Vermeer 5400 Rebel baler

[derrick1115]

I have a vermeer 5400 rebel baler and when i bale hay with it hay piles up on top the belts and i have to get off the tractor and clean the belts off about every 10 belts or so. If not if will cause the belts to track wrong. Any ideas why this is doing this and how to fix it?

 

[Tx Jim]

What type of hay? Do you know moisture % content of hay? What pto speed are you baling at? Have you tried baling at lower pto rpm's? How many bales per acre? Would it be possible to rake a larger windrow?

 

[derrick1115]

it is mixed grass hay with Johnson grass hay, I usually let it lay about 24hrs before I bale it. I usually bake it at 570 pto speed or higher. The grass is thick and the windrow are usually as wide as the mouth of the baler. About 10 bales per acre

 

[RustyA]

So is the intake throat clogging? That was a problem with my rebel 5400 until I put the haysaver wheels on for a more even hay intake. After that it only did it if hay was extremely dry. Then I would slow ground speed down until indicator showed bale was actually forming. Then off we went. Clogs were a pain to pull out of that baler. It really packed it in if you weren't watching bale indicator.

 

[derrick1115]

It’s not clogging the baler, and I don’t think it is to dry

 

[Tx Jim]

I suggest try baling at 470-480 pto rpm's
Johnson grass conditioned or not would not normally be dry enough to bale in 24 hrs where I live in N Tex.

 

[HayDR]

The main reason you have build up is your belts edges have the fibers working as a burr catching the small loose hay and transporting them up the belts. Here are some of the fixes:

1. Buy a new set of belts
2. Take the outside belts off and take a propane torch and lightly burn the edge fibers so the edges are smooth.
3. Advance the timing on the pickup to 1/4" past the center (clockwise) of the timing holes located on the left side of the pickup.
4. Just flipping the belts over can reduce the build up.