In-line small square balers

[plowrup]

Do the MF dealerships service/stock parts for the older Hesston balers?

Yes, I am an old Hesston Dealer (from the 60's), and the Parts from the Hesston's are the same as the MF's/Agco/Challenger now.

 

[plowrup]

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).

I am a Deere Dealer also, and in my experience, the Hesston makes a "prettier" Bale than the Deere, and the Flakes are more defined. The Deere Baler will outlast a Hesston (MF/Agco/Challenger), though.

The prepacker is the same general design as the Big Baler system-

 

[mark.r]

Yes, you have all explained it thourogh enough for me to understand. Makes perfect sense. I setting here laughing and shaking my head because I told my boarder nearly the samething that Wild Ranch did . . .

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.

In my area where there are very few square bales for sale and if you have quality hay, the next "bus" is always right around the corner so you don't have to buy from me. Mfred, you raise some interesting points. I hope that holds true. I am not baling yet so unfortunately I don't have personal customers yet although we know they are out there. So an in-line baler maybe a small leap of faith for us but one I think worth it based on the fact that many horse farms in my area have round bale sitting out in their fields getting wet currently (READ: no square bales to be had). Someone will buy them I pretty certain.

I had a chance to speak to guy that we have been buying round bales from and I asked him if he baled any square bales. He said that he bales about 5000 per year (out of 1200 acres) and all of them go to a local horse farm. He only does that because the farm buys them off the wagon and he does not have to stack them otherwise he wouldn't do any. This reinforces findings about Northern Virginia.

 

[mark.r]

I am a Deere Dealer also, and in my experience, the Hesston makes a "prettier" Bale than the Deere, and the Flakes are more defined. The Deere Baler will outlast a Hesston (MF/Agco/Challenger), though.

The prepacker is the same general design as the Big Baler system-

Thanks Plowrup. I have been talking to jimg offline and he has been nice enough to provide me with a Hesston 4500 series manual. Maybe all this will work out well and I can afford to buy a JD336/338 too at some point.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

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.

Well, what took you so long to chime in.

I have not had the banana bale problem some people have but I am normally baleing double windrows so I am evenly feeding plenty of hay into my 575. On a smaller baler or weaker tractor I could see this as a problem if you get into light windrows but as I said, I have never had that problem. I also have not had problems with broken bales or mis ties (knock on wood). I think a lot has to do with how well the baler is set up from the beginning. There doesn't seem to be too many small square baler mechanics anymore. I had a great one here till he retired a couple years ago.

My friend had a 300 series Deere (can't remember the exact model) and he made great bales also. Since I have no experience with inlines I was waiting for someone who did to pipe up. Next time jump right in as there does not seem to be a lot of guys with small square inline balers.

 

[slowzuki]

I'll chime in on banana's, the JD's are known as the non-banana making baler but as soon as I really crowd the pickup on my 336 I start getting slight banana's. I've tried a few things, haven't retimed her yet but that is the next step.

Feeding it lightly or moderate its fine. Also, mine is very consistant in bale length in all type of grass as long as I keep my tension proper. The softer the bale, the more inconsistant it is.

 

[jwcinpk]

Glad to find this thread. I too am looking at square balers to use behing my new mahindra 7010 cab. I think I'm down to NH 570 or MF 1835. Shooting for 5000 squares this year.

Is it safe to say an inline baler is less likely to banana bale?

Could folks expand on what makes/models of balers are inline? Weren't some IH balers inline?

 

[zzvyb6]

I can't believe all the fear about 'banana' bales. You should empty out the bale chamber and inspect all the hay restrictors and dogs that form the bale. You will find dirt, stones, a poultice of hay chaff, mold, rusted through ramps and misadjusted tension springs. Clean the chamber out and sharpen the knives while you are at it. The feed rate has nothing to do with a misformed bale. Lastly, check the tension of the twine as it comes out of the twine box. If its too loose or tight on one side, it contributes to the internal compression uniformity in the bale. If nothing else, count the threads on the hay restrictors at the back of the baler. If you have a lot of difference between them, that won't compensate for other asymmetries in the holdback process.

 

[mark.r]

I can't believe all the fear about 'banana' bales. You should empty out the bale chamber and inspect all the hay restrictors and dogs that form the bale. You will find dirt, stones, a poultice of hay chaff, mold, rusted through ramps and misadjusted tension springs. Clean the chamber out and sharpen the knives while you are at it. The feed rate has nothing to do with a misformed bale. Lastly, check the tension of the twine as it comes out of the twine box. If its too loose or tight on one side, it contributes to the internal compression uniformity in the bale. If nothing else, count the threads on the hay restrictors at the back of the baler. If you have a lot of difference between them, that won't compensate for other asymmetries in the holdback process.

Bill, what mower/square baler combination on you running with your 1070?

 

[zzvyb6]

NH479 9' mower, JD14T baler with plastic.

Double windrow, bale in 1st gear 2nd range.

That one shot is front field with about 450 bales, 60 lbs. Not one banana or missed tie. If the bale is formed square in the bale case before the press fixture, you've got one side WAY out of adjustment. I find that the case is often impacted with crud and a clay-like material that defeats the hayramps and restrictors at the end of the case. That means that flakes can just blow out the end on that side. The twine will just pay out on that side as it is pulled through. That's what makes the banana form. Its just a simple friction problem (lack of it on one side).

Like I said, If you have 30 turns on the compressor on the left and 10 on the other to keep a bale square, the hay dogs (hold the flakes) and the ramps (hold the end of the bale) are not working well together. This is a cleaning issue, not an adjustment deal. Keep equal turns on the compressor cranks. On a 328, 336, or 338 having hydraulic tension, this system keeps average tension. You will get banana bales for the same reasons mentioned above on these machines, too. Clean the girl out at the end of the season !