knotter prob...what do you think?

[jimg]

#1 is rusty/rough area in bill hook crook and #2 is wheel on back w/ lots of flats & rusty spots. I hooked the baler up Sat morning and threaded it.

It looks like the weather is going to be good enough to hay later in the week.

 

[mark.r]

Just caught up reading this, Jim, keep us updated on how the baling goes.

 

[zzvyb6]

Looks like the billhook and finger were ok. Heel cam wheel may have to be filed to round out the flat spots. BUT:

My guess is that the adjustment tension was lost due to a rusted spring or the nut just walked off. Check to see if there are now double nuts or a cotter pin and a castle nut at the adjustment location.

See attached image. You can still stick a rod down there to see what the finger opening tension on both billhooks is.

Save those parts, they will live to see action again someday !!!

 

[jimg]

Id like to understand how the billhook roller interacts w/ the cam finger. The part Im calling the finger is the one which is roughly L shaped and is tension adjustable via a nut/spring (off the left side of each frame). My NH baler manual calls it the billhook cam but the parts list doesnt list it as such (in fact I cant find it in the parts list). To me it looks like it keeps the tongue shut until the cycle progresses to the point where the knot is wiped. Since theres a spring involved it must have some range of movement as the roller contacts it and that must dictate the 15#s mentioned earlier. At any rate, my NH manual doesnt go into that detail and the JD manual completely ignores it. My dealer is telling me that if the knot comes off the billhook prematurely the tension should be increased. My baler manual says that too much tension causes flat spots on the billhook roller (the old one has this problem). So it seems that the knotter works even when the adjustment is too much. Am I on the right track w/ its function and what else am I missing?

 

[zzvyb6]

If the twine tension (set in the twine bale box), is too loose, the knot can fall off the billhook during bale compression by the plunger. This is just a friction issue that you can check by hand or with a fish scale.

This is something to watch for in slow motion. Turn it over by hand without any hay or twine loaded. Trip the cycle by hand and spin it over until the needle lift starts. Then carefully turn the flywheel a degree (angle) or so at a time to watch the billhook spin, the billhook finger open and the wiper arm traverse the billhook. This 'ballet' happens very quickly and is best arranged to happen in both knotters at the same exact point in the cycle. I don't agree that the manuals omit these details. My 14T manual describes this in excrutiating detail.

Now that its warmer out, I ought to drag out the baler and video the knotter action detail in better perspective than my last YouTube experiment....

 

[slowzuki]

I know mine won't tie if there is much rust, the twine will hang on the rough patch. Replacing solved that for you I guess!

 

[jimg]

I know mine won't tie if there is much rust, the twine will hang on the rough patch. Replacing solved that for you I guess!

Yes, changing the billhook solved the problem and Im sure it was the rust which caused the hangup.

 

[jimg]

Just caught up reading this, Jim, keep us updated on how the baling goes.

It went really well! I made 1100 (60#) bales this w/e which are all in the barn now. Only a couple small problems: 1) during the 1st 100 bales the outboard knotter would occasionally miss a tie (problem corrected itself after some run time) and 2) a loose sprocket threw a chain (easy fix as no parts were missing or damaged).

This baler can really suck down the hay! Im sure it could have benefited from more than the 60+hp I was supplying it. I sure wouldnt run it behind a smaller tractor!!

 

[mark.r]

It went really well! I made 1100 (60#) bales this w/e which are all in the barn now. Only a couple small problems: 1) during the 1st 100 bales the outboard knotter would occasionally miss a tie (problem corrected itself after some run time) and 2) a loose sprocket threw a chain (easy fix as no parts were missing or damaged).

This baler can really suck down the hay! Im sure it could have benefited from more than the 60+hp I was supplying it. I sure wouldnt run it behind a smaller tractor!!

That's good to hear. Aprox. how many acres did you bale? What tractor were you running again?

 

[jimg]

Yes, I was really glad the baler performed well. I was busy enough w/o baler problems. I worked my front field which is 15ac using a TN75.