# Changing from sisal to poly twine



## ltfarm (Mar 25, 2010)

Seems sisal 9000 is not to be had in eastern NY this spring. And "if" they could get it price is $51.

I'm using a JD 336 that ties great. But if I have to change to poly, what adjustments will I have to make on the knotters? Probably trial and error ahead of time. What's your experience been?

What poly spec's are close to 9000 sisal? Thanks.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Where are you trying to get your twine? Most equipment dealers can order it for you if they don't have any in stock. I checked at TSC the other day and they have it in the stockroom, but not out on the floor yet. I didn't get any prices yet.

As far as the 336, we tried poly in ours years ago and it didn't work worth anything. That's when we learned that there are two different style billhooks that JD uses (or at least used to use). What you will need is the "multi-twine" billhook. It has a little depression or hole in the billhook where the jaw sets so that the jaw can close more for the thinner types of sisal twine and for poly. If you don't have the multi-twine billhook, sisal is what you will almost have to use.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Glad you've asked; we're in similar situation, looking forward to getting some help here.

Shelia


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

Here's a snap shot from the technical manual that shows the different billhook styles. By the way, JDparts.com lists the price of the multi-twine billhooks at around $75 each and the sisal billhooks at about $133 each.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

If you want to run sisal, why not 7200? With what seems like poorer quality (at least for consistency of thickness) in the last several years of production, switching to heavier twine could easily be advisable anyway.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

8350HiTech said:


> If you want to run sisal, why not 7200? With what seems like poorer quality (at least for consistency of thickness) in the last several years of production, switching to heavier twine could easily be advisable anyway.


Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't noticed any quality problems in my twine. I've used stuff from the local equipment dealer, TSC and my seed supplier (he also sells twine) and haven't had bad luck with any of it. It could also be that I'm not pushing it as far as strength, but the bales come out plenty tight.

What brand or brands have you seen with quality problems? What sizes were you looking at? Just curious so I can keep an eye out.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

What is the deal with Sisal this year? My father preordered his in Jan for 43 and I thought he was nuts. I bought mine last year at a preseason sale for 36 and now that guy is telling me 52 if they can get it.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Josh in WNY said:


> Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't noticed any quality problems in my twine. I've used stuff from the local equipment dealer, TSC and my seed supplier (he also sells twine) and haven't had bad luck with any of it. It could also be that I'm not pushing it as far as strength, but the bales come out plenty tight.
> 
> What brand or brands have you seen with quality problems? What sizes were you looking at? Just curious so I can keep an eye out.


All of it, some more than others. One brand last year I took some back it was so absurdly bad (one ball in the bale was a full 1.5" smaller in outside diameter than the other ball) and the guy just looked at me and pointed to about a skid of it that they had already taken back. (Don't remember the brand, but there are really only handful of manufacturers supposedly. Just lots of different packaging and brand names)

Josh, I'm guessing here but I assume I have more problems than you because you're putting bales on the ground and I'm using a thrower.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

8350HiTech said:


> Josh, I'm guessing here but I assume I have more problems than you because you're putting bales on the ground and I'm using a thrower.


You could be right about that. I do remember back when we still used the kicker on the baler that we could count on at least one or two broken bales per wagon.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

ltfarm said:


> Seems sisal 9000 is not to be had in eastern NY this spring. And "if" they could get it price is $51.
> 
> I'm using a JD 336 that ties great. But if I have to change to poly, what adjustments will I have to make on the knotters? Probably trial and error ahead of time. What's your experience been?
> 
> What poly spec's are close to 9000 sisal? Thanks.


I switched from sisal to Bridon poly several years ago with a JD 24T I had at that time, which is very similar to a 336. I did nothing other than load the twine. It actually performed better than the sisal.

Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

8350HiTech said:


> If you want to run sisal, why not 7200? With what seems like poorer quality (at least for consistency of thickness) in the last several years of production, switching to heavier twine could easily be advisable anyway.


Yep, switched to NH 7200 natural 5 years ago and never looked back. Works like a charm, very few broken bales and virtually all of them can be traced to a twine ball changeover. I have a thrower so the thicker twine is really helpful. r


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Oh, one other thing- NH had a problem with something in the twine supply 2 or 3 years ago and the 9000 was really bad so if you got some of that which I did, you hated life.


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## ltfarm (Mar 25, 2010)

Thanks for all the prompt replies.

Located some 9000 sisal at Tractor Supply for $45.99

Anyone with experience with Country Line brand from them?

May try a bale of poly to see what happens. Costs a lot less.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

I use County line for a while. Just stopped when I could get a better deal.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

ltfarm said:


> Anyone with experience with Country Line brand from them?


I have been mostly using that the past few years with no problems. I would recommend checking each of the bundles before you buy. More than once I have found a bundle that was damaged by mishandling. One small cut in the top or bottom of the bundle can cause a lot of headaches if it damages the twine.

I also take care to make sure the twine is stored in a dry place off the ground and I have old sheaths from used bundles in the bottom of the twine box to keep any moisture that makes it into the twine box from soaking into the bottom of the bundles that have already been loaded. Any twine left over from the previous year is used up first so that there isn't any old twine laying around.


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## NCHayMaker (Apr 9, 2010)

Bought a new small square inline this year and we will be making the switch to poly with that baler. Still have an old 273 that likes the sisal better seemingly and as a 2nd baler doesn't run that much to worry over the extra cost of sisal&#8230;I got hooked up with Tytan twine&#8230;they have poly in 9000 (one ball) so instead of carrying 4 balls totaling 18,000, I can now carry 4 balls totaling 36,000&#8230;.all for about 60% of the cost.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

One other thing to consider here: customers. Will you get any grief for plastic twine? Probably depends on your region and your specific customers, but keeping buyers happy is always an issue. The twine cost per bale between $35 and $55 twine is pennies.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Josh in WNY said:


> Here's a snap shot from the technical manual that shows the different billhook styles. By the way, JDparts.com lists the price of the multi-twine billhooks at around $75 each and the sisal billhooks at about $133 each.


GreenFarmParts list the multi-twine hooks for $70.49. But check yours before you buy. I have a 336 baler, & when I tried to switch from saisal to plastic I didn't know better & tried what was in the round baler, it didn't work at all. I bought & installed the multi-twine hooks, (& couldn't see any difference with what I took out,) also put in square baler twine, & haven't had a problem since.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

We've always used sisal and our major buyer is wanting plastic. Since plastic costs less anyway, other than making sure any baler considerations are worked out, just want to make sure what we get will not cause problems -- thinking just because it is plastic twine does not make it perfect. We've bought some of the orange kind (Orangeline maybe) for a project and it is coarse -- never tried it in baler and don't plan on it.

Shelia


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## [email protected] (Jun 5, 2013)

A major drought in Brazil has impacted the quantity and quality of sisal fiber, pushing the price up significantly from last year. If you can find good quality sisal now you should probably go ahead and buy what you are going to need for the season because when most retails run out they won't be able to get more.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

One of the local dealers had their open house today and was selling 9000 for 41 dollars a bale. You could tell who had shopped around and who hadn't. Cause the ones that had mobbed the twine guy and 4 pallets sold in an hour. I got mine for the year, glad you guys posted up about the tight supply.


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