This morning I burnt up the clutch in my Krone baler, I really had that thing smokin; probably could have roasted some weenies on that thing. I got the thing apart, and will get parts ordered tomorrow. Is there anyone out there that has put a clutch back into the baler; I am looking for advice on what to and what not to do.
Okay, I can make a bale very well, I first tried net wrapping and the spreader bar won't spin to spread the net. I've oiled and twisted it but it won't roll. Now I'm trying string wrap and have a good bale formed but the arms won't move to wrap on automatic. I've just read some of the manual and I'm going out to try manually doing the tie. We're expecting rain this afternoon --would it be totally stupid to run the bales without any tie or wrap just to get it off the field? I can't begin to see the mess I'd have , but, I need it off the field. If you haven't guessed already I'm kinda new to this.
I have had one of these for 3 years now. The problem i have consistently is that if you bale a lot of clump grass(Orchard Etc.) It tends to allow the bale to tip up and turn on its edge. Very frustrating when on a 10 acre field you are on and off the tractor probably 30 times at least . If anyone else has had this problem and found a solution PLEASE Post it. You folks are very knowledgeable and i would really like to have some thoughts. If there is no solution i guess i go to Kuhn.
Looked a long time for the best solution to carrying pole saws and string trimmers to the back 40 on my rtv. The Kolpin Rhino Grip pro is pricey, but man is it strong. Cast aluminum with the rubber retainers. Now I don't know how many years it lasts but i am able to carry tools now mounted in line with direction of travel which lessens the chance of wraping them around a tree. mounted two sets on square tube that went in the stake pockets of my RTV bed and they work great. Also got a really nice basket for carrying stuff for my wifes ATV. Most used for porting around her jack russel 
I am checking here for opinions to see if it is safe to augur urea fertilizer. This blend is 40-5-10. Our concern during conversation was, would there be a chance of a spark ignite the urea? We do not believe it would. When I think about it I usually see fertilizer moved with conveyor belts and not augers.
The plan is to try and use a grain buggy and auger into a fertilizer buggy. (Would do a small test run first to make sure the auger moved it)
Just did not want to end up on the front page news about trying this.
Our buggy is older and we do not load it to the max. The spinners are PTO driven so we have to spread with a tractor. This is fine when we are close to home. We have a couple of fields where is is not practical to road a tractor/buggy home to load. I was just going to rent a buggy from the CO-OP and spread with a 4WD farm truck. Then the grain buggy idea came up.
I have a grain buggy I use to feed bulk feed with during the winter. The tall sides have been removed, it holds 3.5 tons of bulk feed pellets. If this works, I would like to use it to transport the fertilizer to the hay fields.
A friend and I split 25 tons of bulk fertilizer. It did not test with in the required analysis and we bought it cheap in the bulk.
Opinions?
Are they worth it? Seems like they'd be fine until the tines started wearing sideways on them. We don't usually take the bands out on rocks but wear the sides out. Anyone with with experience with these?
I have a Hesston 8200 swather (Same as a CaseIH 8830/8840). I was cutting, came to the end of the field, raised the head up, turned and the head won't go back down.
- I can hear the pump engage when I try to raise the head (it already all the way up).
- I don't hear any valve or hyd. noise when I try to lower it.
- No leaks & not low on fluid
- I checked the switch in cab and all connections are good (pulled them off and back on, tight with no corrosion).
- reversed the up/down wire leads on the switch in the cab and still get the same problem (this helped verify that both sides of the switch are working correctly)
- I decreased the float pressure down to zero psi and the head still will not go down.
I know there is a pressure switch on the valve body that has to register a min. of 60 psi or it won't let the head down---Thinking this may be the problem but don't know how to test it.
It may also be the lowering solenoid or the lowering valve but not sure how to test them either.
Anyone ever have this problem or now of a fix or temp. bypass?
I need to lay about a 6" layer of 3" crush gravel down in a hay shed and then compact it. I am thinking of putting 6ml (heavy) poly down first. Any reason it won't work ok? Putting in down on top the gravel is an option but it won't survive more then a season, tires and wind wrecks it. Your thoughts ?
I have a Hesston 1120 sickle based mower conditioner that I really like however I could possibly have the opportunity to pick up some more small piddle patch fields near me (1 to 1.5 acre sizes) , but my 1120 will not fit through the gates. Heck one field I access now I have to take down some fence to get in and out of it.
So just for the sake of thinking out loud about some alternative possibilities; What size drum mower would a stock but fairly healthy Farmall M handle? My M does have an add on 3 point hitch kit of rather stout design. M is narrow front if that matters.
1.65 m (or 65 inches)?
1.85 m (or 73 inches)?
Stub guards or standard(rock)?
Which do you prefer and why?
My experience with stub guards was not good and may easily been because I didn't understand how to properly set them.Either i would get them too high and cause a ragged cut or,if I tightened them down, would knock the knife head bushing out quickly and have to replace it.They had been recommended for me to try because of problems with undergrowth and cut hay plugging.Finally had enough and bought all new rock guards.
Growing up I saw used and used many tubes of Unico B 660 grease.Pretty green color but a little "softer"than what i like to see.
