# Quick drying question



## bowlnchamp219 (Jun 17, 2010)

Hey I need a hand...Im still new to this hay stuff. Im still on 2nd cutting and i cut a field thursday kinda late. The field is a 40% alfalfa, 30% clover, 30% grasses and it is about a foot tall. I raked it later friday but not late enough so the evening dew would be on the bottom. I let the rest of it dry till about 5 oclock today and we used our new to us baler. We started on the headlands like normal and my dad was on the wagon. He said they were pretty heavy. I didnt believe him and the bale...we are talking small square...was about 80lbs instead of our normal 50 lbs. So we did about 75 bales and called it quits cause nowhere seemed dry. Before we started bailing, I did the handful of hay and wrung it out. It almost cracked in half. I dont know what I did wrong. We were going to go to NH and buy an electronic moisture checker...but they were closed. I know clover takes a little while to dry but all the clover I saw was brown and dry. Is it just the new baler and it makes tight heavy bales? Anyone know whats goin on and where I can get an electronic moisture checker for cheep...like TSC or Family Farm and Home?


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

You can do it like I did. Bought something that almost worked, Then buy something that works just a little better. Finally buying something that filled my needs.

Gemplers have just about any you might want. Hay Moisture Testers & Meters, Harvest Tools - GEMPLER'S

I am partial to the Delmhorst products for on the go baler mounted moisture testing. Hay Moisture Meters and Testers from Delmhorst Instrument Co.
On the go moisture testing is the only way to fly.

Another handy tool is the Kestrel hand held weather station. With it I can watch check the relative humidity. Even fully dried hay will bale tough & heavy if the relative humidity is too high at the windrow, 
I purchased mine from Gemplers.


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## bowlnchamp219 (Jun 17, 2010)

Since it is a new to us baler and was sitting for 8yrs with hay in it...could rust b in the chamber? Could I take all the pressure off the crank handles?


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## saltwater (Mar 26, 2010)

Hay Wilson is right. You can have perfectly dry hay get wet again if the relative humidity gets too high. I carry a hygrometer from radio shack and use an on the go moisture meter. The hygrometer is invaluable because it has a remote that I can leave on the outside of tractor to give me readings and if the humidity is going up or down I have learned when to adjust my bale tension so that all my bales are more uniform. The hygrometer also can be set to sound an alarm when the humidity gets high enough to start baling. We have to bale at night so this has saved countless hours of sleep. I used to have to get up every thirty minutes to check humidity. I normally bale between 50% and 68% humidity, any lower and you are losing leaves and any higher and you are baling wet. There are a few exceptions.
As far as rust in the chamber it can definitely effect you. You may have to back off on the tension and let the hay polish the chamber. Depending on the amount of rust it may never get as good as it once was.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

[quote name='bowlnchamp219']Since it is a new to us baler and was sitting for 8yrs with hay in it...could rust b in the chamber? Could I take all the pressure off the crank handles?[/QUOTE]

Yes for sure. You might look at taking the wedges out of the bale chamber for the first hundred bales also. 
New hay will polish the bale chamber, but it will never again be a smooth white metal surface.

Personel system, the last two bales made are made with zero pressure on the chamber. Then at the barn I pull out one or two bales, While the chains are still hot I dribble transmission oil on the chains, and park the baler out of the weather. 
A small square baler will rust out before it ever wears out. This winter pull the plunger and check all the rails and bearings, and replace as you think fit.

The character of the baler will change as the rust is worn out of the pitted portions of the baler.

One thing about small square balers, you can always shorten the bale to reduce the weight. I like a 55 lb bale, 35 bales to the ton, and need a 34" long bale to have a good firm 55 lb bale.

Learn to count strokes. You want 12 to 18 strokes per bale. Observe when a bale will fall from the chute, or where the bales should be in a chute leading to a wagon.


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## bowlnchamp219 (Jun 17, 2010)

well i did 300-400 bales today. She worked like a champ. It makes pretty heavy bales like 70 lbs. She didnt miss one bale....unless you call missing making one that is two bales into one.


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