Adjusting bale tightness on a round baler

[dirtdoctor]

Thanks for all of the information, I just got home from buying the baler! It's looks to be in pretty good condition, the gears arn't worn to sharp points and the chain had plenty of oil on it. The belts have been replaced with the type that have v bars on them Nd look to be in pretty good shape just a little ravelling on the side but not much. Hooked it up to a tractor and everything seemed to work ok, just ran it for a minute or two. By feeling it doesn't appear that the bearings were too warm, (remember it didn't run very long) but shoot I'll replace them if their bad for the price of this baler. Got a parts manual but didn't get any other info so all of this other info has been a godsend!

Again THANKS for all of the information, it is greatly appreicated that you will take the time to help rookies out.

Oh, and the good part is he dropped the price $200!! :banana:

Oh 2, now I have a good idea of resizing the belts!

Got to go check the cows, be back on later.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Thanks for all of the information, I just got home from buying the baler! It's looks to be in pretty good condition, the gears arn't worn to sharp points and the chain had plenty of oil on it. The belts have been replaced with the type that have v bars on them Nd look to be in pretty good shape just a little ravelling on the side but not much. Hooked it up to a tractor and everything seemed to work ok, just ran it for a minute or two. By feeling it doesn't appear that the bearings were too warm, (remember it didn't run very long) but shoot I'll replace them if their bad for the price of this baler. Got a parts manual but didn't get any other info so all of this other info has been a godsend!

Again THANKS for all of the information, it is greatly appreicated that you will take the time to help rookies out.

Oh, and the good part is he dropped the price $200!! :banana:

Oh 2, now I have a good idea of resizing the belts!

Got to go check the cows, be back on later.

Goodluck hope it works out for the best for you

 

[Smith1000]

I have this exact baler (Hesston 5500 Rounder) and it is very difficult to start bales. I am interested in any pointers from anyone on how the baler could be modified to improve bale starting. I have added friction to the fluted roller and this helps little. I am wondering if wider belts would help, or somehow adding friction to the belts. Is there a way to do so and will it improve bale starting?

Many times, the hay will sit in the chamber and will not begin to tumble. It must be discharged and scattered. I have had the best luck starting bales by hitting the windrow fairly fast in a higher gear and then downshifting once started. Can't do this with large windrows though, or it clogs. That is another issue, the baler clogs very easily and I spend a lot of time on the ground, unclogging the feed. What can be done to this baler to reduce clogging? A normal windrow will clog it as well, even when baling very slow.

I have entertained getting rid of this baler, but have been told there is no market for it. The guy and a dealer was familiar with the baler and said it was definitely a low point for bale starting. He said they probably wouldn't take it on a trade.

As for the tension, I believe it matters to the extent the belts are all the same length, which they are not for my 5500 rounder. I need to cut them all to the same length to get my tension even. One end of the bale is much tighter than the rest. The springs are adjustable.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Smith
I bale hay for an older gentleman that has an older Hesston Baler and the first yr I baled for him he was amazed at how I could eject a bale then take off and keep going . He said his baler was hard to get a bale started also so I guess it is just a problem with the Hesston

I use NH balers

 

[Toby L.]

I own a Hesston 5530? Rounder, last summer was the first full summer I used it. As far as tightness, as far as I know and can remember reading in the manual, there's not much that you can do about it. Just make sure the belts are the right length, which I forgot and lost the manual. The hay has to be really dry to start the roll, sometimes to dry in my opinion. I think new stickier belts would help, instead of old wore out smooth ones. The first field that I baled this summer was a bugger, for some reason it was getting plugged real easy, I spent a lot of time cleaning it out. The other fields I didn't have a problem with, until the last one. There was a spot with a lot of weeds in it and I put 3 or 4 rows into 1. I hit it once and it plugged right away, I slowed down and tried again, and it plugged. I ended up bringing it home and hooking up my square baler to get the rest of it up. One thing that I don't like is that in grass hay, the bales aren't very heavy maybe 450 pounds if that. I was hoping if anyone on here could tell me how long the belts are suppose to be so I can adjust them before I start this year. Or I could tear this house apart again and find the manual, but that may be pointless.

 

[1982vett]

I have this exact baler (Hesston 5500 Rounder) and it is very difficult to start bales. I am interested in any pointers from anyone on how the baler could be modified to improve bale starting. I have added friction to the fluted roller and this helps little. I am wondering if wider belts would help, or somehow adding friction to the belts. Is there a way to do so and will it improve bale starting?

Many times, the hay will sit in the chamber and will not begin to tumble. It must be discharged and scattered. I have had the best luck starting bales by hitting the windrow fairly fast in a higher gear and then downshifting once started. Can't do this with large windrows though, or it clogs. That is another issue, the baler clogs very easily and I spend a lot of time on the ground, unclogging the feed. What can be done to this baler to reduce clogging? A normal windrow will clog it as well, even when baling very slow.

