I'm done with the 542

[Jim.UT]

I"ve fussed with my Ford 542 baler long enough. I"ve concluded that no amount of billhook polishing or stripper arm bending is gonna make this thing work. I just got off the phone with New Holland. Cost of a pair of billhooks and a pair of stripper arms comes in at $800. By contrast I can buy a working NH 275 about 100 miles away for $1000.

If the NH machine checks out I think that"s the way I"ll go. Anyone need 542 parts? Just put a new tire on the left side (big one) last year.

 

[Bob]

Unless the knotters are absolutely worn out a good baler guy could probably make it tie pretty well in short order.

Trouble is, where do you find a guy like that, nowadays?

 

[Mike (WA)]

Guess I'd try to find a baler guy, as Bob suggested- but I think you're on the right track with the NH. Fords have never been a fan favorite-

 

[retired farmer]

Hi, Before you get rid of it check the main shaft on the knotter. I had a 542 that was always miss tieing. I adjusted everything on the whole knotter dozens of times. I finally took the whole knotter apart one day and found the shaft was bent. Cost a hundred and eighty dollars for a new shaft. Put it back together and baled about ten thousand bales before it missed one, and then only because I ran out of twine before I caught it. It was a good baler but awfully slow.

 

[retired farmer]

There is one in Colorado but I am getting tired of working on them.

 

[RodinNS]

What exactly is the knot doing? On my 532 I had to change the hooks but the strippers were good enough just bent in a bit more and shaped a bit. It's at a point where it will tie probably 98% IF the bales don't get too heavy.
I know how you feel tho... I just went and bought an older Deere 327 because I need another baler around that will tie reliably. I'm looking down the barrell of doing 10-12K this year and i don't have time for a baler that won't work.

Rod

 

[Loren P. Coffin]

I'll second that possibility. Twisted knotter shaft on my 241T went 1 to 20 bales before missing. Shimmed the one knotter frame with washers at the hold down bolt and in 2 years it's only missed the first 2 of the season last year, first one only this year, and when the new twine comes thru. Yes, it ties bales better than I tie balls together, by far. Thats well over 2,000 that it hasn't caused a problem.

 

[BobH in NH]

Had that problem with my old 250 when I first bought it. Gave up and bought a parts baler, swapped knotters, and haven't had a problem since, except when I broke the spring on the knotter clutch. When I got my 532 a few years back, one knotter cam was broken. It took me a couple tries to get the knotters set up properly again with the new parts that came with the baler, and a couple of tweaks here and there to get it to tie 100%. Haven't missed a bale in past 2 years, and I am using old twine this year.

Email me with the symptoms and I'll try to give you some ideas if you want.

I used to use my haying buddy's 275 Hayliner a few times when my 250 broke down and we had tons of hay out. Baled over 500 on a Sun afternoon with my old '44 JD A and the baler beat the tractor around quite a bit. Used another neighbor's 273 the following week and there was no comparison. Both are really nice balers when set up properly, parts are readily available. But the 275 eats a lot more hay than the 273! Keep lots of shear pins handy!

 

[Anonymous-0]

A friend has a Ford baler 540? and the flywheel hub broke and stripped out the hub splines. Where can a replacement be found?..........