# Very first date with a small square baler....do/dont's?



## young old timer (Jan 18, 2012)

Very soon, I will be bringing home my first sm sq baler and will start the courtship. It is a MF 124, stored outside and no heads-up on reason parked. I do not notice any visable damage but did plan on rolling the flywheel to make sure timing is in check before shoving in the PTO. Can anyone give me some pre-flight pointers for my first time. Thanks. Tobe


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

i have two 124's. Good balers imo, mine seem to like 9000 poly twine the best . Good luck


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

Not familiar with the MF 124, but my one comment would be this - most all small square balers have some sort of safety stop to prevent the plunger from destroying the needles should it get out of time or for some other reason the needles are in the chamber at the wrong time. If it's been sitting a while, make sure that stop/safety is operational before putting power to it.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

If it's been sitting outside, I think the first order of business would be to take an air lance and blow out all the crevices and look for surface rust on the sheet metal. Next, I would go through and lubricate the heck out of everything. Change oil in the gear boxes, clean and lube drive chains, grease everything in sight.

I would also get an Operators Manual and check the timing, condition of the knives, clearances, etc, etc, etc.

Then, before I started using in the Spring, I would cut and bale a small swath of a couple of acres. I'd want to run at least a hundred bales through it to make sure everything is in working order.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Great comments so far. One thing I would add is that the bale chamber is most likely rusted up pretty good and it will take a while for the hay you're pushing through it to clean that rust off. As this happens, the hay will start to move more freely through the bale chamber resulting in loose bales. Make sure you keep an eye on the bale weight your first day of baling as you will most likely have to tighten down on the springs several times until the chamber is shinny again.


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## young old timer (Jan 18, 2012)

All good and much needed advise! I was planning the test run soon. I was thinking of unrolling some hay and get started so I wasn't in a rush this summer. I can either chase new windrows in the stack-yard or thought of leaving the baler stationary and have a helper pitch hay into the machine; but would an unsteady flow effect my test run? I am as green as grass when it comes to the small balers and thought perhaps I could get a better graspe on things if it wasn't moving. Or should I follow along?


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

young old timer said:


> I was thinking of unrolling some hay and get started so I wasn't in a rush this summer. I can either chase new windrows in the stack-yard or thought of leaving the baler stationary and have a helper pitch hay into the machine; but would an unsteady flow effect my test run?


Either method will probably not give you as good of a bale as you would get in a hayfield with nice, fluffy, consistent windrows. Between the two options you listed, I think I would prefer to unroll a bale in the yard and let the machine pick it up and bale.

Just remember that there is a little bit of a learning curve with small square balers. Most balers have a bit of a "sweet spot" with regards to how much hay they will handle to produce a nice, consistent bale. Size of windrow, ground speed, rpm's, tension, moisture, and humidity all affect bale quality.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

WOT, You have received some great advice. Once you rotate everything by hand, I would take the old hay and run it thru to make sure it bales ok and to help remove the rust in the bale chamber and then tarp it our store inside until you are ready to go. You will have to make some final adjustments when you start baling your new hay. Mike


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## NCSteveH (Jun 30, 2009)

I agree, your got some very good info here, especially with the lube issues on a baler left outside. On that same subject I will advise you to leave your gun locked in the safe the for the first cutting, if your's goes anything like mine went you will thank me later.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

NCSteveH said:


> On that same subject I will advise you to leave your gun locked in the safe the for the first cutting, if your's goes anything like mine went you will thank me later.


LOL. Of course, there is always gasoline and matches....


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## NCSteveH (Jun 30, 2009)

RockmartGA said:


> LOL. Of course, there is always gasoline and matches....


Very true!


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## young old timer (Jan 18, 2012)

Thank you everyone! I this will help me alot. A little warmer weather, and I will get started. Now I have a good plan to begin with.


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## grouchy (Sep 19, 2009)

You can also dry fire the knotters. Once the machine is lubricated up, hooked up to the tractor and threaded, you can test the knotters. With the tractor off, reach into the chamber and pull the twines straight back. Hook the twines on the top bale chamber slats. The twines will form a triangle shape, no need to hook the twines on the bottom. This will somewhat simulate a bale shape. Start the tractor, engage the pto and throttle up to about a third to half throttle. Then manually trip the knotter. Should be a arm on a wheel near the knotters, just pull up on the arm and the knotters will cycle on the next plunger stroke.


