Plastic twine for round baler

[CTPhil]

I just bought a new-to-me Case/IH 8430 round baler and need twine. I learned my lesson buying sisal for my small square baler at Tractor Supply, but what about plastic? Good to buy anywhere or does that too have crap brands?

 

[blueriver]

I just bought a new-to-me Case/IH 8430 round baler and need twine. I learned my lesson buying sisal for my small square baler at Tractor Supply, but what about plastic? Good to buy anywhere or does that too have crap brands?

Thats the same baler I have and you will love that little baler. I use the 110 lb (plastic) from tractor supply ... always works well.

Keep the cutter blade clean and sharp ... sometimes the residue of the twine will biuld up on the cutter. Also never twine wrap all the way to the end of the twine marker ... for some reason that misses the bale edge. I stop at the second mark on each end.

 

[CTPhil]

Thanks for the info and tip! I've never used any round baler before, I'm going to need all the advice I can get! :confused2:

What HP is your tractor? I need to make this work with my Ford 4100.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks for the info and tip! I've never used any round baler before, I'm going to need all the advice I can get! :confused2:

I'll never forget the first time for me ... it was with my case IH and I thought this can't be hard. I read the manual and off I went ... all of a sudden that monitor alarm went off and I says darn that didn't take long ... on with the twine and out with the bale ... about 3' on one end and 18" on the other with sting hanging off both ends. Learned real quick the alarm was simply a device to alert me to the fact the chamber was getting full.

When the alarm sounds start watching the bale indicator and just before its at the max ... stop. Back up ... wrap the twine then open the gate ... drive forward to make the next bale.

I get a better uniform bale with mine putting more hay on the left side ... I hug to the right of the windrow keeping the front left tire of the tractor near the row.

Find a good spray on chain lube for the chains, keep it greased and it will eat up the hay.

I have one bearing on mine that always needs to be replaced about every 250-300 bales ... I don't know why it just wears out. I have learned to have that on hand and you will feel the vibration when its getting ready to fail.

 

[blueriver]

Forgot ... that tractor is 43 hp engine ... your baler is designed for 40 hp

 

[CTPhil]

Thanks again. Mine seems to be strictly mechanical, will there be some kind of alarm if it's not connected to 12V?

 

[DJ54]

I've used the 110 and 130 lb twine from TSC in my 335 JD round baler, and no problems so far. Been using it for 7-8 years now.

The alarm on mine goes off at about 3/4 stage, giving you a chance to get the bale evened up.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks again. Mine seems to be strictly mechanical, will there be some kind of alarm if it's not connected to 12V?

You should have a monitor that will mount to the tractor ... How many hydraulic hose's do you have?

I have two hose that plug into the tractor for the tailgate and a set of wires that plug in for the electric tie ... therefore the monitor so I can tie the bale.

Thinking about it maybe you have hydraulic tie and hydraulic tailgate and need two rear hydraulic remotes ... I quess then maybe a monitor would not be needed.

 

[blueriver]

I've used the 110 and 130 lb twine from TSC in my 335 JD round baler, and no problems so far. Been using it for 7-8 years now.

The alarm on mine goes off at about 3/4 stage, giving you a chance to get the bale evened up.

Thats about when my alarm sounds and even then its hard to get the perfect "even" bale.

 

[jwcinpk]

I've used the plastic and Sisal from TSC and never had a problem with either.

 

[CTPhil]

You should have a monitor that will mount to the tractor ... How many hydraulic hose's do you have?

I have two hose that plug into the tractor for the tailgate and a set of wires that plug in for the electric tie ... therefore the monitor so I can tie the bale.

Thinking about it maybe you have hydraulic tie and hydraulic tailgate and need two rear hydraulic remotes ... I quess then maybe a monitor would not be needed.

I've got 2 pair of hydraulic hoses, no monitor.

 

[blueriver]

I've got 2 pair of hydraulic hoses, no monitor.

Sounds like Hydraulic tie ... just have to watch the bale gauge on the baler.

 

[DJ54]

For curiosity sake, I went to Case/IH,and looked up your baler. In the exploded view in the pic below, it shows an audible alarm (#15).

Might be an idea to get a manual for your baler through Case/IH. I've referred to mine more then several times for adjustments, belt repair, etc. Well worth the money...

My Deere has manual site gauges for each side of the bale. The more even you keep them when baling, the easier it is to finish with a nice even bale...

