# Bale ski



## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Anyone using a bale ski in a NH 5070? I have heard alot about these but seems like a lot of money for a piece of plastic. I already have wedges and hydraulic tensioner. Will it make the bale more consistent and stop the longer bales in heavy windrows of grass?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Steve, search Bale skis on this site and you will find several threads on the subject. Rodney, on this site, is a large operator of small squares(NH). He uses them and recommends them. He, like you, was skeptical at first until using them.

Regards, Mike


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

I've read a lot of the post on here about the bale skiis. I haven't pulled the trigger yet but I might this year. Its just hard to believe that, that plastic really helps that much. But a lot of guys on here love them. So I might take the dive pretty soon.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

If I think of it tomorrow, I'll shake a flake of hay out over the snow and post the picture. I can't beleive the difference it makes in saving leaf-loss. You have to see it to beleive it. If nothing else I would buy another one for that reason alone.


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

Toyes,

that would be cool to see. Do you have any bales that aren't made with Bale skiis. So we might be able to see a comparison? I think I'm going to buy one. I've had problems with my hoelscher, so it might be a good investment just for that reason. Since its suppose to help with consistent bale length.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

CockrellHillFarms said:


> I think I'm going to buy one. I've had problems with my hoelscher, so it might be a good investment just for that reason. Since its suppose to help with consistent bale length.


Dont blame you there.....alot cheaper than a new accumulator!









Regards, Mike


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## Edgewood (Jun 29, 2009)

Is there any problem mounting an in chamber moisture tester when using bale skis?


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

CockrellHillFarms- No I don't have any hay baled without the bale-ski, but I don't think it will be necesary to see both
Edgewood- I have a BHT-2 meter on the baler, it uses two sensors, there is no problem you just install it the same as you normally would


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## haymaker1979 (Nov 20, 2011)

i have 2 575nh balers and 1 5070nh 1 of my 575's has the bale ski in it and it makes way better bales than my other 2 balers combined. im going to invest in another set for my other balers this year. just hoping the price goes down, i do think they are pricey for plastic but i will swear by the one that i do have.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks to all. You have made me a believer.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Hold on a second fellas. I get the more consistent bale length, less wear/plunger stress/fuel etc. Someone is gonna hafta 'splain the leaf retention deal to this old boy, though.

I bought a set at least ten years ago when they were alot cheaper. Neat little divits machined into the sides and all. I kinda felt the concept was better applied to higher density and bale weights than I wanted for eastern markets. Bale case extension has been on last 2 balers here and yes, accuracy in length is a major goal.


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## LukeSEWI (Jan 6, 2010)

What does a set of skiis cost? just looking for a rough idea....


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## Edgewood (Jun 29, 2009)

Hay Baler Bale Skiis


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

SVFHAY, I got distracted at the barn today and did not get pictures yet, but I will. 
The priciple behind leaf retention is this; because the skii holds the bale as it is being formed much better thamn the hay dogs alone, the plunger does not continually force the flake back into the bale, which shakes they hay less so leaves stay on... I know you think this is kind of hokey and maybe a bit foolish to think. The company that makes them does give a 100% money back deal if you don't think it does what THEY say it does, but I didn't use it (the warrantee). IMO I will not own a baler without one, if you look under the chamber while it is working in the feild there is very little chaff falling out (they hay mow conveyer seems to knock it out though)


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

I didn't say they were hokey, I'm just sensitive because I wasn't smart enough to see the value









I do a little pre-cut rye straw from time to time and often have build up in the chamber around the side wedges and corners and the liner handled this better.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

SVFHAY said:


> I didn't say they were hokey, I'm just sensitive because I wasn't smart enough to see the value
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I almost forgot to mention that part-no more build up problems after the bale skii


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## cdhayman (Jan 25, 2011)

We put a bale ski on one of our 7 balers. we are able to run the pressure 30-40 lbs less than the others. and it does make it slightly easier to adjust when switching from alfalfa to grass. but i have never seen a leaf retention difference. and honestly if you have been running one of the other balers and then go and get in the one with the ski, it is a real pain knowing just where to set the pressure. I guess im not a real big fan


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

I kinda felt the concept was better applied to higher density and bale weights than I wanted for eastern markets. Bale case extension has been on last 2 balers here and yes, accuracy in length is a major goal.[/QUOTE]

Is it still possible to make a 45lb 35" bale with these skiis?
We run a 5070 commercial with the longer case extension and find it to be little or no improvement over the old 575 at making consistent length bales.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

MikeRF DO YOU RUN A HOELSCHER? If so how doyou make the bales so light ? And also do you still pick up ten bales?


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

MikeRF said:


> Is it still possible to make a 45lb 35" bale with these skiis?
> We run a 5070 commercial with the longer case extension and find it to be little or no improvement over the old 575 at making consistent length bales.


I am not sure, I've never tried to make them that light but I can't see why you couldn't. As far bale consistency, I think it helped some but the bigger factorc for the bale length consistency is the windrow consistency.


