# JD 24T Square Baler Probem



## johnmichaelprice (Jul 24, 2010)

What would cause the knotter frame on one side to break into two pieces?


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## Barry Bowen (Nov 16, 2009)

Your needle is way out of adjustment and hit the knotter frame, at least this is the most common reason. Did you also break the needle? Check around to used parts dealers in your area. The JD 14T, 24T, 224T, 336, and 346 all use basically the same knotter and are interchangeable. Fun part is you have to remove the needle lift shaft that the knotters are on to replace it. Make sure you follow the procedures in the owners manual for setting up the knotters and then timing them. Not that hard to do, just take your time and you will learn alot about how they work.


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## johnmichaelprice (Jul 24, 2010)

I'm new to working on these. So if its out of time on one knotter it most likely is out on the other knotter? When we turned it by hand to tie it off everything seemed smooth. This baler has been sitting unused for a very long time so i figured there would be some bugs to work out. The left side was tying off great and that was the side that split the casting in two.


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## freedomfarm (Jul 8, 2010)

My 24T did the same thing, but the problem was on occasion it wouldn't wipe a knot off on one side, everything was in adjustment as best it could be (old worn baler). You couldn't see the string hung up on time and it would hang on the bill hook and actually pull it so hard the bill hook would jump the gear and be backwards and way out of time. Then it was all down hill from there. One side did thjis a while ago and I got it corrected, the other side started this year and I almost got my first cut finished when it did it one time too many and busted the knotter. Check my previous posts and you'll see input about it. Once I get my NH 315 I'll be parting out this 24T.


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## Barry Bowen (Nov 16, 2009)

Basically if one knotter is "in timing", the other is basically timed. The position of the needle traveling through the knotter is one of the adjustments you have to make. There are two bolts that hold the needle to the lift shaft, and the holes are oblong side to side. To have the needle adjusted properly it will just touch the knotter frame on the right side of the knotter as it comes by. You should be able to move the needle away from the knotter frame by hand other wise it still needs adjustment. Then the lowest point of the needle should just clear the twine disc by no more than 1/32nd of an inch. If you have these two the needles are right. Last year the right needle on mine got loose and it was missing intermitently, then stopped all together. Twine was not even in the twine disc. Ran it through by hand and found the needle was loose and ready to break either the knotter or needle in the next few stokes. Simple adjustment once you get down to it.

As for the guy with the bill hook that twisted on him, something else was really wrong before that happened. Wiper may have been loose, or the twine knife was dull. A dull knife will cause knots to hang on the bill hook. If the bill hook twisted, things were really out. Either the spacing on the knotter frame to the cam was grossly out, or the pin that holds the gear on the bill hook was sheared. The twine should have shattered before anything else happened.

Maybe you can get the knotters from the guy when he parts out the 24t. Make sure he gives you the shaft they are on also, so you can use it in the shop the set up the knotter to the cam. It will need shimmed properly when you do.


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