Round Balers

[ironpeddler]

the rake can make any round bale look good.i dont care what brand of baler you have.if you have the rake set right.you can put up a good windrow.an that makes a good bale of hay.

The better the windrow is formed the better the bale will be no matter what brand round baler you have.

[gertguy]

IF you know how to bale you can bale any size windrow. But my DEERE likes big tall wide windrows

[wbrowning]

I used to run a 554XL vermeer net wrap. The main gripe I had was the net wrap would mess up quiet often it would wrap about 30 and then mess up on 2 or more in a row. I now have a 457 John Deere net wrap excellent baler. We bailed about 3000 last year Vermeer has some features I really like but over all I'm more satisfied with the John Deere. Over the edge net wrap looks great and doesnt miss wraping a bale like my vermeer did. I can bale just as fast as I did with the vermmer my 6310 is a great match for the 457

[dyates]

Most of the newer rollers have adjustable tension settings. We have a Vermeer 505 Super I that will bale those tight heavy bales if you crank up the tension. There is also a relationship between ground speed, windrow size, and bale weight. If you rake up a jumbo windrow, you have to drive slower to make a bale that weighs the same. I personally detest the aggravation of the super heavy rolls, so we cranked the pressure down to produce rolls in the 1000 pound range. I have noticed a problem starting rolls in hay if its too wet, so I would have to question the ability of this machine to roll sileage.

[SaddleSore]

buckaroo_bif,
I find it funny that the Vermeer 5'x5' bales out weigh the JD567 6'x5' bale. This was proven in here in TN and in Iowa at the Farm progress Show. Here in TN, A father with a 505 Super I bale was baling in the same field on the same day and time as his son with a JD567 and the 5 bales of each were weighed at the local feed mill. The smaller Vermeer averaged weight was 180LBS more than the larger JD567.
At The Farm Progress Show in Iowa the Vermeer 505 Super I averaged just over 1800 LBS and the JD 6'x5' averaged just over 1600 LBS. Bale weight will vary to the moisture content and condition of the crop being baled.
The Vermeer 605XL and 605M balers average 2500 LBS in dry hay.
I challenge you to prove it. We have JD balers traded in for Vermeer all the time and the former JD customers are amazed how much more capacity the Vermeer balers have than the JD balers.
We farm a 1000 acres and have sold close to 4000 balers. Just find me 10 JD dealers and add all their sales up and they will not even have sold half the balers CCM has sold.

I don't care if a Vermeer can make a 5X6 bale that weighs 5000#, if the bales are too dense, cattle will have a hard time getting the hay out of the bale.

There's alot of things that affect bale density;
(1) size of the windrow (big windrows fill up a bale chamber faster, giving the baler less time to pack the bale),
(2) ground speed (driving fast has the same effect as big windrows),
(3) the type of hay (fescue, alfalfa, orchard grass, etc),
(4) moisture content of the hay,
(5) engine RPM (higher engine speed & a low ground speed will spin the bale in the chamber more times before the bale is finished, packing the bale tighter) &
(6) baler adjustments.

My point is, you have to make your windrows fairly uniform, choose a gear and RPM that's comfortable for you and stick with it, then adjust your baler to make the bale you want.

My uncle (custom roller) runs a late model Vermeer, drives at a snails pace with the tractor almost idling in huge windrows and I don't want him rolling any for me. I'm not blaming the baler, I know he's doing what makes him money, making 15 rolls in a field that would maybe make 13-14 rolls if I were to roll it with my Deere.

I do very little custom work and have my baler set up to make large "firm" rolls, this way I have fewer rolls to move out of the field (and for the bottoms to rot off), use less twine, spend less time sitting still while the baler ties & have to feed less often. Also, I don't change the setting on my baler when I do roll for someone else (not saying uncle a-hole does), they get the same bale (size & density) I make for myself.

I'm on my 2nd Deere in about 26 yrs of rolling hay (1st one burnt in a barn fire) with minimal problems. If, for any reason, I had to get another baler tomorrow, you can bet your last $ it would be green. I wouldn't even consider another brand!!!!!

[hayray]

I have a BR 730 that I can only get a 450 lb. first cut bale on. It makes a nicer core when I go slow. I usually go as fast as I can so the cores sometimes are not that solid. No Vermeer in my area but alot of Deeres. Seems even the older JD balers make alot nicer bale then the New Hollands. I am not overly impressed with the New Holland I have, next time I will for sure look at something with more capacity and better twin cutting.