baler needles

[mwillis]

I have a ford 542 baler with broken needles. the new one cost 500.00 ea, so my question is can they be welded back together or interchangeable with other needles. does any one know where to buy some used? thanks michele.

 

[Barry 1]

There is one on ebay up for bid,and they can be welded .

 

[Ed of all trades]

We used to braise them with a torch and then grind them smooth. Worked well.

 

[tessiers]

They are cast, they can be welded or brazed, but it takes some skill. the typical home welder may not have much success. It is also harder the second time around so it is best to bring them to a professional the first time. Also needs to be pretty accurate and the knotters will have to be adjusted. Many people have welded needles working very well for them.

 

[Tx Jim]

Welded needles need to be compared to known good needles to be sure the curve in the needle is still correct. If curve is off it's very difficult to get the needle into the knotter area correctly.

 

[DaveOmak]

If the needles broke, it's time for new chains, sprockets and re time the baler... worn parts can cause the timing to change.....

 

[Tx Jim]

If the needles broke, it's time for new chains, sprockets and re time the baler... worn parts can cause the timing to change.....

Just because the needles get broken doesn't indicate that the baler has worn chains or is even out of time.. It does indicate that the plunger head stop mechanism is faulty. I'll give you an example of how needles can get bent/broken on a perfectly correct timed hay baler with brand new chains but granted the PH stop must be faulty. Here's the example: needle brake is not tight to spec's,knotter trips to tying mode,needle frame moves a little too quick(loose brake) and WA-LA bent/broken needles.