# Two tie and three tie bale sizes and stacking



## Unifarmor (Aug 8, 2015)

I've been looking up old topics on different sizes of bales and stacking and hope someone wants to talk about it one more time.

I have a New Holland BC5070 baler (14x18) and I bale about 7500 wheat straw bales per season. They go to a feed store and for erosion control.

I pick them up with a NH 1085. The stacks need to be moved and loaded with a squeeze.

I make two stack patterns. I put the bottoms on edge and then put a regular 7 high squeeze block (two tie tiers) for once customer who has low trailers. The rest I do a seven high with bottom and fifth layers on edge. This makes a really stable block.

I always tie the tops before dumping.

Here's the problem.

It just seems to take way too long.

I go from the Hesston three-tie to the little two-tie and all of a sudden I'm baling and stacking in slow motion, or at least that is how it seems.

Has anyone used a Freeman 270 with a 15" chamber?

Or...

My straw customer says that if I came up with a three-tie bale under a hundred pounds that were tight. I know there were Freeman 370 balers that had 15" or 14" chambers but I think they are pretty rare. Plus, I have a lot of painful memories of bent bales, random knotter problems, and bull gear grease all over everything and I just do not want to go back to a Freeman. (We have two 200's setting in the back pasture)

What about converting a Hesston 4690 to a fifteen inch chamber? Or better yet, a 14" chamber?

I realize there are several different topics here, but I'm interested in any opinions...


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Well the reason it is slow stacking the 14x18 bales with your 1085 is that it isn't the right stacker for the job. Though I'm sure you knew that. Can the 3 wide stackers like a 1089 stack the 3 string bales? Maybe that's what you need if they do.


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## Unifarmor (Aug 8, 2015)

Thanks for your reply.
I forgot to mention the two key points.
1. I get paid by the bale
2. The bales have to be loaded in a block stack with a squeeze.
One customer said he would take all I could bale if it were in 14" thick three tie bales but that is easier said than done.


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## cdhayman (Jan 25, 2011)

Just buy a 4690s baler. It's as close to a 14" as you will get. You can make really tight straw bales that might weigh as much as 85-90 lbs if you are lucky. Plus the hesston just does a better job baling straw than a freeman ever would. We've got 6 of them so I am fairly acquainted with them.


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## Unifarmor (Aug 8, 2015)

I have a regular 4690 and I was never so glad to see a something leave the farm as when our old 370 freeman went away.
I guess if there was an easy answer little two tie bales wouldn't be worth more money.


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## haystax (Jul 24, 2010)

Freeman makes a 15" baler. That's what I run. A 16" baler can be chambered down as well.

Hesston balers "S" series are 15". Might actually be closer to 14".

100lb straw bales are easy with either baler. Freeman uses a double press on the bale chamber to get heavier straw bales.
I would hate to even think about messing with 2 string in squeeze blocks!


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## Unifarmor (Aug 8, 2015)

Freeman also used to make a kit to convert a 2-tie to 15" chamber.
If you make tight bales and can put the bottom layer on edge then they are not terrible to squeeze load. Rough fields shake up your stack and those are hard to squeeze.
I get really frustrated by the end of straw season and then over winter I start thinking how I can bale more. 
Have been wondering what other folks do.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

There are many ways to go Garton Tractor the NH dealer that is servicing most of the central and northern Ca has been adding a third notter and a15x22 chamber to the 5070 baler.(Don't hold me to the exact model or chamber. As I understand with factory approval.)But it has been common to pull the plunger and cut it down and shim the chamber for the by the bale market in central Ca for 15 years or more.The trucking industry demands the extra string and the squeeze blocks, and feed stores want lite bales. There has been talk of people just shimming the chamber without cutting the plunger down.

Just so much easier to put more material though a bigger chamber.Good luck with finding what you want. I believe any of the 3 string balers can be custom chambered to get to the weight you are looking for. May be harder to program the computer in the bale wagon.With the 15x23 in grain hay or straw 12 bales in edge layers has become the normal in squeeze blocks with 2 edge layers in a 7 high block,64 bales in a block.


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## Unifarmor (Aug 8, 2015)

I'm in western Oregon and in the last couple years the by the bale market has grown considerably. 
It really sounds like the only way to get production is with a smaller sized 3-tie.
Thanks for the info.
I've been making it work with small two-tie but you really have to do a good job baling!


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