In-line small square balers

[mark.r]

When you grab the strings to pick up the bale you have all the cut ends of the bale jabbing your hand

Ok, so essentially the strings are going in the same direction as a regular bale but the cut ends are pointed "up" if the bale is sitting flat as opposed to pointed out to each side. Would this effect the so called proper way to stack bales (on the their side) in a hay loft to assist in drying as well.

Very strange why these balers bale different.

 

[slowzuki]

Not really, the hay comes in from the bottom, cuts accross the hay. I suppose they could have tried to make is so it came in and spit the bale out on edge.

 

[jimg]

>>It has a phenomenally high plunger speed, something near 110 strokes per
>>minute, which is apparently how it makes such a consistent bale size and
>>density.
From what Ive read the high plunger speed plays in concert w/ the prepacker. The prepacker is supposed to be a simpler version of those found on big sq balers.

 

[Wildcat Ranch]

Yes, you can easily make a 55 pound 14x18 bale.

We are talking grass hay bales here?

Dan

 

[mark.r]

Ok, so essentially the strings are going in the same direction as a regular bale but the cut ends are pointed "up" if the bale is sitting flat as opposed to pointed out to each side. Would this effect the so called proper way to stack bales (on the their side) in a hay loft to assist in drying as well.

Very strange why these balers bale different.

Ok, I don't want to be the dunce in this thread but I just got off the phone with my boarder and I was trying to explain to here the issue with an inline balers and this potential problem of customers not liking them because of the cut/edges etc. It seems neither of us has a good understanding of the topic. She was thinking I was talking about how the bale was packed which causes the "flakes" to not pull apart easy. I told I didn't think that was the issue at hand. Is there an illustration or can some take the time and effort to clarify why certain customers complain. To be clear I know what a "normal" bale looks like and using it as a reference I have picked up many by the strings from the top (long side).

 

[Wildcat Ranch]

Don't know how much you know about balers but I will try to explain by my understanding. On the JD and NH balers, The hay comes into the side of the baling chamber. The cutting knife is mounted on the side of the plunger/packer. The string runs along the top and bottom of the bale so therefore, the cut edge is on the side. With the in-line baler, the hay comes into the baling chamber from the bottom. The knife would be mounted on the bottom of the plunger/packer but the string still runs along the top and bottom of the bale, therefore, string is on the cut edge.

The string would be on the long side of the bale on both balers. I always wear gloves when handling hay. Most people I know do too. We've had people complain about some pretty dumb things about our hay and its usually the people that have their horse that "only will eat the best" but the way I see it, they don't have to buy the hay. The next person that comes along is more then pleased.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

We are talking grass hay bales here?

Dan

It doesn't matter, just use poly twine or a heavy sisal like 7200.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Ok, I don't want to be the dunce in this thread but I just got off the phone with my boarder and I was trying to explain to here the issue with an inline balers and this potential problem of customers not liking them because of the cut/edges etc. It seems neither of us has a good understanding of the topic. She was thinking I was talking about how the bale was packed which causes the "flakes" to not pull apart easy. I told I didn't think that was the issue at hand. Is there an illustration or can some take the time and effort to clarify why certain customers complain. To be clear I know what a "normal" bale looks like and using it as a reference I have picked up many by the strings from the top (long side).

Wildcat did a good job explaining it but I will try to help some also.

Basically, take a normal bale of hay from a john deere or New Holland. Turn it on its edge so the cut side is up. Now flatten the bale and put the strings on it. That is what the bale will be like coming out of the inline. The cut edges of the grass will be in line with the string and not on the side of the bale. If you are packing tight bales it will be hard to grab the strings with gloves so the people who use bare hands will be getting pricked by the cut edges of the stems as they grab the bales. While on a JD or NH baler they only have the long blades of grass or stems to deal with when they grab the strings.

Not everyone complains about this but you might lose some customers if they don't like the way the bale is formed. Haying can be a strange thing at times.

I would like to try an inline baler some day but my NH does a great job so I see no reason to change. With the NH and John Deere balers you have to make a good windrow and bale properly so you have nice square bales. If you bale too fast you will have uneven lengthed bales, if your windrow is uneven you will have trouble keeping a proper speed. It does all even out in the end but some customers will complain if they get a short bale. THey don't complain if they get a long bale though So do your best to make equal length, uniform bales and then you only have to worry about the quality of the hay.

But no matter how great a bale of hay you make you will still find customers who will complain. So just try to find a happy medium. If your customers don't mind bales out of an inline then go for it. It would be great if you knew of a farm that ran one so you could go buy a bale of hay from him and take it to your customers to show what the bale will look like compared to a "normal" bale.

 

[MFRED]

Alright, I've been watching this thread for a few days. Now I'll chime in. I have a New Idea 7210 inline baler. Same as a mf 1837. It has a thrower on it also. I switched from a New Holland because quite frankly I found it tough to make any money when I had to re-bale 10% of the bales in the field the 15% of the rest by the time I was done handling them. When the rows were inconsistant, light crop, even if the baler was just in need of a tightening up, "Banana Bales". You know the kind, you get done baling and look in the twine box, "Well, how the heck did the left side use 1/4 more of the twine ball than the right?" Look at how they work. They stuff to the left side of the baler, of course if the windrow isn't perfect, the bale quality suffers.
Anyway, going on the 7th year with the inline, not 1 customer was lost. We actually picked up a few. Yes it is a litte difficult to explain where the cut side is. Solution, I didn't tell them. I showed them the hay when they came to pick it up. Most didn't even notice before i showed them. I will say they were happier with easier & tighter stacking hay.
Going onto maintenence, Aside from the usual chain tightening and greasing, there has been nothing i've had to do. Go make hay, Thats it. I don't like working on equipment when it 95 degrees out and I should be making hay.
I could go on and on with stories of the die hard Deere & NH guys that I went to "Bale Out" of jams that couldn't belive how fast I could go & good the bales were.

 

[plowrup]

I need to find the Hesston model that is the equivalent to the MF1835/1837/1839 as those are all rated at 35pto hp and relatively smaller bale size.[/QUOTE]

1835>4550
1837>4570
1839>4590