kenny thomas
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Who is using one or has used one? Thinking about trading for a new one. What are the good and bad things about them?
Vermeer Balers
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upfrombottom
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I've been using one for over two years now and love it. It picks up and feeds better than the others I have used. The only trouble I've had is if the hay has the least amount of moisture in it, it will ball up on the top roller and stretch the belts, if you don't keep an eye on it (live and learn). I baled 890 4x5 bales last year with it and it never missed a stroke.
1982vett
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Partnership owns a 605L. We've had it for about 6 years. Had a few sensors go bad but nothing major.
Started off on a 605C when I was 11 years old, then Dad bought a 504I when he saw how much fun I was having. We wore that thing plumb out, the 1 1/4" bearings were junk, though. Then I bought a 504L and he got a new 554XL. My L has over 10k thru it and still clucks em out. It's the best baler out of the lot, the XL doesn't impress me as much as the L - it's made a good bit cheaper and has had a couple issues. Another friend has one and says the same thing. I'm dying to try one of the 604M's, but still waiting on that winning lottery ticket.
I've ran a couple JD's but have never ran a NH, if I were buying another baler tomorrow it would be a Vermeer.
I've ran a couple JD's but have never ran a NH, if I were buying another baler tomorrow it would be a Vermeer.
Spent a few hours today on Dad's XL after mine ate a belt. The XL is more user friendly and it makes a nice looking bale. The 5'5" bale sure is nice.
Forgot to mention my L eats belts on a regular basis.
Forgot to mention my L eats belts on a regular basis.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
How about the M series, or the silage? I eat a belt on the Hesston 740 after only 900 rolls and it pi$$ed me off. No other breakdowns so maybe I had just better fix the belts.
All of our balers except for the old C have been silage balers. We don't use them for silage but the silage balers are built a little heavier than a standard baler. Run them for a couple hundred bales and take the silage buttons out. If you need to bale some high moisture just put the buttons back in, about 10 minutes total.
My L is murder on belts, and I change the little wires every year before starting. Dad's XL and my buddy's haven't had any trouble with belts. The new M's have a different type of lace, looks tougher than all getout. If my L was a 6' baler, I'd get new belts for it and add netwrap. Just can't see putting that money into a 5' baler, though. One of these days I'll trade it in on a 6'.
My L is murder on belts, and I change the little wires every year before starting. Dad's XL and my buddy's haven't had any trouble with belts. The new M's have a different type of lace, looks tougher than all getout. If my L was a 6' baler, I'd get new belts for it and add netwrap. Just can't see putting that money into a 5' baler, though. One of these days I'll trade it in on a 6'.
What a difference 24 hours makes. I ran Dad's XL for about 3 hours last night and was quite pleased with it, hay was dry and in perfect windrows. Had two more hours of baling to do this afternoon, wound up taking me 3 hours to do so, spent an hour laying under his baler. Hay was tough and damp, my L wouldn't have hiccupped at all but his XL plugged up 3 times badly. That was the first time I've baled damp hay with it and Dad said it plugs fairly often in damp hay. If that was my baler I would dump it off at the dealer's front step and tell him to call when Vermeer has a replacement for it. My L hasn't plugged in around 5000 bales, and the last time was my fault.
That being said, I cannot in good faith recommend a Vermeer to anyone unless the M is a vast improvement over the XL, and I wouldn't recommend the XL to anyone who bales anything other than perfectly dry hay. I had hoped to upgrade to an M in the future, but I'll be doing a lot of homework before I do.
Best of luck.
That being said, I cannot in good faith recommend a Vermeer to anyone unless the M is a vast improvement over the XL, and I wouldn't recommend the XL to anyone who bales anything other than perfectly dry hay. I had hoped to upgrade to an M in the future, but I'll be doing a lot of homework before I do.
Best of luck.
Angus Cowman
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I had heard they didn't like damp haycfpinz":mhpop0ra said:
Angus Cowman":3ktq9mwn said:
My L will eat damp hay like a fat kid on a twinkie. I've baled windrows in the fall that were so close to the treeline they never dried before baling and had water running down the belts. Pulls a little hard, though.
snickers
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we have a 605C and my husband loves it. haven't had any trouble (knock on wood) and it doesn't get clogged up with moisture like the JD did. We wouldn't trade our 605 for the jd 540 for anything.
kb5iod
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I run a 504M (not the M classic) and have been very pleased with it so far. The M series is designed for silage so high moisture baling, plugging is not a problem. The M series has a lot of improvements over the previous series of balers. Bigger chains and sprockets and a new twine feed system are a few of the obvious improvements. The pickup teeth are big in diameter. The wide pickup with the small tires on the side will follow the contour of the ground much better than the pickups with crowder wheels. The hydraulic bale ramp on the back prevents the gate from closing on a bale if it rolls forward. The bar on the bale ramp comes up before the gate closes. The hydraulic pickup is very handy if you change fields or go thru gates during the day. As far as baling speed the ground has always limited how fast I can go not the baler. I had a 5400 rebel before the 504M. It was a very good basic baler. I tried a 504M classic when I was ready to upgrade but the straight M series is a lot more baler.
