# New Holland Chain Baler?



## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

I'm looking at a couple chain balers that are local and cheap. One is a 845 and the other is a 849. What are the differences between these two? I know they're antique by most standards but I'd probably make 100 or so bales a year is all and figured it might be cheaper than paying the neighbor $7 per bale for a 4x4 bale. I know they're soft core and make kinda ugly bales but I really don't think my mom's horses will care and I'm not interested in selling round bales so I'm not really super worried about marketability. So do any of you guys think either of these would work for me?


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I think I had a NH846, can't remember was a long time ago.

The one I had you couldn't drive slow enough, and no matter how slow, was lucky to get a 500lb bale out of it, was also a odd size, like a 54x56 or a 56x54, either or was weird to stack.

But one thing I can say about it, would feed anything the pickup grabbed, wet hay, wet corn stalks, snow covered corn stalks, whatever. I don't think I ever jammed it once.

BUT, one huge drawback for me was it tended to beat the leaves right off of alfalfa.


----------



## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

Ok, I forgot to mention I'll be baling grass hay only, mostly orchard grass but possibly some native grasses too.


----------



## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

I ran an 850 back in 1978 hand tie, did a better job then the belt balers of the day. The 845 is about the same age I owned an 851 auto tie thought I it was way better. Anyway those balers will work fine in grass hay and if your handy they are not to hard to work on. I even replaced the chain on the 851 not a lot of fun but doable.Better then wasting time squre baling for your own livestock


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Your mothers horses will appreciate the soft core bales.

Regards, Mike


----------



## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

An 849 is newer than an 846 band has double springs to control density. We ran an 846 for 10 yearss and it did a decent job.4.5' X 4.5' bales which need to be covered or kept inside.Don't forget to oil the floor chains when you oil the others.I liked bar and chain oil the best.


----------



## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

jr in va said:


> An 849 is newer than an 846 band has double springs to control density. We ran an 846 for 10 yearss and it did a decent job.4.5' X 4.5' bales which need to be covered or kept inside.Don't forget to oil the floor chains when you oil the others.I liked bar and chain oil the best.


Speaking of floor chains, how much of a maintenance issue are they? I know the tracks need to be in good shape or you'll wear thru the floor but what type of longevity should I expect out of the channels? And how long should the floor chains themselves last if oiled properly?


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I had a NH850 that I baled 150-200 bales a year (before I increase production, by learning ALOT from HT). I replaced the floor runners, a couple at a time, and the very first ones I replaced showed very little wear after 10+ years. But I did use a lot of oil. Got were I could 'hear' the chains asking for lube, and I would stop and lube them (gallon milk jugs of used motor oil was plentiful, always had one on the tractor).

I would suggest having a repair kit handy for 'fixing' a broken chain, unless you are doing as Beav mentioned replacing the whole chain. I got to where I could fix a broken chain, pretty fast, so I could back to baling.


----------



## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

Be careful if you work on the apron chains.Only unhook one side at a time and secure it with a good chain then.


----------



## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

mlappin said:


> I think I had a NH846, can't remember was a long time ago.
> 
> The one I had you couldn't drive slow enough, and no matter how slow, was lucky to get a 500lb bale out of it, was also a odd size, like a 54x56 or a 56x54, either or was weird to stack.
> 
> ...


On another discussion forum a fellow keep stating that the grass bales he made with his NH chainer weighed 2000#s. I asked him if he ever weighed one of these so called 1 ton bales and he stated he didn't need to weigh one as he could determine how much the bale weighed by how light the rear end got on his loader tractor when he picked up a bale.


----------



## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

The 850 and 851 made 1200 LB bales on a good day in dry grass hay.If you can store them inside you will be happier with the bales. If you are looking at these vintage balers the chain balers will bale circles around those old belt balers.The outfit I worked for was demoing a Gehl 1850 and a NH 850 I ran the 850 and made 2 bale in the same time the Gelh made one and the weighed about 100 to 150 lbs more.For a little more money you can find an 853 chain that had air bags to put more pressure on the bale, one in good shape for $3500 to $5000.


----------



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Tx Jim said:


> On another discussion forum a fellow keep stating that the grass bales he made with his NH chainer weighed 2000#s. I asked him if he ever weighed one of these so called 1 ton bales and he stated he didn't need to weigh one as he could determine how much the bale weighed by how light the rear end got on his loader tractor when he picked up a bale.


Sasquatch is real because he caught a glimpse of him once too.


----------



## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Sasquatch is more likely then 2000 lbs bales out of an 850 if you made more then one the wheels would fall off,maybe an 855 or 858 could make a 2000 bale


----------



## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

Air bags were expensive fom the dealer.One guy told me that at his vermeer shop they had used Slime and rolled it around inside their bags and it waorked to stop smaal leaks.Wished I had talked to him before I paid 400+ for an airbag .


----------