I have entertained getting rid of this baler, but have been told there is no market for it. The guy and a dealer was familiar with the baler and said it was definitely a low point for bale starting. He said they probably wouldn't take it on a trade.

As for the tension, I believe it matters to the extent the belts are all the same length, which they are not for my 5500 rounder. I need to cut them all to the same length to get my tension even. One end of the bale is much tighter than the rest. The springs are adjustable.

I'd start looking at correct belt lenght makeing sure they are not longer than specs call for. Then correct tension for they type hay you are trying to bale.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

OK, I found my operators manual. The bale tension springs are adjustable, however they are pre-set from the factory. Of course, this doesn't take into account any fatigue, so I'd be perfectly willing to give those adjusting nuts a turn or two. Call your local AgCo dealer and see if they still have a service manual around for the the 5500 series Hesston. Chances are there will be a torque adjustment on the nut. I'm 99% certain we don't have a service book around at work, but I'll give a quick look on Monday.

There are stops on the tightener roller though, and these should be adjusted so the belt between the upper and lower drive rollers has about 1.5" of deflection from neutral position. Push on the belts with your thumb and see if you get 1.5" of deflection with good pressure.

Smith,

Your issues with your 5500 series are common, and the biggest reason why I got rid of that plugging, hard starting miserable SOB of a 5510 of mine. I spent two seasons with mine and the day a dealer took it on trade was the happiest day of my life.

That doesn't help you with your issues though, so I'll see if I can pass something along which will help.

1) 5500 series balers like the hay to be PERFECT. If its overdry, try baling in the morning or evenings with dew on the hay. If its overwet, just let it sit.

2) Use diamond top or herringbone belts. I replaced my worn out herringbone belts with roughtops and they simply didn't work well.

3) Start the bale in the middle, and as soon as you get even a little bit of hay in the middle, weave very quickly to get hay onto the edges.

4) Instead of raising ground speed to start the bale, keep your ground speed the same, but reduce PTO speed. This gives the belts more opportunity to grab the hay and start it. This holds true for ALL hard core balers if you're having trouble. Once the bale starts, you can bring your PTO speed back up and reduce gearing to get your ground speed back down.

5) As for plugging, these 5500 series balers have narrow throats and are extremely easy to plug. Even in a 1 ton/acre hay crop, my top speed was around 3.5 mph. Heavier = slower. It was PAINFUL. :lol:

My best advice? If you can afford it, replace the baler. There are piles of cheap, better balers out there just perfect for smaller operators. M&W 5x5 and 5x6 (model number 1800, 55xx or 56xx) enclosed chamber balers are excellent choices. 3650 or 8480 Case IHs. 565 Hesstons. 486 and 4865 New Ideas. Stay away from the older narrow throat, hard core balers like the 5500 series Hesston or the JD 510 (and older. Also watch out for older Case hard core balers. I don't recall the model number, but all they were were rebadged 5500 series Hesstons). If you can afford it, and really want hard core bales, there are better options like the NH 660, 664, or 688 or the JD 535s. On hard core, throat size is important. 6 inch throats aren't acceptable.

Rod

 

[rusty]

I don't know much about your balers but i have a hesston 830 which i bought last year 2nd cutting a friend of mine has a hesston different model same sat up that I used 1st cutting.We had all kinds of trouble getting bales to feed thought it was belts but it wasn't it had a sheared keyway on the main turner and that is what got the bales to start to spin the belts are what keeps bales tight and same size.Don't know if yours setup is same but you might check it out.

 

[Smith1000]

I'm thinking about opening the throat up wider. If I can drop the wheels lower and the front pivot for the feed, I think 2 or 3 inches could easily be gained for the throat opening. Taller rims might help, but lowering the wheels may be best. As is now, with the pick-up all of the way to the ground, the opening is still very narrow. This may increase the volume enough to start bales easier. I've notice if I can get a substantial amount of hay forced into the chamber quickly, it is more likely to spin and start. After that, the speed can be reduced to keep the bale round, so it will continue to spin.

I don't mind going slow, but in large windrows of thick brome, I often can't go slow enough to prevent the baler from clogging. It just won't feed it in.

I have the manual for the baler and have adjusted the belt tension as described in the book, but it did not help with the bale starting. There must be a way to add friction to existing belts. Maybe the belts could be coated with something to grab the hay better. Often, the first hay in will sit in place in the chamber until it finally catches and begins to sping. Once spinning, it is usually okay after that, or until it clogs. I have ejected many incomplete bales from this baler.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I'm thinking about opening the throat up wider. If I can drop the wheels lower and the front pivot for the feed, I think 2 or 3 inches could easily be gained for the throat opening.

Nope. The throat size is the opening between the feed roller and the idler roller behind the pickup. Thats where you're plugging up. Putting bigger tires on isn't going to change this distance, all that will do is make the pickup pivot down lower, and quite probably, reduce the ability of the pickup to feed properly. A pickup thats pointing into the air isn't going to feed. If you've taken your windage tray off, put it back on.