Couple folks around here have the Rebel balers, can't say as any of them are tickled pink. They're a good basic baler if conditions are right.
Never ran one of the newer wide pickups, all I've had were the haysaver wheel jobs. I was wondering what folks thought of the wide pickups. I don't have any complaints about my wheels but Dad's seems to want to catch hay and plug not matter how careful I am.
Never ran one of the newer wide pickups, all I've had were the haysaver wheel jobs. I was wondering what folks thought of the wide pickups. I don't have any complaints about my wheels but Dad's seems to want to catch hay and plug not matter how careful I am.
Angus Cowman
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I don't know about the Vermeers but I love the wide pickups on the NH you can catch alot of hay
I had what NH called a standard wide pick up on my old baler and the new one has the extra wide pickup it is the widest part of the baler
I had what NH called a standard wide pick up on my old baler and the new one has the extra wide pickup it is the widest part of the baler
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Update, I have been gone with work this week and the dealer called yesterday and said I had bent a piece in the Hesston that caused the belt problem. The belts are not tracking correctly. It will cost $2100 plus labor to fix. I just got home so I have not looked at it. May try the Vermeer and see if I like it. Anyone want to buy a well used Hesston? 
I can't imagine what would be bent to the tune of $2100 and labor. What part was it?
A bearing went out on my lower driver roller about 5 years ago, cut into the shaft pretty good. I figured on just replacing the whole unit but the shaft and roller are one piece and because my baler is a silage baler the roller has 5/8" walls, cost $1000 for the one frigging roller. Needless to say I took the shaft to a machine shop and had them weld up the hole and lathe it down.
A bearing went out on my lower driver roller about 5 years ago, cut into the shaft pretty good. I figured on just replacing the whole unit but the shaft and roller are one piece and because my baler is a silage baler the roller has 5/8" walls, cost $1000 for the one frigging roller. Needless to say I took the shaft to a machine shop and had them weld up the hole and lathe it down.
regenwether
Well-known member
I've got an L. It is a good baler. Never had a probelm with plugging up. Not once. Yes there have been belt issues. I have neighbors who run NH. From what I see this is the difference. The Vermeer will make a nice bale as long as the hay is fit. If it is a little tough it still will bale without a lick. I even bale oat bales and it does fine(they are a challenge to get fit). The only thing is it does not make as pretty of a bale when it is tough. I'm amazed at the NH it will make the best looking bale even if it is wet out there. I've seen my neighbors bale some stuff I'd never do and still spit out some nice looking bales.
This means nothing to me of course. If it is not fit regardless your going to have black hay :roll: .
If I was doing custom work I wouldn't use the L. I'd use either a NH or a Vermeer. I'm a Vermeer guy. I've got around 6000 bales through my L. I'd love to buy a new M but My balers is paid for and the cows don't much care if the bale's shape is not perfect.
NH is a good baler but I just feel the Vermeer is built heavier all the around.
The best thing Vermeer did is got away from them wide belts on the L & XL's My goal is to get to 10000 bales on my L and then upgrade to a super M or better
This means nothing to me of course. If it is not fit regardless your going to have black hay :roll: .
If I was doing custom work I wouldn't use the L. I'd use either a NH or a Vermeer. I'm a Vermeer guy. I've got around 6000 bales through my L. I'd love to buy a new M but My balers is paid for and the cows don't much care if the bale's shape is not perfect.
NH is a good baler but I just feel the Vermeer is built heavier all the around.
The best thing Vermeer did is got away from them wide belts on the L & XL's My goal is to get to 10000 bales on my L and then upgrade to a super M or better
preston39
Well-known member
I have a almost new 505 Super I. It has baled about 2500 bales. Nice baler.
The nagging problem I have been experiencing is a belt will twist on occasion. Usually the two small ones but, have had the left large one twist also.
Any thoughts as to why?
The nagging problem I have been experiencing is a belt will twist on occasion. Usually the two small ones but, have had the left large one twist also.
Any thoughts as to why?
circlew
Well-known member
Normally I have notice on our baler, vermeer 504 super I, that when I hit the a new windrow to fast or a big wad of hay it will knock the twist up to the top of the baler.