A number of years back,my local NAPA store sold me some Castrol Pyroplex Red.I liked the consistency and the heat rating figuring if it could stand disc broke apps it should do well for farm u joints and bearings.
Not trying to start any wars but I wondered what some others of you use.
Have a bad bearing on my NH7060, on the top (front)tension roller. I got the arm lined up with the holes, removed the scraper, and removed the bolts from the ends. Now, how do I get the roller off of the tension arms? The end with the bad bearing is loose, but the other end is just like the bolt was still there. Any one?
What is the best way to take the pitman arm off of a 1219 John Deere Haybine? I tried a pitman arm puller...and it is still stuck.
This is for those of you that have had the fortune of cutting second cutting og in June-a first for me. Just wondering- Do you rush to get N on for third cutting or wait till some of the July heat has passed? My stubble is green and lush as we have had adequate rainfall during spring. Hot weather is here now. I am AWOL from hay Sept 14-25. So I can plan but perhaps not execute an Early Oct harvest with an application around Aug 1 or go for the gusto now. What do you do?
I am trying to get my 3x4 Krone BP128 baler ready for the field, and I am having problems with the knotters. I am getting three out of the six that tying but not pushing off the billhooks. The other three knotters I can't even describe what the problem with them is. At this point I have an empty chamber; would having hay in the chamber help pull the string off the knotters. I am starting to think I just need to go out to the field with it and start pushing hay through it. .
First of all I'm a novice, newbie, greenhorn....early retirement from construction to start and operate a beef cattle operation. I'm pretty good at mechanics..I repair and do regular maintenance on most of my equipment which is all pretty simple stuff. However, I'm now in the market to buy a haybine...am considering a NH 1465 which appears to be in very good condition. The guy selling went to a disk mower is the reason for him selling. Here's my dilemma...I've never run a haybine. I've read many posts about the problems and solutions to operating one but have not a clue what they're talking about when they mention something, for example, the wobble.
What I'm hoping to find is a source that will teach me not only to operate the machine correctly and what adjustments needed etc , but also to learn how to properly repair, adjust and maintain that equipment.
I'm sure when buying a new one from the dealer they give some hands on instruction like that (yes?), but I'm buying a used piece of equipment from a private seller. And I don't mind paying a fee (hourly or otherwise) for the education. I'm paying $6500 for this machine...and I have no problem paying a few hundred more to learn about it. I've learned that education is cheap in the long run...
Any suggestions?
My fields are Clair timothy and Climax timothy - reason:
1. Different maturity dates - don't want all the hay down at one time, risk reduction; easier on the back to divide the harvest.
2. Seed is cheap and readily available in my area.
Question is - what type of timothy do/did you grow and why? How did it compare to Clair and Climax?
Thanks!
Bill
Deere 535. Last year I did some net wrap with it. Everything on the monitor worked fine but I get fed up with the net wrap getting all tangled up in the machine so I switched to twine this year. I've twine wrapped some bales this year but for some reason the BaleTrak shows a constant solid yellow which according to the panel signifies wrapping started. I tried turning the valve counter clockwise to reactivate the net wrap and cycling it with the machine empty but so far the solid yellow is still on. Because of this I don't get a flashing yellow or an alarm while baling with twine.
I experienced a mechanical failure on my 2016 BC5070 that required the removal of the gearbox and the replacement of the plunger arm. I am setting the needle timing and it is not working out as it should. I set the needle/plunger timing using the factory timing marks on the knotter pawl and on the plunger drive arm. With these settings spot on, the plunger is ~3-4" past the tips of the needles when they begin to enter the chamber. This measurement should be ~3/4". I believe it is more important to set the timing by the needles rather than using the timing marks but I thought is best to throw it out there to see what others would do. I had never checked the needle timing when I purchased the baler so I don't know if the factory timing marks were ever accurate. Thank you.
IFF
Last fall I posted an add for summer pasture. Well yesterday I got a call from someone that has some pasture, well they are asking $47 for a cow calf pair. I think that is a bit high.
I have a 504SI that I have been working on to improve the bale quality. The rolls look shabby, like there is loose hay on the outside and the strings are loose even though the tensioner at the twine box is as tight as it will go and feels like a hard tug to get string to pull out of the tubes by hand. Even if I pull out the "pipe cleaners" in the tubes it feels like a hard pull. Much harder than pulling twine just downstream of the tensioner by the twine box. However, the strings on the bales are loose.
I was able to pull a belt out today to measure. It was 421". A new belt is 424". Is this an issue as long as they are all 421"? The belts and laces look good and still have a little dimple to them. There are no splices in any of the belts.
I replaced all the teeth with OEM teeth before first cut but did not see a lot of change. There had been a high pitch scratching sound for a while. I removed the pickup drive chain and figured out several of the center rows of teeth were rubbing on the "pan" beside/in front of and below the starter roll that the pickup teeth follow. I removed the pan and was able to press/heat the bend from 1" to about 1/4". I have to clean and paint the pan before putting it back in tomorrow. Would this bend have been affecting bale forming performance? It had to be fixed either way to preserve the life of the teeth.
