Machinery maintenance.............

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jltrent

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Up early this morning getting everything ready to try and get bout 50 acres of hay in the 5' x 5' round shape. Do you do maintenance right before using or check everything before putting it up for the next year and maintaining it then?

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We try to do both. In the fall usually wash everything then give all grease fittings grease to push what water may have gotten in out, then give a shot of grease before every use, oil chains etc
 
Ky cowboy":19fyywdw said:
We try to do both. In the fall usually wash everything then give all grease fittings grease to push what water may have gotten in out, then give a shot of grease before every use, oil chains etc
same here.. take note of major repairs that are coming up and try and do them over the winter.. only get to about half of it though
 
Grease before use and after use. Over winter I repaired everything. All teeth replaced etc. Got tedder out this morning aired up tires and one decided to go boom so I still got a project next few days.
 
jltrent":2kwgvl5h said:
Up early this morning getting everything ready to try and get bout 50 acres of hay in the 5' x 5' round shape. Do you do maintenance right before using or check everything before putting it up for the next year and maintaining it then?

9bYe70L.jpg


SChLjME.jpg

What model rollers do you have? I went over mine today 554xl. I noticed that the belt guides are wearing really thin. The belts have cut grooves in them. Have yours done that?
 
I have a 505I and a 505M. The top roller on the very back of the tale-gate needs adjusted on yours to center the belts. It is an easy fix, to get the belts to track to the left more raise the roller on that side or just the opposite to track the other side. These baler adjusted properly all you do is drive. If you have never reset the pickup teeth angle on yours it will need it. On the left side of the pickup is an adjustment, move the angle back some to account for the wear and tear on the teeth as that is what starts a bale.
 
jltrent":u96sjg7b said:
I have a 505I and a 505M. The top roller on the very back of the tale-gate needs adjusted on yours to center the belts. It is an easy fix, to get the belts to track to the left more raise the roller on that side or just the opposite to track the other side. These baler adjusted properly all you do is drive. If you have never reset the pickup teeth angle on yours it will need it. On the left side of the pickup is an adjustment, move the angle back some to account for the wear and tear on the teeth as that is what starts a bale.

I bought the baler last year and the previous owner had just replaced all the pickup teeth with new one. I will adjust that and see if that helps. Thanks.
 
pricefarm":r3cmodsn said:
jltrent":r3cmodsn said:
I have a 505I and a 505M. The top roller on the very back of the tale-gate needs adjusted on yours to center the belts. It is an easy fix, to get the belts to track to the left more raise the roller on that side or just the opposite to track the other side. These baler adjusted properly all you do is drive. If you have never reset the pickup teeth angle on yours it will need it. On the left side of the pickup is an adjustment, move the angle back some to account for the wear and tear on the teeth as that is what starts a bale.

I bought the baler last year and the previous owner had just replaced all the pickup teeth with new one. I will adjust that and see if that helps. Thanks.
If you don't have the books for your baler call Vemeer (641) 628-2000 give them you balers model and serial number and they will send them to you free. I was just looking at a picture of your baler and there is a way to adjust the belt tracking and it may be differnet than mine, but there is a way and that will stop most of the belt guide wear to center the belts. Get the books as they will tell you how to fine tune your baler as you have a good baler.
 
We have 2 504 super I. One of them wouldn't track right we adjusted for hours before we raised the tailgate and there was 3 inches difference, the tailgate was sprung out of square we put a board under it And let it down and got it back square and it tracked good.
 
pricefarm":1zr9golr said:
jltrent":1zr9golr said:
I have a 505I and a 505M. The top roller on the very back of the tale-gate needs adjusted on yours to center the belts. It is an easy fix, to get the belts to track to the left more raise the roller on that side or just the opposite to track the other side. These baler adjusted properly all you do is drive. If you have never reset the pickup teeth angle on yours it will need it. On the left side of the pickup is an adjustment, move the angle back some to account for the wear and tear on the teeth as that is what starts a bale.

I bought the baler last year and the previous owner had just replaced all the pickup teeth with new one. I will adjust that and see if that helps. Thanks.

This winter, pull all the belts out and measure to be sure they're the same length. If they're different lengths it's almost impossible to get them to track right, when moving the tailgate roller up/down. While the belts are out, check all your bearings/rollers for wear, just so you have a good starting point.

jl - How do you like the 505M? Ever had any issues with plugging it in damp hay?
 
cfpinz":2ptyx8ut said:
pricefarm":2ptyx8ut said:
jltrent":2ptyx8ut said:
I have a 505I and a 505M. The top roller on the very back of the tale-gate needs adjusted on yours to center the belts. It is an easy fix, to get the belts to track to the left more raise the roller on that side or just the opposite to track the other side. These baler adjusted properly all you do is drive. If you have never reset the pickup teeth angle on yours it will need it. On the left side of the pickup is an adjustment, move the angle back some to account for the wear and tear on the teeth as that is what starts a bale.

