vermeer rebel 5400 problem

[ddd75]

picked this up at auction. supposedly only has 5lk bales through it total.. and it looks that way..

baled some hay.. started at the edge, some a little damp spots.. made about 5 or 6 bales good... then it plugged to all h3ll. ended up finishing with another baler.

fast forward 2 weeks.. got it all unplugged, neighbor wanted me to bale some very dry hay that'd been sitting out for a week. baled it for bedding and it baled 20+ bales no problem.

now another couple weeks later I'm trying to bale some 2nd cutting. little wet around the edge lines but 90% dry. Plugged instantly. Spent an hour out in 90+ degree weather unplugging it.. got it all free. started out again and boom.. plugged instantly.

when it starts to plug a chain will start hopping. The tensioner was loose so I tightened it up. It stopped jumping but wouldn't clear the jam.

Anything I can do? I tried to starting the bale as fast as a turtle walks and it still plugged.

 

[jltrent]

Get the model # and serial # off your baler and contact Vermeer Co. at Pella Iowa and get all manuals sent to you for free. On the left side of the baler on the pickup you need to adjust the teeth angle. I would say adjust about a 1/2 inch to the right will get the teeth closer to the starting roller and it will work a lot better. Also make sure all teeth are in and none are damaged bad. As the teeth get bent, crooked, not as flexible it want start a bale very good.

Here is a good site for info

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103929

https://www.vermeer.com/NA/en/N/support/contact_us

 

[ddd75]

i see.. I will do this.. thanks!

 

[farmguy]

I have a 545XL baler, similar. The only time I ever plugged is when I have just dropped a bale and start out in a very heavy windrow. I ease in to the windrow until the belts start to turn. This is maybe 3 seconds. Most of the time just drop and go. farmguy

 

[cfpinz]

Is a 5400 a vertical chamber baler or not? My 604M is an early model vertical chamber and came with relatively smooth belts. I swapped them out with a set of MRT (Mini Rough Top) belts and it's a completely different baler. Was plugging just as you are describing prior to belt replacement, no complaints now.

 

[jltrent]

A neighbor less than a 1/2 mile away has a 5400 that was not starting a bale like it did new and after a teeth angle adjustment back working good.

 

[1982vett]

Seems in both cases you said the hay was a little wet....

In not familiar with the workings of the rebels but in the past we have had issues with a bale stop turning in a 605L. Not exactly sure of the cause or circumstance because my baling partner always ran the baler. But in digging out the bale it usually seemed to be damp hay.

First year in two that I've baled hay and my partner is having health issues and can't help so I've had to run the baler. Didn't have any problems so far but both times the hay was dried properly.

If your hay is damp I'd guess you should have the silage plates installed.

 

[cfpinz]

A neighbor less than a 1/2 mile away has a 5400 that was not starting a bale like it did new and after a teeth angle adjustment back working good.

Do you know when the Rebel's went to a vertical chamber?

 

[jltrent]

Seems in both cases you said the hay was a little wet....

In not familiar with the workings of the rebels but in the past we have had issues with a bale stop turning in a 605L. Not exactly sure of the cause or circumstance because my baling partner always ran the baler. But in digging out the bale it usually seemed to be damp hay.

First year in two that I've baled hay and my partner is having health issues and can't help so I've had to run the baler. Didn't have any problems so far but both times the hay was dried properly.

If your hay is damp I'd guess you should have the silage plates installed.

The Rebel is a little lighter built, but pretty much the same workings. From my experience if they start a bale the only thing to stop them from turning is the slip clutch, chain breaks, gearbox goes down or something else mechanical from what I have seen.

My Vermeer's have restrictor plates which I like and the "M" baler has the Silage kit. Damp hay is harder to start a bale as I guess it doesn't twist in the belts and rollers as well as dry hay from my experience and you said, but once the bale has started forming wet hay feeds just fine.

The first baler I ever used was a NH845 from 1977-1988 and it worked better if the hay had a little moisture in it. I baled several neighbors hay then and averaged at least 1500 bales a year.

 

[ddd75]

i called and got the manuals today. They said to go to a dealer for any assistance.


I'll try to look at it tonight on how to adjust the teeth again.

This one does have the smooth belts as well.

 

[jltrent]

Here is a pic of my 505M Silage baler that will be almost exactly like yours. Loosen the three bolts on the pickup on the left side of the baler or right side looking from the front back. Rotate the bolts to the right as you can see I have done in the past and it will make a lot of difference in starting a bale. (as the teeth get older this makes them more aggressive) I baled 490 bales this spring with the baler and only one time, operator error, as I hit the windrow at and angle with a big clump from were the wheel rake had made did I miss starting a bale. The baler has over 14k on the monitor and still has the original teeth and belts as the belts are getting pretty slick.

I also looked it up in the manual. I have seen people buy new teeth and belts which I am sure helps, but a 5 minute job costing zero will work most of the time.

 

[jltrent]

A neighbor less than a 1/2 mile away has a 5400 that was not starting a bale like it did new and after a teeth angle adjustment back working good.

Do you know when the Rebel's went to a vertical chamber?

On the vertical chamber do you mean two rollers on the variable chamber arm inside instead of three like the M baler has? The Rebel is almost identical to the "I" baler I have inside with two rollers and everyone I have looked at are like that. The new Vermeer balers go by PREMIUM BALER, SIGNATURE BALER, and CLASSIC BALER. I have not looked them over yet at the local dealer.