On a side note: I read in the operators manual that when replacing the belts you can opt to use all 6" belts instead of 2 - 14" and 2 - 6" belts. Is there any known advantage of going with all 6" belts? I think all the newer Vermeer's (Rebel & Ranchers, etc...) have all the same width belts.
Thanks for any advice.
New to me, first belt round baler. When starting the bale(baleage), the endless belts start to slip on the drive roller. The tension spring is all the way to the mount. The rear upper bearing is in the upper bolt holes. I finished by stuffing in the grass until the belts got a little more tension. The controller shows 7800 bales. Do the belts need to be replaced?
Back in Feb I broke the rear axle .on my 2014 , 5100E John Deere tractor. Some water got in the main housing ,we drained all the fluid replaced the axle and filled it with new hyd oil , it turned milky shortly thereafter, changed hyd oil and filter again same thing ,milky. The J.D. mechanic said keep changing the hyd oil and filter using the expensive J.D. oil until it stays clear. Another independent tractor/ heavy equiptment mechanic said drain it , fill it with diesel run it for about 5 minutes drain the diesel and replace the filter and hyd oil.He said I don't have to use the high price J.D. oil. Comments please
How do I kill this weed, and what is it? It's taking over my pastures.
Thanks,
Bo
Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has an explanation for why we would be getting tests as follows on pure crop alfalfa:
27 days since last cut: 22.5% CP, 132 RFV
29 days: 22% CP, 154 RFV
29 days: 19% CP, 125 RFV
Weather: way above average rainfall in April/May (~300mm, avg. 100mm)
High humidity, hot days from tops of 29C (84F) to 34C (93F), lows of 16C (60F) to 22C (71F)
Soil tests are sound, enough P and K in all fields.
These tests are highly unusual - last year the crop tested within standard quality grades (22% CP = 185 RFV, 20% CP = 170 RFV etc.)
Any help much appreciated
I have a 9' rotary rake, total working width is 13'. I set the curtain to almost full width and it's almost the width of my square baler pick up.
First question is my windrows in first cutting are almost too big when I double them up and I have to move at a turtle's pace and/or a lot of hay gets kicked out the side. I'd like to just rake them into single windrows and pick up the speed, but rake is left hand delivery. What pattern do you rake in order to rake single rows? If you run down a row, when you turn around to come back you'll be doubling the row up, unless I go round and round.
Second question is ends of the field; I still haven't figured out a good way to do this. What I"m going to try next time is start on edge of field and rake back and forth, leaving myself enough room on the ends to turn around with rake raised. Then rake the headlands very last so those rows don't get disfigured on my turns. Is there a better way to do it?
Just curious on what are the factors that drive your decision on when to do second cutting of orchard grass. Typically, where I live, it's when you can get to it as you are still cutting first cutting some where when the initially cut field is ready for second. I cut my acreage back and was able to take advantage of early windows to get mine finished. First field was cut on May 23 and topdressed on June 6. Usually onset of orchard grass decline (brown tips of leaves) drives us to start second cutting regardless of height. It then goes in a funk for the three hottest weeks, then top dress for third cutting and hope for some early august rain. We have not had the stupid hot temps this year yet and have had adequate rainfall over the last month so have not had orchard grass decline show up yet. However, the 10 day is full of heat and not any rain so I am guessing we will be cutting in the near future.
In addition to decline and available time the other factors are the emergence of foxtail or cutting before the horsenettle goes to seed. Luckily, neither of those are factors for me this year.
Just wondering what others use as criteria.
I've got a fence post that busted off at ground level. It is a gate post (latch end), so I want replace it exactly where it was. Post is at least 25 years old, treated, 8-10" diameter.
I'm looking for ideas how to pull that post stump. I'm pretty sure that the post hole digger won't be able to tear it up.
I've never run into this situation before and any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Ralph
As many have posted,they are experiencing a wet season and delayed hay cutting.We had a similar season last year when most of our hay was over ripe when made.We also had an abundance of grass for pasture.
We experienced problems with cows maintaining and the losing condition even after a lot of fall grazing to lead another neighbor and myself to think the hay and grass,although abundant,lacked a lot of food value.Only after we started supplementing a grain mix did our cows start to improve.
Wet,cool winter temps with a lot of cloudy conditions didn't help nor did the mud they had to deal with.
It is hard for me to grasp the idea that cattle prices may remain this low for producers. Our calf prices here East of the Mississippi sell lower than the western states mostly due to shipping costs. That is understood and life. No problem with that.
I sold 19 this week, steers/heifers, weaned, 2 rounds of shots, on feed, paste dewormed. They sold well considering the market (20% above the market). I have fertilize and fuel money.
I saw some decent 6 wt. bull calves sell for .96 to 1.05.
Feed lots are losing money. Finished cattle are bringing 1.10-1.13 cwt. Should still be at Spring highs close to 1.30.
Packers are making a $280-$300 profit and owning them 2 days. The economy is well, meat is moving off the retail shelves.
Something has to give. We can not run a charity.
