# Cleaning round baler



## bhamrick (Jan 4, 2013)

Any of you guys make pressure washing your round balers part of your routine maintenance. We keep ours in the shed and always use a gas blower to blow dust and debris out and always tried to keep water as far from them as possible. Ours is just to the point of needing a good deep cleaning.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Never been pressure washed. We've never washed anything but the outside doors and back with car wash soap and a soft car wash brush, none of the internals have ever been washed. We have rinsed the outside of the belts from the rear while it running slowly at the end of the season. It's blown down with an electric leaf blower after every use. Always shedded. JD 448.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

The local bto / custom op. has 3 big square balers he says he will not take a pressure washer to his big square baler. I like to wash equipment with high volume water pump not a pressure washer. We have a pacer pump and 1k gallon tank and 1.5' discharge line . I use an old 1" nozzle fire nozzle . Gives a nice flush/flood of water cleans well ..


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I should have added we use a leaf blower only on our baler as well.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

leaf blower 1once a week during the season, and if I get a couple of rain days then just a garden house with attachment to induce degreaser alot of hand washing i try to limit the water around the chains and bearing as much as possible ... But try to make sure I get back to the field with in a few days of doing that to make sure any water is not sitting in bad places for to long


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## bhamrick (Jan 4, 2013)

My main worry was all the sensors and electronics getting wet and wanting to act stupid at the most inconvenient time. Sounds like a few of you are able to wash with few issues so I may give it a try and get it back to field soon to shake the water out of it and get everything moving again.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

I saw a video the other day, don't remember where, of a family farm and it appeared the lady of the farm did the Combining. I noticed when she got through she pulled out a gas Stihl leaf blower with about 4-6 ft. of PVC pipe on it so she didn't have to stand so close while cleaning off the Combine. I know it never fails someone here gets a face full of debris and dust when cleaning the round baler.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Only use air to blow off our round baler. Once in a great while might wash the outside doors off but never use a pressure washer around the bearings.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

I pressure wash them maybe twice a year and blow off every chance I get with compressor. Clean balers makes for a happy owner.

Trey


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I blow mine off and pressure was at end of season except last year. Got to cold


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Leaf blower after every use, high pressure air hose to clean chains and around bearings occasionally.

Car wash soap with wax every fall, maybe mid season.

Flood the pickup and lower rollers immediately after using acid.

Ralph


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I try to dry clean my balers every day during corn stalk season with an air compressor. A few times I have taken a baler to a car wash and given a soap bath and then clear coat wax. I only try to get them cosmetically clean that way. No washing under the doors. Before I give a bath I dry clean very thoroughly.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Pressure washing a rd baler can drastically shorten the life of the brgs. I only blow my baler off with air.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I never wash any of my balers , I use a a big air compressor 175 psi , they are blown off everyday while in use other than that they are pulled inside a barn . Wet alfalfa can be corrosive , so no water , just a good blow job. I do mean GOOD top to bottom and front to back .


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## Troy Farmer (Jul 31, 2011)

Leaf blower and air hose regularly during the season. I only wash the outside at the end of the season with car wash soap and brush.


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

Leaf blower every day. After season all grease and oil residue is scraped and degreaser used to remove oily residue, to keep combustible material build up off and lessen fire fuel.


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## Flacer22 (Oct 31, 2009)

I just bought a 459 JD one year old looked it over at dealer was a total mess full of corn stalks and all kinds of stuff when I said I'd buy it dealer power washes it all up for me. I've never owned a round baler hope they knew what they were doing!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Flacer22 said:


> I just bought a 459 JD one year old looked it over at dealer was a total mess full of corn stalks and all kinds of stuff when I said I'd buy it dealer power washes it all up for me. I've never owned a round baler hope they knew what they were doing!


The high school kid washing it could of washed that grease off the bearing seals real good for ya****


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

Flacer22 said:


> I just bought a 459 JD one year old looked it over at dealer was a total mess full of corn stalks and all kinds of stuff when I said I'd buy it dealer power washes it all up for me. I've never owned a round baler hope they knew what they were doing!


Swmnhay is exactly right the School kid knows he will have to rewash it if it wasn't spotless.. and your salesman shows him all the greasy spots he missed (BY your Bearings ) and the kid was text'n his GF will he was holding the wand on your drive roller bearing... You will be OK though if they have a good parts department....I bet the salesman smiled and said " I sure will I'll be glad to to that for you "


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## Flacer22 (Oct 31, 2009)

snowball said:


> Swmnhay is exactly right the School kid knows he will have to rewash it if it wasn't spotless.. and your salesman shows him all the greasy spots he missed (BY your Bearings ) and the kid was text'n his GF will he was holding the wand on your drive roller bearing... You will be OK though if they have a good parts department....I bet the salesman smiled and said " I sure will I'll be glad to to that for you "


Guess I'll have to make sure its lubed up well. I already ran though it once when hooked it to tractor but before I use it suppose I'll do it again for good measure. This dealership has been very good to me can't see them screwing me over but good info to know!!


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

You'll find it very difficult to lube the numerous sealed brgs on a JD rd baler.


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## snowball (Feb 7, 2015)

Tx Jim said:


> You'll find it very difficult to lube the numerous sealed brgs on a JD rd baler.


The Vermeer's are about the same.. not many bearings that you can grease... I think the NH have some bearing that you can grease though....


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