Vermeer 604M Plugging, belt question.

New user here, but have browsed the forums for quite some time.

 

I bought a 604M last fall to replace my old 504L with and this weekend was the first time that I got to use it.  It's one of the early balers, '05 or '06 off the top of my head, but has less than 5k bales thru it and could pass for less than a year old.  The baler does fine in dry hay, but if the hay is the slightest bit damp it doesn't like to start the bale.  It forms a wedge shaped plug in the vertical chamber and has hay packed in pretty hard where the augers push hay into the pickup.  

 

My windrows are 4' wide and well formed, crop is orchard grass/fescue mix.  My old 504L has over 15k on it, and hasn't plugged in well over 5k bales - pretty happy it's still sitting in the barn at this point.  The last time it plugged was because the short chain that runs the starter roller had broke, and I was able to finish the field without the starter roller by taking my time getting the bales started.  The problem lies in the new baler, I'm 100% certain of that.  

 

I've talked briefly with the local Vermeer dealer over the phone, not really wanting to bother him over the holiday weekend.  You cannot ask for a better dealer, he's one of the few dealers that I would gladly consider a personal friend - as good as they get.  I live in Virginia and bought the baler from a JD dealer in Missouri last fall, which kind of threw up a red flag to me.  My dealer suggested removing the end "ears" off of the auger flighting and tightening the main tension springs, which I did.  Neither of these had any effect on damp hay performance.  I also adjusted the pickup cam both directions and neither had any effect.  

 

This is one of the early balers with the slick belts, and I've got myself convinced that the belts are the cause of the problem.  I'm just curious if anyone here has been down this road, or has any other recommendation?  If I do replace the belts, are there any better options out there than the Mini Rough Tops?  Anyone ever put the JD style belts in a Vermeer?  US Baler Belts is reasonably close for us, and seems to have about the best prices on belts.  

 

Sorry for the long winded post, just trying to be thorough.  Thanks in advance for any information that you may have.

Vermeer 604M Plugging, belt question.