I have a 7' Howse rotary cutter that I have owned for around 15 years that only sees 10-15 hours of use each year. Unfortunately I am paying some stupid tax. While using it a few days ago behind a cab tractor, I did not hear or feel that the U-joint nearest the gearbox was going bad. It allowed the two yokes to rub together until there is not much metal around one of the cup holders on both yokes.
Until now I had no idea that Howse used their own desigh driveline which is no where near standard. The gearbox output shaft is 12 spline with a smooth bore on the end that goes into the yoke that bolts to the clutch pack. The other yoke is welded to a 1 3/8" square solid shaft. The other side bolts to the clutch pack with 4 bolts. The U-joint has inside clips and I have not been able to source it locally from auto parts stores or AG equipment stores.
I have been on howseimplement.com and they do not sell driveline components, only complete drivelines.
Has anyone else ran into this? Where did you find individual driveline parts?
Anyone have any ideas? Cut about 21 days ago. Wasnt a problem before. Extremely wet feet right now.
Hello everyone, I am in need of advice on round balers, haybines, and what goes with what best. I will start by telling you that I am done with row crops( corn, and soybeans), and the stress that goes with them. This fall I will be planting everything to hay. My plan is to make round bales. I live in an area close to a lot of amish that most have small skidloaders, and like to feed smaller round bales. My tractors are an allis chalmers WD, a series one D17, a series four D17, and a one ninety XT, The WD and seventeens are narrow front, the one ninety being wide front. My skidloader is a bobcat 520, which I believe is rated to pickup eight hundred pounds. I am looking to get a small round baler like a Hesston 530, 5530, 730, or case 8430, new holland 630 (you get the picture). My questions are, Should I get a nine foot haybine and rake single rows, or get a seven foot haybine (there are a few available in my area) and rake double rows? And would the one ninety be to big to put on these smaller balers?
i am old school and very small potatoes in the farming industry. I grew up cutting the corn with a mashede and carring to the mill for grinding. I got out of farming by leaving home and going into the Army first and then Air Force. Now, after near 28 years of service and many years later I am back at it again.
I still cut my corn with a mashede after it dries in the fall(5 acers), During the cutting process I stack. Then let it dry more for about 6 wks. I have my own grinder. But am looking for an easier way if I expand my operation. Would a pull Type Harvester be the answer?
I have a MF 285....Its about 83 hp.
I also have a dump truck to load it in. Thanks for any info
Our farm is located in an area that is primarily wheat and cattle. Annual rainfall is around 10-12". Starting in 2010, we planted our first dryland alfalfa field and since then have grown the hay side of the farm to 2500ac of several types of hay (alfalfa, triticale, barley, pea mixes, etc). It's become a good crop for us as we are well positioned to sell to the local cattle operations with a significant freight advantage.
Since we started small, we've used much older hay equipment than we do on the grain side of the operation. We've been using a Hesston 4790 and for the most part have been happy with it. However it is starting to show its age, we've rebuilt it a couple of times but we are starting to consider replacing it. Since this is a major wheat growing area there are only a couple of brands selling hay equipment around us. We have good local dealer support for John Deere and Claas. A decent AgCo dealer is a couple hours away. Thus we've looked at the L341 and the Claas Quadrant. There are not many Claas balers out so I'm a little leary of them. Mostly considering either the Deere or maybe another Massey/Hesston baler. Just curious if anyone out there has experience with these brands. Thanks for any info.
Going to be winners and losers with the change of rules on PP acres that now can be harvested Sept 1.
Alot of acres will be planted to annual forages here to make med to low quality hay or silage.
Good for the guy that needs feed esp sense hay was in short supply.
Bad for hay guys that produce hay to sell.
I'd say this will swing the hay market $100 a ton this winter.
I know alot of guys that produce 500 ton of grass and mixed hay for feedlots,dairy hfr backgrounders and stock cows.
500 ton X $100 = $50,000
I know a guy that is close to 5000 ton a yr = $500,000 OUCH
My 7810 pretty well assholed itself today from the dampner to the yoke. Will I have to split the tractor or lift the cab or both?
Just bought this mower and i dont think the blades are on right, does anyone no the direction of the baldes
One basket appears to need shims. Can a washer be used or oem shims only? This goes in the recess of the axle under bearing
Looking for info on these two plants that have appeared in my hayfield.
I've only seen one of these. Edit: Looking into it, I'm going with milkweed.
Clumps of this caught my eye at a distance.
Thanks.
Hello all, and thanks for the add
I just recently purchased land with 12 acres of alfalfa. I am very new to this. I have only farmed small acrage with grazing pastures. On to my question.
I was given a JD 346 baler from the previous owner. He said it worked last time he used it. It is in poor shape to say the least. I just hooked it up, and it wont run at all. It tries, but seems something is locked up. it then spins the tractor side of the clutch and starts smoking the clutch plate. This all bogs down my tractor. Is there some kind of locking pin for travel, or is it toast? Im looking on cragslist, and there is a decent one i can buy, but would rather get this one running. I have raked alfalfa on the ground right now that i really need to bale by tomorrow, so im stressing to say the least.
I tried to turn the flywheel by hand, and i can see all the parts move a quarter inch then stop. Then the flywheel spins freely for a few turns before hooking up, and doing the same thing.