I bought the baler last year and the previous owner had just replaced all the pickup teeth with new one. I will adjust that and see if that helps. Thanks.

This winter, pull all the belts out and measure to be sure they're the same length. If they're different lengths it's almost impossible to get them to track right, when moving the tailgate roller up/down. While the belts are out, check all your bearings/rollers for wear, just so you have a good starting point.

jl - How do you like the 505M? Ever had any issues with plugging it in damp hay?
It has 13000 bales on the monitor. I have plugged it before, I can't remember when, very little problem. It is pretty boring to operate as you just drive, let it tye and then kick the bale out. I have replaced the top bearing a couple times inside the cover, but the last time I put one in that greases and no problem since.
 
Good deal.

I've got a 604M, when I first bought it, it'd plug in damp hay but after putting a new set of MRT belts in it's a different baler. Also fabbed up a set of silage scrapers for it, Vermeer wanted $330 for the ones for the bottom idler roller - cost me about 40 bucks to make them.
 
cfpinz":1mdhu1fs said:
Good deal.

I've got a 604M, when I first bought it, it'd plug in damp hay but after putting a new set of MRT belts in it's a different baler. Also fabbed up a set of silage scrapers for it, Vermeer wanted $330 for the ones for the bottom idler roller - cost me about 40 bucks to make them.
I think mine has the scraper as it has the silage kit, not sure. Mine still has the original belts as the notches are getting worn off some, I did take the belts out once and cut them the same length and put new Flexco Alligator Fastener on the end of the belts. Also I have adjusted the teeth angle once which really helps in starting a bale. I can't complain about the "I" baler or the "M" baler and the "I" easily has over 20k bales through it and believe it or not still has the original belts as I bought it new at Carter and Carter. That 604M is a big baler.
 
Dad had one of the early 504I's with the 1-1/4" bearings, it would eat the starter roller bearing pretty regular.

Your 505M being a silage baler has the scrapers from the factory. I was told at one point all of the 504L's were silage balers so I assumed the same on the M's - wrong. Friend of mine has a 604M Silage baler so I measured his scrapers and made my own here, now all I need is the decals...

My 604M has the big tires and just about every option you could get, I'm thinking it weighs close to 8k. I'm pulling it with a NH 8260 4wd with a loader and weights and it knows the baler is back there.
 
cfpinz":17jh54fl said:
Dad had one of the early 504I's with the 1-1/4" bearings, it would eat the starter roller bearing pretty regular.

Your 505M being a silage baler has the scrapers from the factory. I was told at one point all of the 504L's were silage balers so I assumed the same on the M's - wrong. Friend of mine has a 604M Silage baler so I measured his scrapers and made my own here, now all I need is the decals...

My 604M has the big tires and just about every option you could get, I'm thinking it weighs close to 8k. I'm pulling it with a NH 8260 4wd with a loader and weights and it knows the baler is back there.
You have some big equipment........ My 505I has the 1 1/4" bearings and I have never replaced the starter roller bearing, but have sheared a lot of pins on it. The bearings I have replaced since new is top roller, bottom on the talegate roller, one side of the pickup, and the top bearing 3x behind the cover. The biggest problem I have had is I have broke two axles on it and Carter and Carter told me how to fix this and since then okay.
 
I have bought two used balers from
Carter and Carter. I can't think of the mans name that works in the shop but he really knows how to work on these balers.
 
pricefarm":3ozm1ks5 said:
I have bought two used balers from
Carter and Carter. I can't think of the mans name that works in the shop but he really knows how to work on these balers.
I know their faces as a husband and wife work there and have been there for many years. The two old men I think one is 90 and the other is 94 and still going strong. When we first got the 505I the one that is 94 now came to the house and adjusted the baler and showed us how to bale with it.
 
What did you wind up doing to stop the axle breakage?

Had a bearing go out on the bottom drive roller on my 504L 10 or 15 years ago, ate into the shaft which is integral to the assembly. That roller alone cost over $1000 at the time so I took it to a local machine shop and had them fill in/turn down the shaft. That bearing has just enough wobble to it that it'll go out about every 1500-2000 rolls. Got to where I could change that thing with my eyes closed.
 
cfpinz said:
What did you wind up doing to stop the axle breakage?

Look at the bottom of the axle underneath at the bar that goes across. On each end is an adjustment that you can screw in or out to set the angle of the wheels. I set the angle of the wheels were they are narrow at the bottom than at the top per Carter and Carter instructions. Since doing that several years ago I have not had any problem thank goodness.

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