insufficient tension at the twine disc/twine holder are common and correctable concerns when using plastic twine, particularly 130 lb knot strength plastic twine.

 

[dan28040]

we solved the issue finally, the ceramic piece the twine feeds through had developed a lit notch in it from years of the plastic running trough it. we changed those and never had any problems. the guy that works on my baler said that the sisal would always do better in that particular baler. i believe the notches in those pieces was causing to much tension on the twine causing the knot to not form correctly.