Baler plugging

[Steve in VA]

Neighbor has a Deere 457 Silage Special
He has been fighting it plugging for quite a while and is looking for any ideas. Here's what he's done so far:
Serviced the machine including new teeth.
Varied pickup speed pretty widely.
Varied PTO speed widely.
Varied pick up height.
According to him, nothing works and it will regularly ball up. Does this on fescue, orchard grass, whatever.

I don't know anything on this issue but will pass along any ideas you can offer. Perhaps its just "normal" for this model.
TIA

 

[Tx Jim]

One needs to know which pickup attachment this 457 has to correctly answer question. Regular PU has belt drive & belt could be worn/slipping. Mega-wide PU has chain drive with a slip clutch that could be slipping. I'll suggest to first correct either of those problems. If one is still having core starting problems then I'll suggest to add 16'' long same diameter extra rods in between existing rods on each end of starter similar to what I did on my 467 baler 6 or 7 yrs ago. I added extra rods with hope of stopping/slowing hay from running up front of baler belts & lodging & it accomplished that task. Extra rods IMHO also made bale core easier to form in the bale chamber. JD engineers thought enough of my idea to offer a kit part # AFH226125 to accomplish that same task.

 

[Tx Jim]

oops

 

[Steve in VA]

One needs to know which pickup attachment this 457 has to correctly answer question. Regular PU has belt drive & belt could be worn/slipping. Mega-wide PU has chain drive with a slip clutch that could be slipping. I'll suggest to first correct either of those problems. If one is still having core starting problems then I'll suggest to add 16'' long same diameter extra rods in between existing rods on each end of starter similar to what I did on my 467 baler 6 or 7 yrs ago. I added extra rods with hope of stopping/slowing hay from running up front of baler belts & lodging & it accomplished that task. Extra rods IMHO also made bale core easier to form in the bale chamber. JD engineers thought enough of my idea to offer a kit part # AFH226125 to accomplish that same task.

Thanks. Ill follow up on that.

 

[cjunrau]

To start the bale idle down and do not let any hay stick beside the pickup. You must drive at least 20-40 ft with the swath in the middle of the baler. Kind of make a bale in the chamber 1.5-2 ft tall before you start trying to fill the sides. If any hay hangs over the edge of the pickup, with smooth hay it starts to push the hay and bunches up. I hope this makes sense. I wish i could be there and show him lol . I learnt to bale every type of hay with a 535 JD and there is no hay that can not be baled that I have found yet.

 

[Tx Jim]

Thanks. Ill follow up on that.

You're welcome
I have rd baled & I've witnessed people form bales while windrow is same width as pickup. That how a hay train or round baler/rake attached together create rd bales.

 

[jhwis]

Neighbor has a Deere 457 Silage Special
He has been fighting it plugging for quite a while and is looking for any ideas. Here's what he's done so far:
Serviced the machine including new teeth.
Varied pickup speed pretty widely.
Varied PTO speed widely.
Varied pick up height.
According to him, nothing works and it will regularly ball up. Does this on fescue, orchard grass, whatever.

I don't know anything on this issue but will pass along any ideas you can offer. Perhaps its just "normal" for this model.
TIA

Are the belts tight? Or is there a bearing out on on of the rollers? Should not ever have a problem starting bales with this model.

 

[trackrat]

we have a 468 jd, I have never had a problem starting a bale with it, the old vermeer I had was different critter had problems doing anything with it

 

[DanielW]

Started to write a reply, then saw TxJim said everything I was going to say (and more). Listen to what TxJim has to say - he's the resident expert on JD round balers and his advice/knowledge has helped me a lot. Highly recommend the bars he suggests adding: I've done that on a few balers (including a Vermeer).