NH 276 Baler

[Warwagon]

I am going to look at a New Holland 276 Baler next week and I was hoping that someone could tell me a little bit about this model . This is my first baler, so I don't know one model from another. What should I be looking at besides the obvious? What will be the wear spots that I should be looking for?

 

[Darren]

I'm guessing a 276 isn't much different than a 310.

Inspect the feed mechanism to make sure the rails are in good shape. Look for any cracked or repaired (welded cracks). Make sure the mechanism doesn't have side to side slop. If some of the fingers are broken that's not a big deal. They're easy to replace. There should be a cover you can lift for access.

Check the knotter for any obvious problems. Look at the bill hooks to see if there's any obvious wear. Overall the knotter mechanism should not have any rust. Access should be through a cover that lifts up.

Check the gearbox for grease and at the same time check out the chain drive and especially the sprockets for wear. You may have to loosen a few bolts to get a safety cover off. You should be able to spin the flywheel and check for operation. You'll need someone to spin the flywheel while you check things. Don't stick anything inside you don't want to lose while anything's moving.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hello Warwagon--As equipment dealers, we look for hay in the chamber and twine that is tied correctly,any breaks or welds on the knotters or lower fingers indicate that something has been out of time in the past and caused a wreck--This has happened once and could happen again?--You should see 2 rolls of tie material that are equal in amount of twine removed from each--If 1 roll is smaller than the other, this indicates that 1 side of the baler is missing a tie occasionally--Have the owner feed a couple bales thru it, so you can see the basic functions work--Try to get a 1 day in the field guarantee from the seller----If he wont do this? Be very suspecious.-Ken Sweet
Sweet Farm Equipment Co.

 

[RichZ]

I've got a New Holland baler, I think it's a 278. The advice mentioned earlier is excellent. One thing to keep in mind is that if you get it for a good price, and it's running, anything that goes wrong won't be too hard to fix. In my case, I'm not that mechanical, but I have a good farm mechanic. When I got my baler, the knives were pretty dull, and some of the fingers were broken. I ordered new ones, and my farm mechanic had it all set in about 1/2 hour, so it wasn't a very expensive fix. Parts are available for all the New Holland balers at NH dealers.

The main thing I would do, is have the seller hook it up to a tractor so you can see it run. In my area, the vast majority of balers you see are NH, and all my full time farmer friends swear by them. I've only used mine last year, but so far, I'm very happy with it.