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

steve IN said:


> MikeRF DO YOU RUN A HOELSCHER? If so how doyou make the bales so light ? And also do you still pick up ten bales?


We run a tow behind version of the Bale Baron, Steve. 
95% of our hay is sold by the bale both locally and in Florida. We have found that a 45-48 lb package is what suits both ourselves and our end users. Below 42 and the bundles become too loose to handle efficiently. Wheat straw we aim for 30lbs.


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

Toyes Hill Angus said:


> I am not sure, I've never tried to make them that light but I can't see why you couldn't. As far bale consistency, I think it helped some but the biggefactorcor the balengthght consistency is the windrow consistency.


Toyes, 
I fully agree with the windrow consistancy point which is something which I think that we achieve.
But trying to push the baler for capacity with a 23ft windrow (32ft in 2nd cut) while at the same time maintaining a pressure setting to make a 45lb bale does not help with length consistancy. That capacity is not something I am willing to sacrifice so I am always looking for other ways to solve the one 3 inch shorter bale we seem to get in almost every bundle. Amazing how often sods law dictates that bale is on the corner of the bundle which makes the fourth twine fall off!! 
Mike


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## hay rake (Dec 31, 2011)

we use nh bale wagons so constant length is a concern for us here. with the big baler we shoot for a 63 flake 2000 -2500 lb bale. with the small square we make a 36 inch 35-40 lb bale. to make the constant length bale we have found many tricks that work for us. first we went to a rotary rake. it seems that by not roping the windrow the hay flows more evenly in to chamber. second is big windrow at slow speed about 2 mph. third is don't change speed no matter what. we bale with a ih hydro so we get the speed we want with out being stuck between gears. i cant explain why this works but it does. once you get the baler set for a length at a speed if we don't change speed the bales don't change. go faster longer bales slower shorter bales. i have been told i am nuts and then proved it and when asked why my answer is always "don't know but it works". we are going to try the skis on a nh 575 and cih 8580 this year. hope they work as well as everyone say's.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

When I opened the box for the 1st set I thought "boy, we got ripped off" We ran the skiis in a baler side-by-side with one with the extension on it, and the bales that came out of the bale skii baler were always nicer. We can run less tension (which gets to be a problem when you have to back off the tension at night), and the bales seem to be nicer. Many times I have pulled a complete bale out of the case - try that without. The hay comes out of the chamber easier, but the bales are nicer. Doesn't seem to make sense, but I guess that the decrease in size of the chamber makes more resistance as the hay goes in???? We have about 300K bales on each set, and I haven't noticed any wear. Mounting a moisture tester is no problem - discontinue use of the plastic ramp. In dry grass hay the 45lb bale with a 5070 won't be a problem, but you will notice that you have to run less pressure, and if you want to bale that's a little 'tough' you may not be able to back off the tension as much as you would like. Mike, how many flakes do you get in a bale? Under about 9-11, you have trouble making consistant bales. You will notice that hay doesn't 'decompress' when the plunger goes front. Very odd to hear a baler running at full throttle, with it full of hay, and only hear the hay go one direction.

Rodney


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Rodney How do you only get 9-11 flakes per bale? In my experience that would equate to roughly 22-25" bale. Also for both nyou and Mike. If the bales are that light do the strings stay tight? I have found that any time a twine pulls away more than an couple inches then thats too loose for my preference, especially to make a good stack.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

The amount of flakes doesn't necessarily have much to do with the length of bale. If you are on a good heavy windrow, with a baler with a lot of capacity and are in a hurry, it is possible to make a 34-40" bale in as little as four or five flakes. I've seen me make hay in a hurry with the neighbor's baler when weather was moving in that made you think that the baler's plunger was what was throwing the bales into the wagon not the thrower. Of course, bale length is very inconsistent, and shape is less than desired, but at least it gets no rain.
So there are of course many levels of this, but a flake is not a set width, but variable dependant on theamountt of hay being feed into the baler. Just gear up to see what I mean.


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

steve IN said:


> Rodney How do you only get 9-11 flakes per bale? In my experience that would equate to roughly 22-25" bale. Also for both nyou and Mike. If the bales are that light do the strings stay tight? I have found that any time a twine pulls away more than an couple inches then thats too loose for my preference, especially to make a good stack.


First cut we never have any problem with loose twines but we may have to push up our bale weights in second or third cutting that is a high percentage of grass. Last year I custom baled some 4th cutting grass hay for a local dairy farmer that was almost 100 percent leaf. Those bales I had to make at 55 lbs to keep them tight at 33 inchs. Beautiful hay but certainly different to handle!