Anyone found an effective post emergent sedge spray for spot spraying in OG. I know roundup works but I have beautiful og and am tired of pulling the sedge out by the roots.
Hey guys just seeing if anyone has the net wrap manual for the Case 8465A or Hesston 565A round baler. Would be great if its on computer file. Willing to compensate for your efforts.
Trying to get new to us net wrap working. It now gets wrapped around rollers almost every time. Net wrap was an option with its own manual.
Thank you
Thanks for you help, I have all actuators working.
After reading posts I now know that the Net Knife should be up when bailing. It is not, I did find that the Trip Lever Pivots was stiff, I removed the Trip lever and pivot in order to get it freed up reinstalled the lever below the latch, now it catches the hook.
Just prior to the net actuator returning to the full retracted position the trip mechanism trips and drops the knife, I have adjusted the Trip Lever into the full up position and down position in the slot, there is a difference in time when the knife drops.
The trip lever will stay in the hook until the actuator is almost all the way retracted. If I leave the actuator partially extend (not fully retracted) the bail command plus gives me a flashing actuator arrow, retracting the actuator all the way to make bale command happy releases the knife.
I assume that all the way retracted equals the home position. I am thinking that with the actuator fully retracted I should have the knife in the up position.
I am extending and retracting the actuator manually, is there positioning that auto wrap does that I am not seeing in manual.
I have not used auto wrap on this machine since I first got it and at that time the net did not cut. with the pivot freed up I may give it another attempt.
If the knife is releasing with the actuator fully retracted, is there a bale command plus calibration or adjustment that needs to be done?
Thanks in advance.
Hey Everyone,
New to this forum, but not forums in general. I recently started a side business of selling small 3x4 round bales and surprisingly this has exploded and far exceeded my capacity already. Which is good. But I am having issues with my baler. I bought a 2013 mf 1734 that had a super low bale count, less than 100. Everything works great except for 95 percent of the time this stupid thing won't eject the bale. I have read that this has been an issue with a lot of the smaller baler models but havent really found a solution or tips to try. I have added the electric tie kit and bale ramps. I read one post that said the bale ramps could cause this. So I though I might remove them the next time I bale. I have had to get off and pull the bale out on the last 63 bales, which obviously is no fun. Do you all have any tips or things I should be doing that might correct the issue?
I am ashamed to say that the dealer I bought the baler from is terrible and of no help. It took me over a month to get them to send me the dang book for the thing. So no help from them is on the agenda, nor do I care to speak with them again. Thanks in advance for any advice.
The area in front of the wobble box always jams up with grass. I does not appear as though I'm missing any parts. I tried shielding the area above the cutter bar, but that only made it more difficult to clear the grass out. Any suggestions?
I have an older john deere 336 baler that I have had for 4 seasons now and this season its struggling to make a nice tight bale in dry grass hay. The bales are real loose because I keep loosening the cranks on the bale tension to see if that is the problem (as it usually is but thats in wet hay). It will make 20-30 and then it will break the knot (or the knot pulls thru). This issue is compounded as I have an old Hoeschler accumulator behind it and it doesn't want to cycle as well because the lighter bales don't feed the same. I have been tightening the bale tension now that my bales are so light and it will bale 20-30 and then miss 2-3 in a row. I have a JD manual but the knotters are still voodoo mystery to me.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using an accumulator vs equipment that does both accumulating and grappling?
Has anyone ever used "Bale Tuff" net wrap? Its one of many available online, and I'm looking to buy a large order and stock up on the stuff. Any thoughts on this variety would be appreciated, thank you.
Just a question. How do you know if you have the knotter brake to tight? What damage could happen if it is over tightened? Thanks.
Hey, everyone. Hubby and I are retired USAF and have been farming now for 8 years. We have 100 acres- 40 of it in grass hay which we feed our animals, and sell some if we have extra. Over the last couple of years our manpower pool has dwindled -- no one wants to sling square bales anymore. So, a friend told me about a pop up bale loader. I researched it and WOW- that would help us out a lot! If anyone knows of one (that works) in or around KY, I would definitely be interested in acquiring it. Last year we never got a cut of hay, and this year it's not looking very good either, so if we get a cut, we're gonna have to be husting to get it in, and finding people to work is impossible. Thank you, and God bless all the farmers!
https://www.drovers.com/article/montana-lost-37000-cattle-brutal-winter
Looks like I finally have a few days with no rain predicted, but they're saying 25 mph winds for the next two days. What do you think? If I get the hay on the ground today, will the wind blow it into the canyon tomorrow?
I have about 20ac of very weak KBG/OG planted fall 2017. I believe the wet weather caused it to do poorly. I had hoped that it would pop up stronger this spring, but it did not do so, and I'd like to replant into it this fall. Rather than burn it off and start completely over, I was looking to spray the broadleafs and then replant as close to 8/15 as reasonably possible.
If I use Weedmaster, (dicamba/2-4D) I need to wait 30 days, according to label. This puts 'latest' spraying 1st 2 weeks of July, in order to overdrill Mid-late August.
