# Vermeer 606C and some hay questions



## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

I bought a Vermeer 605c in July. Last month, I made some junk hay in a neighbor's field, lots of goldenrod in the grass. The baler worked fine, and I got the weeds off and good grass growing there.

Now I am trying to make a second cut in my own field. It was baled in May. We had a drought, so the grass was short and thin. I cut on a Saturday, more than a week ago. Between heavy dew, unexpected long hours at work and two rains, I still haven't baled it. It got rain after after I raked it, and I have no tedder, yet.

So the windrows are dark brown,moldy junk. That's OK, I can use it in the garden, and I want it off of the field.
Tonight, I thought it was dry enough. Every attempted bale clogged the baler above throat. It wasn't clogging between the feed rollers, but just above them. Sometimes the bale would roll out of round, other times it would roll round,but still plug. The bale would stop rolling, and the belts would slip, then stop.

Is this what I can expect from short hay, or rained on hay, or just too wet hay? The baler worked fine for me on longer, faster dried hay.

Any tips on unclogging? I think a broom handle to push the wads would help.
Is there a safe, quick way to lock the tailgate up on a 605c?

Is there a best way to burn a windrow of junk hay?

Thanks


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## bremma (Sep 2, 2014)

First, I would post in machinery section.

I had a 605c, can't recall it plugging above the rollers. The problems I would experience were related to the bale not starting, i.e. not staring to turn, in which case it may appear plugged but it was not a plug so much as the bale never starting to turn, I assume that is your issue.

With short slick dry grass, increasing ground speed with pto rpms will help start the bale turning. If your belts are real smooth or slick, u can also use traction tape on 1 (only 1) of the top drive rollers. You can test to see if traction is a problem by wetting the belts and then trying to start a bale.

Also check to be sure the drive roller sprocket is not sheared and all drive sprockets are there. I actually bales for quite a while once with a missing drive sprocket but chain riding the hub, was hard to start a bale.

I believe there is a scraper a very the drive rollers, if it is bent and out of adjustment I guess it could allow hay to wad up, it should be almost touching the roller so jay is scraped off.

Be glad to try and help, maybe I am not quite understanding the exact issue.


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## bremma (Sep 2, 2014)

Meant to say increase ground speed w lower pto Roma to start bale


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## bremma (Sep 2, 2014)

Rpms, aggravating auto correct


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## bremma (Sep 2, 2014)

do not by any means try to push or pull clog w a broom handle or anything else while pto is running. It will kill or dismember you, just google 605c Vermeer Baler accidents and u will see it was the source of many a accidents due to working on plugs w pto running, you can not let go fast enough


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

As far as burning the windrows, burn into the wind and have something fight any out-of-control flare ups. I burned a field last year that sounds a lot like yours. I have one of those wand burners on a hose that can attach to a 20lb propane tank, but a zippo did a fine job. I would light a windrow, grab wad of dry hay and use it for a torch to go to the next windrows.

The Vermeers before the E or F model (I can't remember exactly) are closed throat balers and the belts are not supposed to turn until the roll is started. The belts are held slack with no bale in the chamber by chains (on the D model which is very similar I believe). Not until there is sufficient hay in the chamber, does the hay put enough pressure on the belts to cause them to have enough friction on the drive roller that they begin to rotate. IIRC, the E and F are still closed throat balers, but have a pressure roller on the drive roller that causes the belts to continue to turn before there is sufficient hay in the chamber to put enough tension to turn correctly.

On my D model, I would go VERY slowly until the belts started to turn on their own, then I could go just-a-hellin. It would have trouble with the most perfect hay while starting the bale, but after the bale was started, it would suck in a gut pile that had been out in the sun.

It's probably not the "safest" method, but when I clog in front of the rollers, I would get off the tractor (Kubota 5040, so I did not have to dismount near the PTO) and went to the back of the baler. I would grab the belts with both hands and lean back/pull down. This would put enough tension of the cigar in the middle to roll it over...that would suck in the clog.

Before the core starts to roll, the hay is just jammed into the chamber by the front rolls and does not immediately turn; this can cause (what looks like) a clog behind and above the feed rollers.

How big was the bale/core when it would no longer turn? The core (18"-2') will not be very round as it turns 1/4 round, releases pressure from the belts, crams in more hay, creates more pressure, turns another 1/4 turn, etc...

If the bale as 2-3' in diameter when it would stop turning, I would guess that your windrow is wet/slimy on the bottom and causing the issue of slippage. Old belts compound the problem as they are slicker/less grippy, etc

I know you don't want to hear it, but I fixed the baler by jacking up the drawbar pin and putting a newer baler under it.


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## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

The bales are 3' when they stop turning. Yes the belts are smooth. No, I don't want to hear about changing balers.

I bet the slimy windrow is the culprit.

No, I don't get near the baler with the pto on. Besides the death and dismemberment, I don't trust my tractor parking brake, and PA is hilly.

Thanks, all.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Keep flipping the windrow, they will eventually dry out (or slowly disappear), if you can't get the windrow dry enough to bale, I have a hard time thinking that you could burn them. (And I am not a fan of starting a fire, with that much material burning.)

Set the outside (discharge side) of your rake as high as you can, then rake faster than normal (poor man's make shift tedder), this could help spread the window for drying purposes.

Larry


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## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

Good stuff. I can probably rake it into nothing. I hate burning anything. I have had a pile of junk wood piling up for a year, because I can always talk myself out of burning.

I don't think I am getting this hay dry anytime soon. We have rain coming now, and the dew is very heavy this time of year.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Might be time to shove it off the field as best as ya can and forget it...


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## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

I should see if I can get my neighbor to bring his haybuck. That would get it off, no matter how wet.


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## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

Take three on the Vermeer 605C was a partial success. I made 9 good bales, and about 5 duds. They stopped rolling at about 3' diameter. I dumped all the duds in a couple piles.

I don't have much trouble starting a bale. I had trouble when I ran out of hay at the end of a windrow. If I could start and finish a bale in the same windrow, it worked fine. Eventually, I realized that I did better with full pto speed and a faster gear.
I think this baler will be a better first cutting baler. I might have a square baler for second cut next year.

I also need some repairs. I need some or all new pickup teeth. I think a more even feed would help. I need some new belts. I think my smooth belts are part of why the bale stops turning. I am replace two 4" belts with one 10" belt. I want to do that with the outside pairs, and i want ro lengthen all the belts to spec. With these shortened belts, I can't make a dull soze bale.

I am pleased. I got some practice with hay that wasn't critical to me. I know what repairs I need on my mower, rake, and baler. And I have less than $2000 in the three.


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## bja105 (Jun 20, 2016)

I also helped my neighbor bale. He cuts, rakes, and teds with horses. Then he brings the hay to the stationary baler with a haybuck. His kids fork the hay into the baler, a 24T powerd by a Honda engine. More kids stack on the wagon. I forked. Then we loaded up my dud bales to feed into the square baler.

Here is his old baler, this one powered by his M.






Here is my prize pig.


I take the loader off to hay.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Vermeer sure looks modern compared to the neighbors setup.

Good way to put the horses to work though.


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