Cleaning and putting away baler for the winter

[Mtjohnso]

I do grass hay and there is only one crop. The barn is full and it is
time to clean up and store the baler and rakes and mowers.
My baler is a small square baler, NH 311. I am pulling all the hay out
and using the leaf blower first to clean out the chafe and then the air
hose to clean the rest.
What else do you do to clean your baler before putting it to bed?
Pressure wash?
Grease everything?
Spray light oil in bale chamber to prevent rust
Repair everything?

 

[Charlie M]

I take the twine out of mine so the mice don't have a place to nest. I cut it off in the twine box so I don't have to thread it again next year. I tie the ends together so it can't pull out of the baler if it gets caught on something.

 

[flying belgian]

Clean out all the bales, Air compressor, Good enough. Nothing to repair as I do that immediately when it breaks.
Remember your Dad always told you--don't put your toys away broken.

 

[flying belgian]

Oh, and, leave all the covers open or off so the mice don't get in there.

 

[Hay hay hay]

I plan to put in a Shell no pest strip this year, so next spring i don't open it up to find a Bumble Bees nest on one side, and a hornets nest on the other side.

 

[SVcummins]

I just dug the straw out of mine . Took about 2 hours with the hay hook crawled up inside then the rest I was able to get out with the pitchfork

 

[Matt in Oz]

All the clean out plus a light spray of diesel on the pick up and in the chamber so the exposed metal rusts less and the hay will slide better start of next season.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Leaf blower, pressure wash then grease all the fittings to push out any water and park it.

 

[SHALER]

Many including me will spray fluid film on the knotter stack or at least a good coating of diesel fuel.

 

[Bret4207]

Clean as you planned and they spray it down with something like Fluid Film or even drain oil.

 

[Northvale PA]

Shop vac, air compressor, dig out the hay, clean out the loose stuff. Leave the machine dry. Maybe paint some of the bale chamber. I left some bales in one winter, got lazy and tried to push them out by baling new hay. Bent the drive shaft. Dont do that anymore.

 

[Northvale PA]

Shop vac, air compressor, dig out the hay, clean out the loose stuff. Leave the machine dry. Maybe paint some of the bale chamber. I left some bales in one winter, got lazy and tried to push them out by baling new hay. Bent the drive shaft. Dont do that anymore.