M&W 4500 Baler

[olin117]

Why are bales hard to start in my M&W 4500 rnd baler?

 

[chh]

I have not run the M&W but the old soft core that I used to have would not really start rolling until you had a pretty good amount in it. My owners manual said to make heavy windrows to help get the bale started. Mine also did better if the hay was not too dry. Very dry and very thin hay was a troublesome mess.

 

[scrapironford]

With my 4500 baler just like chh said a large heavy windrow definately does help. We sonetimes rake three windrows together in Pensacola Bahia grass,it is all leaf and verry little stem . When baling tifton 85,44 or oats they have stems and we have verry little problems starting the bale. We do our best to make a full 4ft wide windrow that is about 10 to 18 inches tall. This can be a real pain in the a## with an 8ft rake, but it is what we have to do with our hay. When our Bahia gets to dry the leafs shatter because of the tumbling of the roll by the chain, one time last fall I mounted a 3ph sprayer on the tractor ,powered by a 12 volt pump to spray water on the windrow, baled 10 acres that way, not the best way, cows ate the hay do not want to do that again. I will wait until the next morning and bale with some dew still on it, maybe rake 2 full windrows together. I have also had to slow my ground speed as compared to a belt baler. I hope this helps you, the M&W balers do a good job,just dont like them. scrapironford

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

Check the top roller over the pickup. It moves up and out of the way as hay is pulled into the baler. You might have a shear pin or clutch slipping.
I just dont have a noticeable problem with roll starts.