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Two things about MF 124 knotters, you need to keep the twine cutting knife sharp and there is a plug in the top of the bill hook you remove and squirt a few drops of 3 in 1 oil. Also like a previous poster said ours seem to like 9000 poly twine the best. If adjusted right very good baler. Worst problem is the shear knife bolts will proably be a bear to get out after sitting outside.


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## lcrbundi (12 mo ago)

Small square baler MF124 knotter servicing. A very helpful piece of advice by Cornsucker, which is not in the manual, to take the cap off the bill hook and squirt some oil inside thank you! In the service manual there is a passage through the knotter frame bush holding the bill hook, containing a felt pad and topped with a plug. The felt pad was missing when I replaced a sheared roll pin holding the billhook to its pinion, recently in a "new" to me MF 124. Massey Ferguson doesn't have these felt pads or the small plug in stock anymore though they had the billhook cap, pin and parts! What is the pad for? Should this passage be oiled as well by removing the twine retainer lever? 
I guess there aren't many people servicing these old machines anymore.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Always at beginning of hay season loosen driveline slip cutch then after slip clutch has visibly slipped tighten SC nuts back to spec's. Also check to be sure needle brake has sufficient tension to hold needles in home position after tying process has been initiated.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

The felt pad is most likely used as a wick, or reservoir for the oil. I would guess oil would run out of things about as fast as it was put in. The felt would remain wet with oil and apply a small amount over time.


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## georgecheneylll (11 mo ago)

NEHerdsman said:


> Not familiar with the MF 124, but my one comment would be this - most all small square balers have some sort of safety stop to prevent the plunger from destroying the needles should it get out of time or for some other reason the needles are in the chamber at the wrong time. If it's been sitting a while, make sure that stop/safety is operational before putting power to it.


WISE WORDS!! I never knew my safety stop was siezed until it snapped off both needles and bent the hoop! That was the end of about $700 worth of baler parts. Nooby 3 seasons ago.


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## ttazzman (Sep 29, 2019)

Update this thread after you bale your first field ....lol


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## Jerry/MT (Dec 14, 2017)

As a fellow rookie with limited small baler experience who transitioned from a big round baler (NH688) to a Hesston 4600 small square baler I would offer this advice. Don't charge into a window at too high a speed with low tractor engine rpm. I hit my first windrow like I was using our round baler and had the biggest plug I ever thought possible. Broke the shear pin and spent the next four hours unplugging it. I wrote about this in this forum a few years back. The lesson I leaned was to start baling with the pto speed as high as possible and the ground speed as low as possible and then you can spend your time finding the optimum engine speed and ground speed while baling instead of cleaning out the stuffer box! 
Besides giving the folks on this forum a good laugh, I also got some good advice. Good luck on your new adventure.


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## georgecheneylll (11 mo ago)

Jerry/MT said:


> As a fellow rookie with limited small baler experience who transitioned from a big round baler (NH688) to a Hesston 4600 small square baler I would offer this advice. Don't charge into a window at too high a speed with low tractor engine rpm. I hit my first windrow like I was using our round baler and had the biggest plug I ever thought possible. Broke the shear pin and spent the next four hours unplugging it. I wrote about this in this forum a few years back. The lesson I leaned was to start baling with the pto speed as high as possible and the ground speed as low as possible and then you can spend your time finding the optimum engine speed and ground speed while baling instead of cleaning out the stuffer box!
> Besides giving the folks on this forum a good laugh, I also got some good advice. Good luck on your new adventure.


I like baling with my hydrostatic as I can adjust my ground speed subtly based upon the windrow size and estimated density without changing my rpms/optimum engine speed. Too low a baler speed can cause lots of problems especially if you over load the pick ups/have less than perfectly dry hay/dull bale knives.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

I wish I could bottle up that anxiety you feel every.damn.time you fire up your square baler and run those first few bales through to see how it's going to go.

Just kidding, no I don't.

And I even say that as the owner of a machine that's baled 6500 consecutive good tied bales. I'm always the most nervous with the baler as there's a lot on the line on baling day.


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## williamwhite3498 (6 mo ago)

Hayjosh said:


> I'm


What modal baler


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

williamwhite3498 said:


> What modal baler


NH 311


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