I spoke with my Extension agent, and he said to do it as late as possible, to avoid opening up more ground for foxtail and crabgrass which I saw as a problem in this area, last summer. Foxtail in this area was bad late July. So... I'm in a pickle.
I know I've missed the 'pre-emergent' timing for crabgrass and Foxtail, but is there a POST EMERGENT which I can use but still plant both OG and KBG into in late August?
This 20 acres has me flustered, and I've spent more time trying to understand what is going on here, than on everything else put together.
I'm taking soil samples once again, but they've been good for pasture when tested 2 years ago (prior to initial planting). It might be that my best course of action is simply to burn this area completely off, and reseed from scratch. I'd like to avoid it if possible, but I want some good grass/pasture next year.
Post emergent cost might be prohibitive on such a scale, which might preclude anything other than just burn and repeat. But I'd like to know your thoughts.
....the commodities markets and other people are starting to take notice of the strange weather situation farmers are facing this year.
Beans are climbing, now trading in the low 9's. Corn is up to $4.50's. Getting calls from people wanting to buy hay in advance of this winter.
Problem is: beans and corn look terrible. I've gotten 10 acres of hay cut, mediocre quality, 45 acres of OG that has gone to seed but I just can't get a dry spell.
Low production = High prices = Still not much income.
Ralph
I established a new Alfalfa/Orchardgrass field last year late summer (2018). The stand is thin and could use some help.
Any advice on overseeding alfalfa into the new field? I was thinking this would be best after 1st cutting (which is late due to wet weather).
Location is northern Indiana.
We bale enough hay just for our needs, square bales. I started using a hay probe and was wondering if 90 degrees in the bale is a problem. It's been eight days since we baled. Does that mean there is a problem or is that a natural range after over a week?
I have a Massey 1745 baler that I bought 3 years ago and has been a great machine, This year when I started to roll the twine actuator would not work so i started checking wiring and found the plug at the actuator was loose so i soldered the wires and it seemed like it as fixed but since then I have had problems. It has the auto tie module but you can also manual tie, I normally run in auto and some times when the buzzer sounds and it extends the twine arms it will quit somewhere during the cycle and I will have to manually finish. Also if it completes the tie cycle sometimes after I eject the bale and take off it will start the tie cycle again an I will have to stop and manually bring the twine tubes to home position. Any of you guys ran into this? looking for ideas. Thanks Chris
I have a Massey 1745 baler that I bought 3 years ago and has been a great machine, This year when I started to roll the twine actuator would not work so i started checking wiring and found the plug at the actuator was loose so i soldered the wires and it seemed like it as fixed but since then I have had problems. It has the auto tie module but you can also manual tie, I normally run in auto and some times when the buzzer sounds and it extends the twine arms it will quit somewhere during the cycle and I will have to manually finish. Also if it completes the tie cycle sometimes after I eject the bale and take off it will start the tie cycle again an I will have to stop and manually bring the twine tubes to home position. Any of you guys ran into this? looking for ideas. Thanks Chris
I am replacing all 6 belts on our NH 630, Any tips on how to do this the easiest way? Thanks
Pull type disc mower conditioner.
Regards, Mike
Hello folks,
Can anyone tell me the weight on the tongue of a NH 1012 bale wagon when it is empty please? I am wondering how safe and legal it would be to tow one behind a ute (pickup truck). I know the whole machine weighs about 1.7 tons and the wheels seem to be a fair way back.
Thanks,
Roger
I have two small fields planted with orchard grass last fall, and they are still struggling with all the water to grow (the fields are pretty thin and patchy). The weeds are trying to fill in, and a first cutting, if we cut it, would be in the fall.
I was wondering if I could clip it down right now, and overseed with teff, and cut the teff as normal to help keep weeds at bay, plus get more hay this summer. Would the teff also push out (kill) my orchard grass, or would it act like a late covercrop and help the orchard grass? i'm thinking it will help soak up the water and keep th field drier as an added bonus.
Anyone try this before? I have grown teff a few years ago on one of these fields and it did well, but never tried intermixing it . . .
Everyone has been dealign with the rain this year, and despite my efforts tracking the weather, we got slammed the day we were supoossed to bale. It was some of the best hay I had ever made, and it killed me to see it sitting there perfectly dry and now getting soaked.
I tedded it twice the morning the rain stopped and then tedded raked it the next day and baled it as more rain was due, and scheduled for the next 2 weeks.
MOST of it came out at about 14% moisture.
However, as evening closed it, the dew began coming up and the hay soaked it up pretty quick because my baler started making HEAVY bales (80 lbs or more) and my moisture jumped to 20-35%.
I have a full haycart in the barn staying out of the (now) rain and it's been in there a 36 hours. I had PLANNED to bust them open and rebale without the cart on (puts backpressure on bales and forces them to pack heavy) and bale at maybe 40lbs.
I DO have a moisture tester, but can I save these bales or will they end up moldy before I can re-bale? Can I add salt into the baler while baling to help, or maybe sprinkle between stacks in my loft? Currently the bales that didn't end up high moisture are still decent hay as both my cows and horses have gobbled it right up (both are picky on hay)
ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED! I just don't want to loose another 100 bales!