Although I have made a few barrel looking ones, and some lopsided ones along the way... Acutally, I like the "loppies" for stacking on the first tier, so the second tier doesn't kinda' lean out.., LOL...

 

[CTPhil]

No audible alarm, but the previous owner said the baler starts to "sound different" when getting full.

I did get a manual from eBay, got it yesterday.

Just got back for TSC with some twine.

I suspect I'll be back for more help as I go, if anyone else wants to put in their experiences, please do!

 

[Grateful11]

Wife and son use Orangeline plastic, I think 10,000' rolls in the JD 448 Round Baler but have always used sisal in the 24T sq. baler.

 

[CTPhil]

I took the baler out for the first time yesterday, it was pretty much a train wreck! The pickup plugged immediately, and several times thereafter. Getting a bale started was difficult, is this a matter of technique? The twine cutter failed to cut at all, I had to cut every one with a pocket knife. I was able to make even bales OK, but didn't pick up the windrow cleanly, I'm sure that was just me. I've got several bales with no twine because I made them too big and the baler wouldn't spin any more for wrapping.

I'm pretty sure most of the problem was me, am I just that stupid or is there a steep learning curve with these things? It seems like making this work requires quite a bit of operator skill, is that right? The twine not cutting has to be a mechanical issue, right?

Any thoughts would be appreciated, I'm pretty discouraged at this point.

 

[blueriver]

I took the baler out for the first time yesterday, it was pretty much a train wreck! The pickup plugged immediately, and several times thereafter. Getting a bale started was difficult, is this a matter of technique? The twine cutter failed to cut at all, I had to cut every one with a pocket knife. I was able to make even bales OK, but didn't pick up the windrow cleanly, I'm sure that was just me. I've got several bales with no twine because I made them too big and the baler wouldn't spin any more for wrapping.

I'm pretty sure most of the problem was me, am I just that stupid or is there a steep learning curve with these things? It seems like making this work requires quite a bit of operator skill, is that right? The twine not cutting has to be a mechanical issue, right?

Any thoughts would be appreciated, I'm pretty discouraged at this point.

Sorry ... but I started chuckling out load and my wife asked whats so funny ... I read the post to her and she said "Bring Back Memories" ... Yes to all your questions it is a steep learning curve!!

Plugging can be anything from not entering the windrow straight, baling against the lay of the hay, hay too wet or too dry (dry hay is slick) and hard to start ... chain may be off the pickup reel ... twine cutter, did you clean it? They can get a gum build up from the poly twine ... did you sharpen it ... is it adjusted with the right tension ... if you didn't pick up the windrow the pickup reel was not low enough ... I had to build hitch extension to lower my draw bar by 4" other wise the teeth could not reach the ground. OR are you saying the windrow was too wide and the baler left hay? Bales too big ... gotta watch that bale size quide on the side of the baler and stop before its maxed out.

Practice ... the more hay you roll the better you will get.

 

[CTPhil]

Thanks for the reply. The pickup height was fine, but I wasn't starting square to the windrows. Yes, the windrows were large, but the missing was mostly because I'm calibrated for a small square baler, and my baler doesn't have gathering wheels. The hay was indeed quite dry and did feel quite slick. The twine knife did seem clean and sharp but I'll look again. The knife isn't on the anvil when the twine arm is "home", it seems like it should be?

Thank you for the encouragement and perspective.

 

[blueriver]

Thanks for the reply. The pickup height was fine, but I wasn't starting square to the windrows. Yes, the windrows were large, but the missing was mostly because I'm calibrated for a small square baler, and my baler doesn't have gathering wheels. The hay was indeed quite dry and did feel quite slick. The twine knife did seem clean and sharp but I'll look again. The knife isn't on the anvil when the twine arm is "home", it seems like it should be?

Thank you for the encouragement and perspective.

Those wide windrows with out gathering wheels are tough to get all the hay ... just bring them together tighter when you rake ... The twine kinda slides along the cutter blade ... even though its a small blade just a couple inches long it enters on the one end and as it passes along the blade it cuts. Anytime mine doesn't cut I usually just pass a small thin file along the bottom of the blade between the sharp side and the flat plate at the angle of the cutting edge ... I guess that cleans and helps the cutting edge and then I move on with no problems.

 

[CTPhil]

I'll try filing, thanks.