# New Holland HW325 Windrower Question



## Dan Ridder (Sep 17, 2011)

Hi. I'm new so bear with me. I'm on the second season with a 2005 HW325 windrower with a HS16 Scickle head. I'm dissapointed with the capacity of the machine when in heavy cane. I had a NH1118 machine for many years and I think the 1118 handled cane crops just as good . I expected the 325 to have much more capacity. Am I expecting to much? If I push the 325 machine past 2mph when in heavy crop the head will completely stop. The pressure relief valve opens( I think). Had the pressure tested and was slightly low but after the tec. adjusted the pressure it didn't seem to help much. Or maybe the pump on the head is weak? Just before the head stops because of overload, the engine only loses about 150 RPM. Shouldn't the pump have enough power to nearly stall the engine before the pressure relief kicks in? Also the engine seems underpowered when mowing alfalfa. When I climb a moderate hill while mowing I have to pull the stick back to keep up RPM's. If anyone can advise me I would appreciate it very much. Was thinking of trading for a HW340 disk but am worried about losing the new cab etc. Thanks, Dan


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

> Also the engine seems underpowered when mowing alfalfa


My bro has also complained that his HW325 with only a 14 ft sickle head will run totally out of power mowing heavy alfalfa or oats and trying to climb a hill at the same time, although IIRC his previous HW320s did little better. IMHO it just takes too much power to run everything by hydraulic pressure.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I think you need to try and find a self propelled disc swather and you would be much happier in cane grass or any grass for that matter. If you do alot of it that is. The only sickle machine that is any good in grass hay is a New Holland 1495 haybine. We had a 1987 one and it could cut rings around the standard sickle machines for grass hay. 2 mph would kill me now and so would the 1495 after having a Hesston and then a Massey disc swather. 8 mph minimum in any hay and faster depending on smoothness of the field. I don't think NH or any manufacturer have made any advances in the sickle machines in the last 20 years. They are focused on the disc swathers. Which is probably why your HW235 doesn't seem any better then your NH1118.


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## Dan Ridder (Sep 17, 2011)

Thanks for the info.... Have the opportunity to trade my 2005 HW325 NewHolland For a 2001 NH 340 Diskbine. Would go from a 16' scickle to a 14 foot diskbine. the 325 has 1200 hours and the 340 has 1600 hours, but had a new cutter bar installed maybe 500 hours ago. It has the updated shear pins ( I was told) . I'm not sure if that would be a wise trade. Still I am concerned about the ride and lower quality cab etc.I only put 150 hours per year on the machine. Thanks in advance.. Dan


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I wonder why the cutter bar had to be replaced at fairly low hours? And they have shear pins? I'm not too sure how the new hollands are set up, but make sure the plates "turtles" that are over the knives aren't worn out. That's what the hesstons and Massey's have. But other then that I think you would like the trade. Would they let you try it out? I'm not sure about NH discbines as I don't like augers of any sort in swathers. I spent to much time unplugging them in a sickle swather we had before. But maybe it works great. You would like replacing knifes much better then messing around with sections of the sickles. I used to always break a section or so on one of our fields with our NH 1495. I have never needed to replace a knife on the disc swather besides when they just plain wear out. Going down to 14 feet from 16 feet might not be to good, but I'm sure you would be able to cut much much faster. Both the NH and Massey Dealer here get in new sickle machines once in a while and they sit and sit on the lots. They can't keep the newer disc swathers on the lots. So that tells me something right there.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

One thing to consider, if you put 150 hrs a year on a sickle machine then you will likely only put 50 hrs or less on one with a disc head. I agree ride quality is very important esp at higher speeds, if you think your fields are rough now wait till you cut them at 3-5x faster. When it comes down to cab quality let me put it this way. If i had to, i would take a sp discbine without a cab before i would go back to any new sickle machine. Even if your going backward in years you are still trading up imo. 
,


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## Dan Ridder (Sep 17, 2011)

Teslan said:


> I wonder why the cutter bar had to be replaced at fairly low hours? And they have shear pins? I'm not too sure how the new hollands are set up, but make sure the plates "turtles" that are over the knives aren't worn out. That's what the hesstons and Massey's have. But other then that I think you would like the trade. Would they let you try it out? I'm not sure about NH discbines as I don't like augers of any sort in swathers. I spent to much time unplugging them in a sickle swather we had before. But maybe it works great. You would like replacing knifes much better then messing around with sections of the sickles. I used to always break a section or so on one of our fields with our NH 1495. I have never needed to replace a knife on the disc swather besides when they just plain wear out. Going down to 14 feet from 16 feet might not be to good, but I'm sure you would be able to cut much much faster. Both the NH and Massey Dealer here get in new sickle machines once in a while and they sit and sit on the lots. They can't keep the newer disc swathers on the lots. So that tells me something right there.


 Thanks "I probably shouldn't say "shear pins" but updated hubs under the turtles that are supposed to shear before other major damage. Dan


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

I would look very carefully at the HW340. At 1600 hours that thing has covered a LOT of ground. You say it only has a 14ft head..... Seeing as the disc machines were only 13ish and 15 and a half and 18....... which one is it? The original head for that machine was the 15 and a half. Period. Anything else is newer. The 13ft model did not have an auger, the others did, and from what I uderstand, they cut tall crops just fine.

Rodney


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## Dan Ridder (Sep 17, 2011)

Thanks Rodney. Well I thought the head was 14ft but Maybe I'm mistaken. I didn't measure it ,but I will. It does have an auger, that much I know.I also know the cutterbar is the second because the original cutterbar goes with it.It has rubber conditioners that are in fair shape. I think I would rather have steel on steel.
Dan


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

> the 325 has 1200 hours


Double check with another source but I have been told that HW325s are known to have engine crankshaft failures around these hours. Has to do with the crank not being heavy enough to withstand the radial loading imposed by the hydraulic pumps driven by a ring gear on the flywheel. Might be a real good time to trade!


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Might I suggest looking for a Hesston self propelled disk swather instead of limiting yourself to NH. The older ones don't do as well at conditioning as the newer Massey's though.


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## Dan Ridder (Sep 17, 2011)

Thanks, I did quickly look at a low hour 2008 Hesston 9365 w/ rotory head. I don't know much about the Hesstons. Could you tell me about the engine (some name I never heard of). is that a good engine? Also how about the head? Is it reliable? Any advice appreciated. Thanks Dan


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I can't remember which year they switched to a Sisu (sp) from a Cummins (I think). I suspect that is the one you have never heard of. Our Massy/Hesston has one and it never has given any trouble. If it is the Sisu then it most likely is much more powerful then the Cummins, which was really needed. We've never had to do anything to the heads of either our 2002 2002 Hesston 8550s or to the 2008 Massey besides knife replacement. We put similar hours to what I think you said you do. If you have sandy soil or with lots of rocks (we have neither) then you probably will have to replace turtles and knives much sooner. Except that on the 2002 there were little wheels under the head that wore out the rubber on and kinda made a mess. They don't even have those on the newer ones.


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