JD 348 Knotter problem

Lucerne · May 25, 2011

zzvyb6 said:
If the knot looks OK after the tie but can be pulled apart aftr the fact, then the twine may be doubled back into the knot. That's caused by the billhook tongue closing on top of the twine.

Not sure what you mean here. Don't you want the billhook tongue closing on top of the twine to grab it, to pull it thru the knot ?

Rhetto · Dec 12, 2016

Hi. Can anybody help with my JD 348 the bale is cut off on angle on the finished end of the bale? No problems on the start of bale. Can be as sharp as 30 degrees??? It doesn't seem to be feeding the hay evenly into the bale chamber, maybe? I have also noticed that 1 string is approximately 40 longer than the other. Cheers.

Tx Jim · Dec 12, 2016

Welcome to TBN
Bale shape problems are normally due to inadequate size of windrow & feeding pickup on side next to plungerhead. It helps bale shape to feed windrow into pickup on extreme RH side giving auger the opportunity to spread hay before it enters bale case. Have you attempted to change pin(key 6B) location in feeder fingers arm. When you get bales squared up twine lengths should even up with no need to attempt alteration of tying mechanism

Rhetto · Dec 13, 2016

Tx Jim said:
Welcome to TBN
Bale shape problems are normally due to inadequate size of windrow & feeding pickup on side next to plungerhead. It helps bale shape to feed windrow into pickup on extreme RH side giving auger the opportunity to spread hay before it enters bale case. Have you attempted to change pin(key 6B) location in feeder fingers arm. When you get bales squared up twine lengths should even up with no need to attempt alteration of tying mechanism

Thanks Tx Jim.
currently the pin is on the second hole from the bottom, there is 5 holes so I will change it to the very top hole and see if it makes any difference? Would that be to much and cause other problems? If that will fix the problem we'll and good. If not, I will drive away from the windrow and see if the auger can correct the problem. Then possibly come back to the 4 hole and so on. Would this way of adjustments be advisable?
Cheers again.

Tx Jim · Dec 13, 2016

If it was my baler I'd move to next hole until problem corrected itself not skip holes in feeder forks.

zzvyb6 · Dec 13, 2016

Moving to the farthest hole is a process for solving problems formally named "interval halving". You set as wide a change as possible and look at the results. Then you go 1/2 way depending on results. Better ? Keep going, Worse ? go the other way. Same process an optometrist uses to write a script for glasses. "Better or worse" they will always say. Small changes may confuse you because a change in the hay charge may produce bigger variation than the feeder fork delivery.

It's also possible that the plunger head has some crappola on it and is packing the flakes at an angle, and/or the bale compressors are plugged so that one side slips by while the short side is held. Feeder timing can be seen visually, too. Just kick in flakes from a broken bale and watch the hay distribution into the bale chamber.

Tx Jim · Dec 14, 2016

zzvyb6 said:
Small changes may confuse you because a change in the hay charge may produce bigger variation than the feeder fork delivery.

It's also possible that the plunger head has some crappola on it and is packing the flakes at an angle, and/or the bale compressors are plugged so that one side slips by while the short side is held. Feeder timing can be seen visually, too. Just kick in flakes from a broken bale and watch the hay distribution into the bale chamber.

IMHO if small changes in FF pin location confuses OP large changes in pin location will even be more confusing. I've never experienced PH getting material "stuck to it's face" & if that happened I would think one is attempting to bale at too high moisture content. BTW I have never baled a legume type hay.