Reduce your PTO speed (tractor RPMs) and grab a couple extra gears when starting the bale. This will maintain your ground speed, and reduce baler speed, allowing the belts a better chance to grab the material for starting the bale. Once you've started the bale, drop your extra gears and pickup up your engine RPMs again. It also sounds like you may be baling too dry. Dry hay will tend to slip on belts versus letting the belt grab them. There is nothing to coat the belts with that will make them "stickier".

Good luck with it. I never said it before, but the 5500 Hesston series, was, IMO, one of the world's all time worst balers. I've either owned or baled with a couple dozen different models and years of balers, and I never had anything more ignorant in the field.

Rod

 

[Smith1000]

Even if I get the bale started, it still has the potential to clog easily. I definitely cannot go through another year with it as is. I lose a lot of time dinking around with trying not to clog it. All of the parts are on it, including the windrage. I may just bite the bullet and find another. I would like to find a baler that makes 4 foot wide bales. Any recommendations for a used 4" wide baler?

 

[Angus Cowman]

Even if I get the bale started, it still has the potential to clog easily. I definitely cannot go through another year with it as is. I lose a lot of time dinking around with trying not to clog it. All of the parts are on it, including the windrage. I may just bite the bullet and find another. I would like to find a baler that makes 4 foot wide bales. Any recommendations for a used 4" wide baler?

NH 640,644,648,650,654,658 the 640 and 644and 648 are 4x5 balers and the 650,654,and the 658 are 4x6 balers
Vermeer any H& K series are good balers
JD 435

 

[dirtdoctor]

Dang, I sure don't like what i've been reading, but it sounds just like my luck, Last year we used a JD 500 and fought all of those bales that got jammed. I had to keep a hookbill knife with me just to cut the hay off of the roller, and, like it sounds for the Hesston, if the hays not really dry I might have to find that knife. The belts om my baler do have the chevrons, hope that helps. I'm now looking for the manual or any other other help with adjustments (if anybody can help with this please pm me). I have the illistrated parts manual, which looks pretty helpful, if I can even find the parts, hopefully the bearings are off the shelf at NAPA.

 

[dun]

Any recommendations for a used 4" wide baler?

Vicon

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

M&W makes a nice soft core baler, the best soft core on the market, IMO. They have them available in a 4x4 and a 4x5. You should be able to score a good buy on one of these, since they aren't well known.

Rod

 

[Smith1000]

A dealer told me that the 4 foot wide ones are not real popular in Kansas. He said I may have better luck finding a used one in Missouri. I have noticed more of them over the last couple of years or so. Thanks for the suggestions.

One thing about cleaning out the clogged Hesston, it is a lot easier to push out the clog from the inside than pulling it out from underneath. I often eject and push out the clog from the inside. Have to block the gate though. If it clogs before it starts to spin a bale, I usually just eject it, push it out and start over.

 

[kenny thomas]

don't know if the 5500 has one but the 5530 had a piece of angle iron behind the roller that could be removed. If removed it helped with the starting of the core. If i remember it was for short hay but most dealers never mentioned it.

 

[Smith1000]

It does, if I am thinking about the same piece. It has a roller scraper, which is supposed to keep the roller clean. I don't see how removing it could help with starting the bales, but it would be worth a try.

 

[Train]

Well let's see if this works.

 

[hurleyjd]

Thanks for all of the information, I just got home from buying the baler! It's looks to be in pretty good condition, the gears arn't worn to sharp points and the chain had plenty of oil on it. The belts have been replaced with the type that have v bars on them Nd look to be in pretty good shape just a little ravelling on the side but not much. Hooked it up to a tractor and everything seemed to work ok, just ran it for a minute or two. By feeling it doesn't appear that the bearings were too warm, (remember it didn't run very long) but shoot I'll replace them if their bad for the price of this baler. Got a parts manual but didn't get any other info so all of this other info has been a godsend!

Again THANKS for all of the information, it is greatly appreicated that you will take the time to help rookies out.

Oh, and the good part is he dropped the price $200!! :banana:

Oh 2, now I have a good idea of resizing the belts!

So you bought it. now if you have my luck when you get it home you will find some things that you over looked. One place that I would check would be the cam rollers on the pickup. If the teeth do not deliver the hay to the front of the belts and also with enough tension then you will always have a little trouble. The cam rollers are often overlooked when checking a baler out. I bought a used rebel and the rollers were shot. I replaced them and everything worked well. This past season the hay kept running up the belts on the left side. I would get off and clean it and it would do it again. Finally checked the manual and the baler and found that the plastic wiper on the baler that keeps the hay on the correct side of the roller had worn on the left side and there was about 3/8 of an inch gap. I have replaced it and will see if that will help some this season.