 

[cfpinz]

On the vertical chamber do you mean two rollers on the variable chamber arm inside instead of three like the M baler has? The Rebel is almost identical to the "I" baler I have inside with two rollers and everyone I have looked at are like that. The new Vermeer balers go by PREMIUM BALER, SIGNATURE BALER, and CLASSIC BALER. I have not looked them over yet at the local dealer.

The 2 vs. 3 rollers on the tension arm would make sense, but I'm not sure if that's a direct correlation. The bale chamber on my old L is flat so to speak, whereas my M is a tall triangle. In the M, the hay follows a vertical belt taking the hay upward until it comes in contact with another vertical belt which turns the hay and heads it downward. On the old baler, if memory serves me correct, the hay followed the bottom drum roller until it came in contact with a horizontal belt surface traveling forward - which flipped the hay and started the rolling process.

The new balers you're referring to are the "R" series. No bottom drum roller, no cams in the pickup and a stuffer design. Basically, they're a JD baler with a yellow paint job.

 

[jltrent]

On the vertical chamber do you mean two rollers on the variable chamber arm inside instead of three like the M baler has? The Rebel is almost identical to the "I" baler I have inside with two rollers and everyone I have looked at are like that. The new Vermeer balers go by PREMIUM BALER, SIGNATURE BALER, and CLASSIC BALER. I have not looked them over yet at the local dealer.

The 2 vs. 3 rollers on the tension arm would make sense, but I'm not sure if that's a direct correlation. The bale chamber on my old L is flat so to speak, whereas my M is a tall triangle. In the M, the hay follows a vertical belt taking the hay upward until it comes in contact with another vertical belt which turns the hay and heads it downward. On the old baler, if memory serves me correct, the hay followed the bottom drum roller until it came in contact with a horizontal belt surface traveling forward - which flipped the hay and started the rolling process.

The new balers you're referring to are the "R" series. No bottom drum roller, no cams in the pickup and a stuffer design. Basically, they're a JD baler with a yellow paint job.

That is the difference the way I see it and on the "M" baler believe me from experience the tall triangle can be a Pita. A couple years ago I was baling some long tall Johnson grass untedded and there is a small space at the top of that triangle hay can get through. The tall Johnson grass did starting a bale and wound around the top middle roller. I had to completely take the top middle roller out to get that wound up mess off. About a 3 hour job non stop to get back going.

There is a Vermeer dealer nine miles from me as I will look the newer ones over. Thanks for the info cfpinz....

 

[hurleyjd]

Be sure sure that the wind guard is properly adjusted above the pickup teeth.

 

[ddd75]

Here is a pic of my 505M Silage baler that will be almost exactly like yours. Loosen the three bolts on the pickup on the left side of the baler or right side looking from the front back. Rotate the bolts to the right as you can see I have done in the past and it will make a lot of difference in starting a bale. (as the teeth get older this makes them more aggressive) I baled 490 bales this spring with the baler and only one time, operator error, as I hit the windrow at and angle with a big clump from were the wheel rake had made did I miss starting a bale. The baler has over 14k on the monitor and still has the original teeth and belts as the belts are getting pretty slick.

I also looked it up in the manual. I have seen people buy new teeth and belts which I am sure helps, but a 5 minute job costing zero will work most of the time.

thank you very much i'll try this out tomorrow.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I had my Vermeer dealer set my baler up on a Saturday. The owners who are brothers were the only one's in the shop. Now it works better than new. If you ever get a baler set up right, it's almost like a day off.

 

[ddd75]

ok, I adjusted the cam setting 1/2" more aggresive, and tightened up a few chains.


Another thing I forgot to mention was that the belts don't want to turn when I turn on the PTO .. if I open the tailgate a little they'll start rolling, once I shut it they start turning pretty slow. I'm thinking this is part of the reason why its jamming up.

The belts don't seem overly tight.. Anyway to adjust this? Once it starts baling they are running like they should. just when you start.

i have hay to bale tomorrow so i'll be able to test it out again.

 

[jltrent]

ok, I adjusted the cam setting 1/2" more aggresive, and tightened up a few chains.


Another thing I forgot to mention was that the belts don't want to turn when I turn on the PTO .. if I open the tailgate a little they'll start rolling, once I shut it they start turning pretty slow. I'm thinking this is part of the reason why its jamming up.

The belts don't seem overly tight.. Anyway to adjust this? Once it starts baling they are running like they should. just when you start.

i have hay to bale tomorrow so i'll be able to test it out again.

My "I" baler is like that with the belts lose until starting, they will turn once hay gets against them. What starts the bale is the teeth and starter roller and then the belts turn it when pressure applied.

 

[True Grit Farms]

ok, I adjusted the cam setting 1/2" more aggresive, and tightened up a few chains.


Another thing I forgot to mention was that the belts don't want to turn when I turn on the PTO .. if I open the tailgate a little they'll start rolling, once I shut it they start turning pretty slow. I'm thinking this is part of the reason why its jamming up.

The belts don't seem overly tight.. Anyway to adjust this? Once it starts baling they are running like they should. just when you start.

i have hay to bale tomorrow so i'll be able to test it out again.

There's a adjustment on the port side that tightens the belts up. You want them to just barely rotate without a load on them.