Not sure if any other type of balers have a sprag clutch like the MF120, but mine has demolished again??? It looks like a needle bearing assembly on the end of the drive shaft before the slip clutch. Do these need to be packed with grease? Or oiled? These little bearings are really expensive so I am trying to find out what I'm doing wrong?
I've had about as many 'thoughts' as I have spoken to people, about the subject of Timothy.
They horse guys love it. They want it. And will pay top $$ for it.
Growers don't like it. Are typically disgusted with it. And I rarely find it being grown outside of some sort of mix.
I planted 10ac of Summit fall before last. Little showed up. I doubled up on it last fall and was able to get a 50% density (I'm guessing) stand this year. Cut it and sent it on its way. There were definitely some good spots, but overall, it was sparse. The plants which grew, looked pretty good. But they were spaced much to far apart to be useful. I saw that I have a broadleaf problem in this field, Dandelions, and I will be spraying Brash (dicamba/2-4D amine) this weekend. I'll also be spraying about 50ac of mix OG/KBG as well.
The Timothy is what I am asking about. Right now, 10days after 1st cutting, it looks like its done for the year. In KY, I thought I would get a 2nd cutting, and I think my concern might be unfounded at this point. But everything else is greening back up. My alfalfa/OG is popping. My OG/KBG is coming back nicely. My Timothy looks like the residual of baled perennial Rye. Dry stubble and ground hugging broadleafs.
I was told by my 'hay guy' last year, that I had to reseed Timothy every fall if I wanted it to grow back the following year. But, it is a perennial, so this shouldn't be the case. I've been told that it should come back fine on its own. I've been told to just plant alfalfa through it and get a mixed stand... etc etc etc.
AT this point, I am wondering whether I should go ahead and plant alfalfa and OG into it this fall and let my dream of a Pure Timothy stand fall away. I have horses, and wanted it simply to subsidize them. I don't do this for cash, although I would like to make some money off the acreage I have in hay. Last year (1st after planting) I made about $1600 of 40ac of all hay. That might pay for all the diesel I've put into prepping, planting, and spraying that field. Doesn't touch the seed cost thus far, however.
Any recommendations on what to do with this Timothy? I'd like to keep it 'pure'. But if I can't get about double what I had this first cutting, It really is a waste of 10ac.
2 birds and 1 stone and all that.
2nd year Alfalfa/OG (60/40 maybe 70/30 I'm guessing)
Had some leafhopper pressure but cut it last Monday and bales were off by Friday. I can see some pigweed, which has been an issue every June/July and I'd like to spray for both Weeds and leafhoppers This coming weekend, (day 12 after cut if weather allows).
I don't see any issue "Identified" with mixing Pursuit and Warrior... but I want to make sure before I do. I'd like a single pass over the field this weekend, if possible.
The issue I run into is I see nothing saying anything one way or another on these two in a mix.
If OK... what would be your 'mixing' routine? I typically use 80/20, CLEAR, and then the herbicide. How would adding Warrior to it alter the order?
Thanks
If you were looking for a new 4 X 5 high end hay roller, what would you choose, McHale, Vermeer Pro or a loaded JD 450M w/ HC precutter pickup, Or something else?
About ten days ago, I was baling and ran a 3-4" tree branch into my NH BR780A and tore up the wind guard. Got the parts in and repaired it--no problems.
Now for the interesting part.
For the last couple of years, I had a pretty loud rattle when I was first starting a bale. Once the bale was started, the rattle went away. Things rattling or knocking worry me. I figure something is about to go kablooey.
Looked and listened but just couldn't find the source. Tried starting bales fast, slow, in between--nothing made a difference. Talked with a couple of service guys and got suggestions such as it was a bearing going bad, a roller had loosened up or broke, chain tensioning was bad, etc.
Couldn't find anything so I figured I'd just keep going until whatever it was broke. Then I'd know for sure.
Yesterday, I was baling for my neighbor. First time since I repaired the wind guard so I was listening for anything banging or hitting in case something was mis-aligned or I had missed some other damage.
First bale started--no noises. Good. Second bale--no noises! Even better. Third bale still no noises. Then the light bulb went off--no rattle!
Finished baling and not one rattle. Whatever was rattling must have been in the wind guard.
Don't get me wrong--I'm not recommending tearing up equipment to find and fix a different problem, but sometimes we just aren't looking in the right spot to find the source of a problem.
Ralph
As far as I can tell New Holland introduced these 2x3 balers in 2014 and based on their website they are still in production.
Has anyone ever used, seen or heard of an actual one? Tractorhouse just has one new listing.
If they've been around for five years, surely there must be some out there!
The NH website doesn't list weights, but it would be interesting to know if the 230 is much lighter than a 330. The listed hp requirements are less, but I read that it's the weight of a large square that can get you into trouble with a tractor that's too small.
