# Small square baler?



## Ditchdigger (Dec 26, 2011)

All you experienced balers which baler is the most reliable? Am thinking JD but I see a lot more NH balers than I thought. Looking for one to bale 4 or 5 thousand a season, thanks


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

They are both reliable, but many on here use New Holland because they are easier to "unplug" if you overload with a charge of hay.

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

The only JD balers I see around here are about 25+ years old and are for sale by the side of the road. That tells me something. I never see them in the fields working nor do I know anyone that has one. Though the JD dealer does have a new one on their lot so somebody must be buying them. Or maybe that one has sat there for awhile I don't know. I think in my area there are more Hesstons around then even NH anymore. I prefer NH. And this subject has been discussed on many threads.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

If you are only doing 4 to 5 thousand bales a season, I'm assuming that you are looking for a used machine. Both the JD and NH are good balers, but when you get to buying a used machine it really comes down to how well it was maintained by the former owner. I have a early model JD 336 that still bales very well and is a realiable baler, but I've seen balers that are half the age of mine heading to the scrap pile because they weren't taken care of. If you are a decent mechanic, you should be able to fix just about anything on a baler. I don't know about the NH manuals, but most everything I need to know about adjusting the baler or diagnosing problems is contained in the owners manual for my JD. Used JD 336s in my area are going for around $3000 depending on their condition.

If you can, check and see how the baler was stored (inside, outside, tarped...), if they removed the hay from the chamber at the end of the year, did the dust and chaff get cleaned off regularly and what kind of service or repairs have been done. I realize you may not be able to find this out for every baler, but it will also be apparent in the appearance of the baler. If it was taken care of, the paint will most likely be in good shape (but might be faded) with little or no rust, the plunger shouldn't be loose, no welds, etc.

Hope this helps.


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

I have a 346 JD and a NH5070. I have run a lot of hay through my 346 wire tie. I bought it used about 6 years ago. I have since rebuilt the knoters and replaced the bushing in the flywheel. The most expensive was the knoter rebuild but if a guy keeps them greased well, they should last a long time. The guys at NH tell me that the ones with the most grease are usually the ones that last the longest and are in better shape. Something that should be obvious but sometimes that goes unnoticed. My NH5070 I bought band new. For 4k or 5k bales it wouldnt be worth it to buy a new baler. You should be able to find a decent older baler for that. The most important thing on a used baler to me is the knoter. It will be the most expensive thing to replace. Besides that, everything is pretty easy to fix urself. Look for grooves in the knotter. Also, never trust the number of bales someone tells you it has baled. I always assume 20%-30% more than they tell me. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

I have baled behind a lot of balers over the years and I still think NH is the best. I stood behind an old JD336 when it was new and that damned auger they put in the way of the pickup is a joke. If you can find a good clean NH 273 buy it. For no more than you want to bale it would be good. You dont say if you are going to hand stack or accumalate. If you are going to use an accumalator then maybe a good NH310 or 315. I am not a JD fan so I would stay away from them unless you find a good 24T. Always check the plunger for play and the knotters for wear. A new set of NH knotters will cost you about 900-1000 a set. Good luck


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I just bought a used JD336 baler with a practically new EZ trail bale basket for $5,600. I was a little skepitcal about the 336 baler, but the owner seemed very honest about it. He said it baled very well and was put away clean and in working condition. I guess I'll find out if he was telling me the truth, but I think I got a great deal considering the EZ trail bale basket is worth ~3,500 alone.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Back in 1995, I bought a used NH 276. My plans were to use it for a few years and then maybe upgrade to something newer. I have baled about 2-3000 bales per year with it every year since. Like the Energizer Bunny, it never misses a beat....


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## T & R Hay Farms (Jan 19, 2012)

My dad and I run a Hobby Haying operation. We bought NH 315 Hayliner and it has been perfect for us. We bale around 5-7 thousand small squares a year. And it was decenlty priced right around 2,500 at an auction. It makes good solid bales and keeps plunging away. That is my personal opinion and hope you find the right baler for you.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

We bought a NH 278 new back in '74 and still use it. Back then we baled four to five thousand a year. This is a beast of a baler designed to run 105 strokes per minute. It is always parked in a barn and taken care of.
I only square for a couple of long time horse customers now and round/keep everything else.
Nearly all the square balers we see now are Hesston in line.
The JD balers never really caught on in my immediate area. Probably because the local Deere dealer was also a New Holland dealer and that is what they carried.


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## jenkinsfarmsinc (Dec 8, 2011)

I would suggest trying an inline Hesston or such. We have used them for over 20 years and wouldn't change to a NH or JD for any reason. I am looking at going to big bales, but until I do, I will keep using my inlines. You can find some decent deals on them, used of course. The maintenance is fairly straight forward without many difficulties. Overall, great balers.


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