14 T knotters

[david1]

Got this old baler that had been sitting out. Fixed a couple things cleaned and greased up. It is tying the knots but they are not coming off the bill hook. I am just forking straw into it. Could it just need some time to get loosened up etc? Or go to a guy that can work on the knotters? I think its been sitting out for a couple years.
 

[old]

Your problem is most likely dull twine knifes which are what cuts the twine off the bill hook. If dull they will give a guy fits
 

[55deere70]

If the baler has been sitting for a while, the billhooks are most likely rusty which will cause knots to hang on the billhook. Polish them with some emery cloth. Check wiper contact on the billhook also, it should just rub the bottom of the billhook, that's what pushes the knot off. Make sure the twine knives are razor sharp.
 

[WyoDave]

I'm sure I'll catch heck for this, but I really bet it is not the twine knives. They just don't have to be that sharp to tie properly, and if they were that dull, you'd have really fraid twine ends, or maybe not cutting it at all.

You say you're just forking straw into the baler. How tight are the bales coming out? Without a decent amount of tension, that can be a common problem. When I start the balers empty every spring, they will almost always hang up on the bill hook till you get a solid bale in the chamber. If you are making decent bales (desity wise), is the knot just hung in the billhook, or is the twine wrapped around the billhook? If it's just hung up, in the billhook jaws, then I'd bet on too much billhook tension, insufficent wiper arm travel, or your wiper not running tight enough to the billhook. If the twine is wrapped around the billhook, then I'd kind of guess tucker fingers out of adjustment, but there are others.

David
 

[old]

By the way JD still sells the op manual for that baler and in it is a number of pages that tell you how to trouble shoot your problem. Buy the manual that is the best way you can figure out your problem since we can only guess since we can not watch what it really does
 

[DeltaRed]

All of the afore mentioned ideas are correct.The best thing is to order an 'owners manual'.It will give step by step instructions,plus a trouble shooting guide.Read and adjust according to the book,it will work.
 

[donjr]

Secret Chinese recipe- WD-40.....
 

[Dick2]

I read our 14T manual every time that I worked on the baler, especially the knotters. After I got out of college and went to work as a district manager for AC, one of my dealers took in a 14T on trade that was really messed up.

Working from memory, I had him take the bent needles over to the JD dealer and have the needles put back into the original curve (using a new needle for a pattern) in the press. The needles are made of maleable iron and designed to be bent for correct adjustment. I retimed the baler and adjusted the knotters for the dealer and he kept it to rent out to his customers for baling straw and hay. It turned into a money maker for that dealer, who was thinking originally that he'd just scrap it.

The frames and some of the components of the knotters are also made of maleable iron so they can be bent to adjust to correct tolerances. The wiper arm is adjusted by bending to achieve correct clearance, but some adjustment of the wiper is also by washer(s) on the shaft.
 

[Dick L]

Not a 14 T but I had a bill hook on my NH 277 that the cam had worn enough to close tight on the knot before the wiper could strip it. I ended up moving the flywheel an inch or so after tripping the knotters to see what was going on. I lot of steps from the flywheel to look at the knotters but was able to find my problem.
I also had a bent shaft that moved the twine fingers as well as one of the twine finger brackets bent and the bushing wore out.
 

[Longmeadow farm]

Get an operators manual and read it! The knots not coming off the bill hook can be one of two things. The wiper needs to be adjusted/bent to just scrape the bill hook or the bill "hook" is not retracting in proper time or distance. The 14T knotter can and does work well, but it needs to be in reasonable condition to be consistent. I'm 71 years old and have worn out two 14Ts over the years..now many years ago. The later models had a twine holder that the early ones did not... quite an improvement.