# Does your round baler do this?



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Whenever my round baler sits a few days and I go to start using it again, it takes ~5 bales to get it working right. It seems like the sensors are out of calibration, the net wrap won't cut clean, etc.
Am I picking up moisture out of the air and it's corroding connections or swivel points?
Baler is stored in a shed out of direct weather.
Yesterday I made a bunch of bales and the first 5 were a disaster. The readout in the cab stayed stuck on "30". I adjusted the bale size sensor and it helped, but still seems a little messed up. I also have to get out and cut my net about every 10th bale.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Make sure the knife on the cutting assembly is SHARP. You could go along and check your plugs and make sure all are clean. I like to blow my balers off after every use before parking back in the shed.


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

Jd try putting a second spring on the brake lever . I had problems with my BR 770 off an on cutting net till I added a second lighter spring . Sounds like your sensor might be going bad . I have had one side or the other stick , but normally cleaning them out and working by hand gets them working again .


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I adjusted the lever on the sensor. Supposed to read >30 on BCP when empty. Mine read 11. I adusted it as much as it would go and got it up to 29. That didn't seem right. Seems like it should go higher.
Should I replace sensor?

As far as cutting net wrap: Is it hard to sharpen knife?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Unless something has changed drastically between the 644 and the 648 just take the knives off and sharpen. O took mine off and went to the local welding shop and used their table top belt sander with a very fine belt on it.


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

Try this

.
View attachment Bale Size Sensor.pdf


To remove the knives lift the rubber flap on the knife frame on top of the net box. There are three knives with three bolts each. 10mm wrench required. If you are sharpening them your self, I would slightly loosen all nine bolts and then remove one knife at a time. That way you do not have to fight holding the notched plate in place when you put the knives back in. The knives may feel sharp, but they need to be sharper than sharp.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

When I first used the baler in June, it cut cleanly. It had a roll of net wrap in it. I used up that roll and bought a roll of 51" "cover edge" net wrap at JP dealer. Since then, lost of trouble cutting net wrap. I wonder if the cover edge NW is causing the problems?


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## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

The JD cover edge has been aggravating me lately as well. I replaced my wrap brake and that helped but it still doesn't seem right. Could be me and I'm wrong but edge to edge doesn't give me nearly as many problems. Especially wrapping around that roller with the spirals on it inside the Baler. I cant stand that!


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

The prior series balers, such as yours, were not designed to use extra wide net. The following is from New Holland.

The design of the rollers and net cutting mechanism, on all New Holland round balers produced prior to the introduction of the BR-Series in 2002, will not accommodate 'over the edge' net wrap. 
Attempts to use the wider net will result in multiple wrapping difficulties.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I bet that's my problem!


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

You should not have bale size problems after a couple weeks. There is something seriously wwrrong with the system you are using. Martin


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Nitram said:


> You should not have bale size problems after a couple weeks. There is something seriously wwrrong with the system you are using. Martin


you got that right!


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

I think to find a similar monitor and plug it in to isolate problem. Then if it's not it has to be harness or sensors. Good luck. Martin


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I did swing the sensor arm and it helped. Now I notice that as I get close to a 60" bale (say at 54") the monitor almost skips from 54" right up to 60". Never even see 58" anymore.
I don't know how much the bale size sensors cost, but maybe it'd be worth changing it out if not too expensive.
At least I think I got the net wrap issue resovled-no more cover edge!
Thanks Mike110!


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> I adjusted the lever on the sensor. Supposed to read >30 on BCP when empty. Mine read 11. I adusted it as much as it would go and got it up to 29. That didn't seem right. Seems like it should go higher.
> Should I replace sensor?


It looks like you were in the diagnostic mode.

1 While in the diagnostic mode disconnect the pivot arm so you can rotate the arm and see if the numbers move up and down smoothly without them hesitating or reversing direction.

2 In the operate mode and 30 being displayed again move the arm and see if the bale size increases and decreases smoothly and if it will display 58".

3 You can loosen the potentiometer and slightly rotate it in the bolt mounting holes to get a higher reading in the diagnostic mode. I assume you were moving the mounting bracket in it's slots.

4 You can also take the bale shape sensor potentiometer and switch it out with this one. Just be sure to calibrate the bale shape sensor and also the bale size sensor.

5 It seems strange that you could make a 60" bale after making the change in the potentiometer. Not that it could not reach 60 but did the display match the actual bale size?

6 Unplugging the bale size potentiometer should give you a reading of 245 - 255 in the diagnostic mode.

7 Eventually if you can not narrow the problem down you may need to take nitram's advice, but I would do it slightly different. If you have a friend with a NH net wrap baler I would see if you could hook your baler to their tractor and then bale a few bales to see if the problem is still present. I say this because just replacing the operators panel may not eliminate a problem at the connection for the wire harness. You can hook your baler to any "4" "8" or BR series bale command. Note: While you can run your baler with a BR harness you can not run a BR baler with your harness.

8 I don't know how your dealer operates, he may have spare harnesses, controlers, and operators panels for you to try.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Thanks Mike. I really appreciate it.
Didn't know you could also rotate pot to change empty reading in diag. mode.
I swung the pot as much as it would go and in diag mode most I could get is 29.
Someone told me a while back to read and understand the BCP manual. Boy they were right. You can't own a round baler and not have a working knowledge of it.


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

The range of rotating the potentiometer is limited, but on the bale shape potentiometers it can change about 30 to 50 units. If you still can not get into the range it needs to be then I would replace the potentiomter. A new one is in the 50.00 range.

Generally there is no need to be famiiliar with the bale command background system and how it works. I show customers how to calibrate bale size but other than that I tell them not to touch the open book button unless I tell them to. When you do not know the system it can look overwhelming but is quite simple even though problems like yours can make you scratch your head. Fortunatley problems like yours are few and far between. You need to be methodical in how your aprach the problem. I have found that most problems can be taken care of over the phone. The cell phone has eliminated many a service call on these balers. A lot depends on your dealers knowledge of the system.


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

I use a rotary air tool to sharper our net wrap knife. Sand out the burs if there are any and then get a more fine disc. They are cheap. I think I paid 15 bucks for ours at Lowes. Those are the most handy tools out there! Cutting, sharpening, sanding, etc. 
Here's the nice version....little more expensive than the one I bought.

http://www.searsoutlet.com/Rotary-Tool-Kit-High-Performance-4000-1-tool/d/product_details.jsp?md=ct_md&pid=47733&mode=seeAll


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

New Holland makes a baffle kit to install in order to use the cover edge wrap. I put it on one of my balers and seems to do pretty good. Mike


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> New Holland makes a baffle kit to install in order to use the cover edge wrap. I put it on one of my balers and seems to do pretty good. Mike


This baffle is only for the BR balers


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Yep. I didn't pay any attention to what kind of baler he had but it's still good to know for the guys that have the BR balers. I don't know why NH doesn't fix that. MIke


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