# JD balers 336 vs 337. Any opinions?



## Itsalwayssomething (Aug 19, 2008)

I use a NH 276 and am thinking about going to a JD. The NH is driving me crazy with mishaped bales and mis-ties. Just spent $3,600. on repairs and it still gives me the same trouble. I'd like but can't afford a 338 so I'm looking at lower models. Don't see many 337's so thought I'd get some opinions.
Thanks in advance.


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## PaCustomBaling (Jun 6, 2009)

If I were you, I would go with the 337 only because of the wider pick-up. Plus, you might be able to get a #40 thrower on the 337 versus the #30 thrower on the 336. We have a 336 and a 348 and there is no comparison between the two... the 348 is much faster due to it's faster strokes per minute, but the 336 is a good realiable, backup baler. So, to answer your question... a 337 because of the wider pickup head.


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## 4020man (Jun 21, 2008)

I would go with the 337, or possibly a 347(higher capacity). The "7" series balers are good balers, you just don't see as many as you do "6" and "8" series balers. A 336 is a good baler also, but as mentioned before, the pickup isn't as wide. Far as throwers are concerned, a 40 thrower will work on a 336 baler


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## Convenanthay (Jul 19, 2009)

I've worn out a 336 and am about there with a 337. the 337 is better but it will be my last green one.


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## bunchgrass1 (Jul 4, 2009)

I have to agree w/ covenanthay - no more green for me either! I have a 347 and the wider pickup doesn't serve me any good - the feeder auger and fingers can't seem to handle it and end up with my auger getting jammed up real easy. This baler has been a very "expensive" disappointement.









I would choose a brand that has a GOOD baler guy in the service dept - not just some dufus who throws parts at the problem and hopes for the best. That is what we have here so you end up w/ service calls from dealerships 100 miles away - THAT"S NOT CHEAP. And JD doesn't seem to care - they just want to sell $200K combines to the current farmers and overpriced riding mowers to the retired ones.

The 336 w/ hydraulic tensioner seems to be the baler that I see around here putting out the most decent bales - almost all grass. Could just be the fact that were so many more of them out there.

You burst my bubble as I was looking at going over to NH - like maybe a 570 or something to solve the same problems you're having w/ your 273.

As someone mentioned in another post somewhere in reference to tractors but it could be applied to balers - "Buy your second baler first!"

Good luck.


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## stevemsinger (Jul 8, 2009)

I have to chime in on the comment about having a good service guy. I am still using a 273 NH. Every year before I start I pay a guy that does nothing but balers to come tune it up. He travels to farms all around the area and makes appointments. He only does NH so I guess you would call him a specialist. Bottom line is that it is money well spent. My baler works like a champ and I believe it is all due to him taking excellent care of it. Between his charges and the parts he puts in every year it will usually run 300-500, but it never gives me a problem in the field. I have to think if there was a guy that did JD balers the outcome would be the same. Just my 2 cents worth.


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## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

I like my NH575 although I do have to get service about 100 miles away. I try to do a lot of it myself. I have hydraulic tension. That is not a cure all on the 575. It also has 2 manual side tensions on each side. NH also recommends using the extension chamber which I have. I found the front side panels should be about 1 turn tighter than the rear ones, then minor adjustments on the hydraulics. Sharp twine blades is a must or it will not tie properly. I sharpen the twine blades 2 or 3 times per season. Recently I just noticed my chamber blades have a clearance of about .070 and the book calls out .030 or less. I think all farm equipment is getting less proper setting up in the factory and the dealers just skip over those items. Kind of like we're on our own. If I have to pay a huge service charge for repairs I try to watch what is going on learn how to repair it the next time around.


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## okhillbilly (Jun 18, 2009)

I haven't had any experiance with a deere baler. But I love my 570 NH. It does miss a bale every now and then. But I noticed if I slow down just a little bit it quits missing a tie. And if the windrows are even and consistant the bales come out square and look good. Might try adjusting youre baler speed just a little 100-200 rpm's may fix the miss tieing.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

I'm with the last post on this one - mis ties are a knotter issue (maybe twine), and mis-shaped bales have to do with feeding - either too small a roll, running the engine too fast/slow and driving too fast/slow. It doesn't matter what brnad of baler you have, you can have the smae troubles. Another baler may not make a difference. I don't know anything about the 276 first hand. I do think you'll have to mess around with rpms, gears and the feeding forks in the feeder area. As for the misites - find out what it does not do - there should always be a pattern. If you've already spent $3600 on the thing, it ought to work, and you should have some good parts that might just need a small adjustment.

Rodney


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## okbuckaroo (Jul 12, 2009)

I would look at an older 575 or 570....I have a 575 and love it i don't think you can go wrong with it


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## okhillbilly (Jun 18, 2009)

I had a though about a long time ago I replaced a needle on one of my balers. I had to adjust the depth of penatration (past the wire holders) to get it to catch the wire for the next bale. When I installed it it looked to be in the same location until I ran it through a tie and looked at it in the all the way through the chamber position. Might check this out when you get tme. Had to tweek it a little while baling to get it to quit missing ties.


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## bunchgrass1 (Jul 4, 2009)

OKhillbilly, Interesting you should bring up needle position as an issue w/ tying/missing knots. That was one issue I was having w/ my 347 JD twine baler and was something I just wasn't even looking for. I tweaked my knotters every which way - advanced and retarded the twine disks etc BUT when someone w/ more baler experience than me took a look at needle position over the one troublesome knotter he saw a need to move the needle further "up" to insure the twine would adequately drop into the disk. It was nothing that would jump out at you as being out of adjustment unless you were looking for it. Add it to my list of things to check before I call for service.

Oh - BTW our "best" and most experienced baler guy got sick of the JD bull at his dealership and left to work in Alaska doing work on pipeline equipment.


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## geiselbreth (Feb 21, 2010)

heard one of those balers had a timing issue after several thousand bales


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