Toyes is correct that flake size is determined by the volume of hay entering the bale chamber in between each plunger stroke.
As a rule of thumb we aim for a 7 flake 33" bale making each flake just under 5" weighing 6.5lbs. This gives us the ability to bale close to 800 bales per hour when things are going well. 
The drawback being occasional inconsistent bale length as I mentioned which leads to my interest in the bale skiis. 
Mike


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

We have double windrows for first and second cutting which is 27 feet . Third and fourt we bump tht up to sometimes 60 feet. I have very nice big windrows. Still wind up with a two -three inch flake. My bales are 40-42 inches. Sold two loads this weekend. Second cutting alfalfa weighed 63 pounds then fourth cutting weighed 77 pounds. I have found that to make the bales lighter they dont stack right. I am going to try making shorter bales this summer but if they dont stack square and straight on the trucks I am going back to the heavier bales. The hard part around here is getting horse people to understand how much a ton is.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Guys how much do the skis cost for a small rectangular baler? I think I might be a candidate for them.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

Mike if you are averaging 800 bales an hour that equates into over 6000 bales in an eight hour day. I average 250 an hour. Even if you convert to tons with you making 18 tons an hour and me making only 7-8 tons an hour. I would have to double my ground speed and from my experience the slip clutch wont handle that on my 5070. Please help me out here. Thanks Steve


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

steve IN said:


> The hard part around here is getting horse people to understand how much a ton is.


In Tennessee,(lots of equine) I have NEVER had a horse person ask me what the price of my hay was per ton......always how much per bale? I strive to bale all my squares 36" long. IMO you cannot make a better length as far as stable stacking, or stable truck or trailer loading. I bale grass hay and most of my 36" bales will come out of the baler at 55# in first cutting. Second cutting will be 45-50 depending on humidity that day. I use plastic twine. I do not stack my bales on edge except for an occasional "green" bale that I separate from the others. Stacking on edge I am convinced helps with less than cured hay, but stacking on edge, for the most part, is less stable than flat stacking.

Regards, Mike


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

steve IN said:


> Mike if you are averaging 800 bales an hour that equates into over 6000 bales in an eight hour day. I average 250 an hour. Even if you convert to tons with you making 18 tons an hour and me making only 7-8 tons an hour. I would have to double my ground speed and from my experience the slip clutch wont handle that on my 5070. Please help me out here. Thanks Steve


My apologies Steve, as I didn't mean to be misleading. To *average* 800 bales an hour would be a completely different thing. Once you take headland turns and periodic stops for whatever reason, you need to have that "ability to bale 800" to result in a 600 bale/hr average depending on your field size etc. 
My biggest day last season was 5500 bales in one afternoon from noon till close to 9.00 in the evening. More commonly we would run between 4500 to 5000 not starting till closer to 1.00. There is others in our area that are getting similar capacity out of their 5070s but I won't deny it is hard on clutches. We had to tighten ours up significantly from the factory setting to get the same capacity as the 575 it replaced. Again my hope is that the skiis will help out in this respect.
Mike


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

The 5070 clutch isn't as good as the 575? I thought it was the other way around. Just bought a 5070 Friday and the new design clutch was a selling point. Fudge!


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

SVFHAY said:


> The 5070 clutch isn't as good as the 575? I thought it was the other way around. Just bought a 5070 Friday and the new design clutch was a selling point. Fudge!


I think in fairness more to do with the wrong adjustment rather than a design flaw. Once adjusted we got the same capacity as the 575 but I not sure I would claim it is any better.


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## steve IN (Jan 13, 2010)

What do you run for an accumalator ? Or do you run a bale wagon? I will admit that with my Hoelscher I am giving up some capacity of the 5070. But economically i am stuck here for now. I have talked with neighbors with Kuhn and Koyker and seems that all accumalators have thier own idiosyncrocies (think its spelled right). But one thing for sure, no matter what you run its still better than finding kids to hand stack.


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

I hope it is obvious that bale weight is a function of how much hay is stuffed into the package.

I find if I want a good tight 55 lb (35 bales/ton) I need to limit the length to 34 inches. 
Possibly the dynamics are different there but that is how it is HERE.

For a 34" bale length HR says the optimal is 15 strokes per bale. T
That results in a 2.25" thick flake. 
I drop down a gear at 11 strokes per bale, and go up a gear at 18 strokes per bale. 
11 strokes/bale = 3.1", while 18 strokes = 1.9" thick flake.

The significance is more than a slight difference in weight, it is in bale length. If the tying mechanism is a little short of tripping at 11 strokes per bale, we get a 12 stoke bale and one that is not 34 inches but 37 inches long. No big deal stacking with manual labor, but three bales 37 inches long on the second table of the bale wagon has 9 inches of extra bale that is trying to fit between the load racks. The operator has to get off the tractor and bump the bales enough so they fit between the load racks. With 2,000 lbs of hydraulic pressure some iron can bend.

Been there done that. They tell me the accumulators have similar problems.


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## baleskiis (May 19, 2011)

Hi all-Full disclosure, I work for the BaleSkiis inventor/owner/manufacturer; I am his daughter and I handle all the marketing. I recently made a 2 minute YouTube video of the BaleSkiis that shows how they work inside the baler. This should answer some of the questions on here, especially the one regarding leaf loss. I hope you'll take a look. Go to: BaleSkiis Baler Liner Animation - YouTube Feel free to email or call us anytime with your questions; though you do a good job of answering each other's questions on here, which is probably worth more to you than listening to us yammer on







-Sincerely, Amy Driggs, LDAG Machinery [email protected]


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