Had an interesting experience tonight mowing with the trusty Krone 2801cv and the mighty MF 1105. Long story short, it tipped up onto one wheel. I was in an odd spot, mowing out a road and instead of banks on each side of the road going down and away from the road bed, picture a roadbed cut down in the dirt with the sides sloping up and out away from the road. Not very steep, but to make a 180 degree turn, you have to traverse this terrain. When I did, the geometry was such and the mower was in the up position (highest center of gravity), coupled with a probably 60 degree turn on the swivel gear head and moving down the slope; the mower (drive train side) tipped up. Pivot bottomed out on the two point arm, but I saw it happening and stopped everything. Got out of the cab for a look-see, lowered the cutter bar - which on a Krone brings the wheels up and the whole mower frame down and also lowered the 3 pt hitch. That and a little forward motion and the mower gently set down on the ground - both wheels as though nothing had happened. Picked up a little dirt on the cutter bar at the end from the tilt, but I was in sandy loamy soil, nothing to really grab the cutter bar and with it no damage, no harm to the mower at all. The whole experience kind of gave me another thing to look-out for when mowing next time out. I think had the mower been down in the cutting position, this would have never happened.
Question is - anyone ever tip their disc mower conditioner on one wheel or worse - roll it over? If so - how did it happen?
Thanks!
Bill
ps - posting the same on NAT to glean more replies/experiences.
With a 4 basket tedder do you straddle one windrow so your tedding one windrow and a 1/2 of a windrow on each side or do you run with your tractor on the center of 2 windrows?
I may be replacing the belts on a Vermeer 504 SI. I have looked at several sites and don't see a lot of consistency except most of them claim to sell OEM belts and the prices I have seen are pretty close. My questions; is there a specific manufacturer you recommend (like Continental, etc...) and is 3 ply belts stronger/better, or worse, than 2 ply. I see both listed for my baler. I have only seen the clipper lacing on Vermeer balers, never the gator lacing. Any thoughts on lacing?
Currently running two swathers, the one is an old Deere 4890 converted to a 6.8 engine and a 990 14"6" rotary head and the other is an R450 with a 14'6" 994 rotary head.
We are continuing to increase hay acres and would like to add another machine and be able to semi-retire the old 4890. We used to have a great Deere dealer but they were bought out a few years back and have been declining since. The local MacDon and Hesston dealer is great so we are kind of leaning that way, although Deere is still a viable option.
We have never been ecstatic about the windrow formation of our 990/994 but we have tinkered with different accelerators and blades and have made them tolerable. Of the newer machines, who makes the best windrow out of a 16' head? Conditioning isn't too important as we will be running a Circle C setup so they will be equal.
Our neighbor runs a Deere with a 500R and make a decent windrow but the edges are still a little heavy. Hesston is better from what I have seen, but there is still more hay in the edges than the center.
How about the MacDon R85? I have never been around one in the field, but I like the looks of their roller behind the cutter bar the best.
Any thoughts?
I have a new to me John Deere 458. I installed a new roll of JD net wrap and now it will not feed. It is started correctly and seems to me a switch or sensor is not tightening the drive belt with the idler pulley, which is by the brake. Also the knife is not coming up like I think it should to cut the wrap. The monitor says it should be wrapping. This happens both auto wrap and manual wrap. I have no experience with net wrap.
Thanks for any help.
I have a Freeman 370 that I recently made about 1200 bales with. This was my first crop with the baler and overall I am very happy. However, about 1 out of 20 or so bales that come out of the chamber hit the ground and the bottom knot comes apart and the string falls off. (I say bottom because the baler gives the bales a 1/4 turn so its actually the left most knotter when standing behind the baler looking forward) All the knots look good until the bale expands when it comes out of the chamber
As I read the different forums I see that this problem seems to be related to a loose billhook or improper twine disc tension. Can someone explain to me how to tighten a billhook? Also can anyone talk about how you determine proper twine disc tension?
My knots really look good and I feel like overall the machine is functioning very well but I would like to see that bottom knot stop coming apart when the bale hits the ground or when the harrowbed picks up the bale to stack it.
Thanks in advance.
Andrew
Looking at a new round baler. Make all bermuda grass/johnson grass hay. Interested in either a crop cutter baler or bale slice to make mature hay more digestible. Any experiences in dry hay with these balers? Looking at either John Deere with the HC Cutter or a New Holland/Case with bale slice or crop cutter. Thanks for any advise.
MyDaughtersPony sent me this info and I thought 'hum must be true it is on the internet'. But seems it's posted where you can find it. I'm not certain where LaRue, Ohio is located, but if I could get $25 a ss bale (the buyer can find the $65 a bale buyers and have the difference as a premium 
), I'd be temped to make a little road trip.
https://www.ocj.com/2019/06/65-hay-bales-a-sign-of-the-times/
Maybe this should be in Ripley's Believe It or Not.
Larry
My old Hausefield 60 gal went belly up over a month ago and I bought a Eagle Silent series to replace it from air compressors direct. love it and it is super quiet. On sale now for anyone needing a compressor for their shop. And, no I have no financial interest in ACD or Eagle. Just know a good thing when I stumble into it by dumb luck.
New to round balers. First time running one was yesterday.
I had the diameter set on the monitor to 48", just testing the waters, but if I stopped when the monitor beeped, the bales ended up in the 49-49.5" range.
If I max out the bale size to 60", which is the capacity of the baler, am I going to damage the machine with this overrun?
Do you typically run a couple inches under maximum to account for this?
