Round Baler Gathering Wheels vs Wide Pickup

[lucky7chief]

I'm looking at new balers and have stayed away from Vermeer in the past because they don't offer a wide pickup in the size I want (4x5). The dealer says the gathering wheels are just as good on Vermeer. He says he has put Vermeer gathering wheels on other brands because the Vermeer ones work so well. Is he right? What is everyone's experience with Vermeer gathering wheels? Will I miss my wide pickup?

 

[dun]

No experience with their wheels, but I agree that the wheels are more desireable then just a wide pick up. With the wide pickup, if your windrows are wide enough that the tractor tires runs over the edges, particularly when you weave, the wider pickup will usually still leave a little that has been squashed down by the tires. The gathering wheels will pull that stuff up and push it in so that it picks up cleaner.

 

[lucky7chief]

Thanks Dun. We had an older Case IH (Hesston) with gathering wheels. They were completely useless. We liked the wide pickup so much better. Also, we have set the wheels on the baling tractor wider so that there is 5' between them. We can hit the edges of the pickup without driving on hay.

 

[dun]

Our tucker wheels are JD and they do work well. I've baled with so many different tractos that ranged from too dam narrow to way too wide. The narrow ones are the ones that the wheels work good on. I had a Vicon with a wide pickup and depending on which tractor I used it either picked up clean or left that smashed fringe.

 

[etmountianman71]

We use a Vermeer 5410 Rebel with the Gathering wheels and it really makes a difference with the V-Rake. To go without these wheels leaves a trail on each side. Very handy.

I also used them on an older Hesstion 530 we had (bought them from Excel Belting-best price and great quality) and it made a big difference on that small baler.

 

[ChrisB]

Before reading the previous replies I would have said to definitely get the wide pickup over the gathering wheels. But it sounds like they are much better now than older ones. One neighbor baled with a Rebel with gathering wheels and traded in on a wide pickup NH and he said the wide pickup is way better. My experience was the same except I had an older 5540 Hesston with gathering wheels and they were pretty much useless; but I love the wide pickup on my NH 650. I'll be getting a new baler next spring and it will for sure have a wide pickup.

 

[bse]

Ive had both on NH rollers give me the wide pick up, didnt get along with the wheels to good, but dont miss any with the wide pick up and the stuffers keep it to the edge better than just a wheel. Just my experience with them