Hay Wrapping on Starter Roll JD 435 Round Baler

[blueacre]

I bought a John Deere 435 Round Baler this year and am having problems with hay wrapping on the steel starter roll with the flat bars welded to it. About 1 in 5 bales When I am starting a bale the hay will start to wrap around the roll over the entire width of the baler and builds up quickly to the point where it plugs the baler and either the slip clutch slips or sometimes it will break the connecting link on the chain that drives the roll. I have to open the baler and cut the hay wrapped on the steel roll so I can remove the plug.

I have read a lot of posts on quite a few sites about the hay not starting to roll and building up in the pickup but didnt find anyone talking about hay wrapping on the steel roll. In my case the hay keeps feeding in until the it finally plugs up from the large amount of hay wrapped on the roll.

Appreciate any feedback from someone who has had this problem and maybe found a solution.

 

[Lazy WP]

Baling to wet?

 

[Tx Jim]

Ditto sounds as if hay moisture is too high.

 

[westga]

I have 435 baler and never had your problem. Just what type of hay crop is this? Also you said it has the flat bars. Has the flat bars every been welded on the edge? I have been told to weld the edges but was afraid this may lead to other issues.

 

[Bobl1958]

No idea if this will help you in your situation, but I had the same issue on a Gehl baler. I finally tried starting the bale at not much above a slow idle for about 10 feet until the bale got started and then pushed the rpm up. I still only run about 1600 or 1700 rpm the rest of the time.
Again, not sure if this will help at all, but it was the same problem I was having about 3 years ago, and have not had the problem since. Bob

 

[Destroked 450]

Hesston used the same setup in the 5540/5545 balers that I had and I had the same issues if the hays moisture was to high.
Mine didn't have the bars but I added them, they helped start dry hay better but didn't help prevent high moisture hay from rapping around the roller.
As stated idling down till the hay starts rolling also helps.

I finally traded for a newer baler that wasn't as picky about the hays moisture condition.

With those old JD, Hesston, Gehl and other balers with the starter roll your going to bale good dry hay or your not going to bale at all.

 

[westga]

I don't know if this will help but as soon as you start down the wind row hold the hydralic lever in the closed position. I have noticed lately when I'm having trouble starting a bale that the tensioning arm inside the baler has raised for what ever reason. You can look between the belts and see it move when you go close with the hydraulics. Just something that I have noticed on my baler. My problem may be in the tractor or baler.

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 10:56:49 07/03/19) I have 435 baler and never had your problem. Just what type of hay crop is this? Also you said it has the flat bars. Has the flat bars every been welded on the edge? I have been told to weld the edges but was afraid this may lead to other issues.

I've supervised welding on the bars & rods on metal starter roll on many JD rd balers both for customers & my own balers. Yes it helps starting the bale BUT will not stop wet hay from wrapping starter roll. One can add a scraper bar to help stop WET hay wrapping on starter roll. I also add 14'' long rods on each side of starter roll in between each existing rod to help stop dry coastal from running up frt belts & bridging. Just recently 2 of my neighbors added these short rods to their JD rd balers on my advice. One neighbor called after adding extra rods who was experiencing coastal running up frt belts & stated he just finished baling 100 bales & didn't have any hay run up frt belts. I told him to send $$$$.

 

[blueacre]

Thanks for the reply. I haven't seen a problem with hay running up the belts. Someone has previously welded the one edge of the roller flat bars but not sure if it was done on the correct side. standing inside the baler with the gate open the weld is on the top side of each flat bar. I read its supposed to be on the leading edge - I thought that would be the bottom edge looking at it from the back side inside the baler ?

I was baling mostly grass hay - not very coarse - The hay was dry - baled part of it in small square bales and it was dry enough I had to add a fair bit of tension on the bale chamber to get the bale weight up. We have had a lot of rain this year and the field I was baling is in a low lying area next to a creek. the ground is still quite damp - enough that the tractor tires leave trad marks in a lot of the ground. The windrow may have picked up a bit of moisture on the very bottom where it touched the ground and maybe that bit of hay was the start of the wrapping.

You mentioned a scraper bar - I had an old International baler many years ago and it had a piece of angle iron bolted between the baler side frames that was real close to the roller - it didn't totally prevent hay wrapping but liited to a small amount and it would tend to clear itself from the hay rubbing against the bar as it rotated. Is that what you are referring to - can I weld or bolt a bar from side to side with fairly close clearance to the roller with the flat bars on it ? If you had a picture of one or a sketch of what you think will work that would be great.

thanks
Gary

 

[Tx Jim]

Key 7 & 8 is the scraper bar & bracket. Leading edge of rectangular bar to correctly weld on is corner of the bar on top of the starter roll that faces one when looking in rear of baler when gate is open.

 

[blueacre]

Thanks for the quick reply and info Tx - the parts diagram you included shows a roll with spiral wire which I understand was on later models instead of the flat bars. Will a scraper bar setup like this work OK with the flat bar roller I have ? If I install a scraper bar, how much clearance space between the top of the flat bars and the scraper bar
should there be ?

thanks again Gary

 

[Tx Jim]

Gary
The photo of parts schematic for the scraper is located in the JD parts catalog #2275 for a JD 435 baler so yes it will fit your baler. Roller with spirals is a field installed attachment to help your model baler roll high moisture hay.
Jim

 

[blueacre]

I checked again this morning and the welds on the flat bars are definitely on the wrong side of the bars - standing inside the baler looking at the roller with one of the flat bars at the top of the roller the welded edge is towards the front of the baler. When turning the roll in the normal direction the smooth edge of the flat bar is the leading edge and the weld is on the trailing edge.

I made a start on welding the correct edge this morning - did 2 of the bars this morning moving back and forth to the opposite side fairly often to distribute the heat evenly. Will let it cool over lunch and then do the other 2 bars.

Will there be any problem leaving the weld on the other edge or should I grind it smooth ?

 

[Tx Jim]

I think weld on incorrect side of rectangular bar will not be a problem. But with weld on leading edge of bar I'll bet you'll find that bale core is easier to start rolling.