# Brand new 328 baler worked great for 300 bales, now won't tie...



## bglz42 (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi all! I bought a new 328 last month, and after breaking it in per the manual, started baling. Tied perfect bales, from the get-go! A few adjustments for bale lenth and weight, etc. Overall very happy with the purchase of my first new baler...

On Sunday, though, started having an issue. Baled 150 bales. Then dropped a perfectly good bale, and mid-windrow, stopped tying. Got the loose knot over the bale, with clean cut off tag coming from below. The manual describes it as "Knot in Twine Over Bale Only". Both knotters, at the same time.

Looking for ideas, (the JD tech is coming on Friday...). I read the manual, saw the symptom I described and read the remedy. What I would like to know is why it happened suddenly, and on both knotters... One thing I noticed: When the baler was delivered there were two poly twine balls installed. They were not installed properly, (I discovered later). Instead of being threaded through the "eyes" on the box lid, they ran straight out to the tension bar. I was watching the level of the string carefully, because I did not want to run out. Was starting to get low when the baler stopped tying. Could this cause the problem?

The other thing I was thinking: As the thick paint is wearing off the knotter parts, could it get thrown out of adjustment? Do they sometimes need adjustment as the parts are "wearing in"?

Jim in Texas


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

First welcome to the forum.
The tech can't get to ya for 4 days, with hay on the ground???? Did he try to help on the phone at all?
Wish I could help ya, but I'm new @ baling myself with very limited experience on knotters. Only suggestions I have is to make sure there is not too much 'chafe' built up around the tucker fingers, or around the knotters at all. My mechanic said that's the #1 thing he finds when he goes out on a call. Are the tucker fingers free to move right, do they pick up the string like they should?
Somebody here will be by shortly with lots more experience than I have. Let us know when ya get it figured out.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I don't think running low on twine would cause it not to tie. But then I'm not familiar with JD balers.


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

If the twine was not threaded correctly make sure the tension was not too high so that the twine had difficulty coming out of the box.


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## bglz42 (Oct 5, 2009)

LOL! I got most of the hay up before it stopped knotting. The tech offered to come out yesterday, but I told him not to. Gotta do my day job...

Thanks for the answers and I'll post the solution when I get one!

Jim in SE Texas


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## Hayguy (Jun 4, 2008)

If the tension plates are properly adjusted, running low on twine shouldn't affect the knotter. Running out- definately ! , (obviously) 
A knotter in good running adjustment will still miss tie occaisionally when switching twine balls - not sure why that happens. Anyone want to offer some suggestions?


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## mike10 (May 29, 2011)

When both knotter stop tying at the same time and the knot is on top of the bale it sounds like a twine finger problem. John Deere calls them tucker fingers I believe. They are the cam shaped pieces under the knotters and bolted to the top of the bale chamber and rotate when the twine is brought up by the needles. Look and see if they are pointing to the front like they should or if they are pointing to the right.

New Holland uses a spring to return the twine fingers to the home position and when that spring breaks you get the results you have. You could also have bent parts but looking at the position of the fingers will tell you if you are on the right track.


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## bglz42 (Oct 5, 2009)

Mike10, you might be on it. I was (reluctantly) baling a neighbor's place, that had a lot of sticks and stuff in it. I wonder if something blocked the linkage to the tucker fingers. When I looked at it last night there was some debris up around the shaft that actuates the tuckers...

I think my baler is staying on my side of the fence from now on, LOL!


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

> A knotter in good running adjustment will still miss tie occaisionally when switching twine balls - not sure why that happens. Anyone want to offer some suggestions?


I know that they will miss the knot if the splice knot is right where the new knot should be. Can't make a knot with another knot and a piece of twine. I also think that if the splice knot happens to go through the needle eye during the tie cycle it could shake things up a bit.


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## gradyjohn (Jul 17, 2012)

bglz42 said:


> Mike10, you might be on it. I was (reluctantly) baling a neighbor's place, that had a lot of sticks and stuff in it. I wonder if something blocked the linkage to the tucker fingers. When I looked at it last night there was some debris up around the shaft that actuates the tuckers...
> 
> I think my baler is staying on my side of the fence from now on, LOL!


Did that fix the problem?? I am in wire twister country so don't know much about knotters. There is a guy up here that changed over to twine about 5 years ago and has even bought another one. He uses only the 190# test in his JD 348.


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## bglz42 (Oct 5, 2009)

Not sure yet, I haven't been able to get the baler out... darn day job!

I am going to let the tech come out and help troubleshoot, then I'll "sponge" up some knowledge! I didn't get a lot of set-up help when I got it. I've read the manual, (and have been haying with other folks' equipment for a while), but there is always something I can learn...


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

So if I'm reading correctly the twine didn't run through the pressure plates after it came out of the twine box? As the twine ball gets smaller there is less tension on the twine, obviously it should have been run through these plates. My dealer delivered my new baler the same way, even ran the twine out from under the lid for the box rather than through the hole. Give me little confidence in their ability to repair....ck those tucker fingers and restring the unit (correctly) and try again.


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## jd-tom (Jun 15, 2010)

Unless you are in an area where the local dealers still sell a fair number of new small square balers, the tech from your JD dealer (or any other color, for that matter) will probably not know a whole lot about the workings of a knotter, unless he is in his late 40's or older and has worked on these a lot in the past. Around here, I wouldn't even consider calling a dealer tech out for problems with my small square baler - I just read the maunal and fix it myself (which is the same thing he is going to do and charge dearly for it). That being said, it IS a new baler and if they are in the business of selling new balers I would think that there should be some competent product support there.

I agree with a previous poster in checking the tucker fingers and related parts. Since both sides quit tying at the same time, its probably not the individual knotter heads. You also mentioned the twine was not threaded correctly. It is also possible this is the cause but not likely unless the twine got caught somewhere because of this. It's easy enough to thread it correctly - there is a color decal inside the twine box lid showing exactly how to thread it (didn't the dealer techs see this when the did it the first time for you?) You may NOT want to "soak up their knowledge" when someone does get there to look at it!


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## Guest (Oct 14, 2012)

Every time one of my JD balers (a 346 and a 24T) stopped tying on both sides at the same time, the tucker finger return spring was broken. (I always have a spare in the tool box.) One of those springs should do tens of thousands of bales. As others have suggested, there could be some other problems with the tucker fingers. I have never bought a new baler, so I don't know about changes that happen as one is broken in. Checking timing and various adjustments might be a good idea.


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## bglz42 (Oct 5, 2009)

Thanks for all your replies. I got out Friday morning, gave the knotters a good cleaning, restrung the twine and went baling! Worked like a champ! I got the last field done, around 110 bales and never missed a knot.

Thanks, guys!!

Jim in Texas


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