Round balers on fire

[draftx]

I have been advertising a round baler for sale . Two different people have called needin one because their baler caught on fire and burned up. This I am thinking is from hot bearings. How common is it to set one on fire. Do square balers catch on fire much. Might be a good idea to carry a fire extenguisher.

 

[phillip d]

It doesn't happen very often,but it does happen.It is a very good idea to carry a fire extinguisher.Many have large stainless ones that hold tap water.I have heard of one here last year where the guy lost his 3 month old New Holland BR baler,and the tractor too.

 

[Anonymous-0]

anything that combines hot metal and grass can and will catch fire if timing is rite...if you dont have an extinguisher at least carry a 2 gallon pump up garden sprayer full of water until you get a extinguisher.

 

[Bret4207]

I'm carrying a 2.5 gal hand sprayer like you'd use in a garden. Cheap insurance.

 

[Anonymous-0]

There are many bearings in a round baler. And when any bearing gets dry it runs hot. Sometimes red hot, then thats enough to ignite the bale being made. A couple gallons of water may not have any fire suppression effect on a full bale of dry hay.

Gerald J.

 

[jimont]

Local farmer just lost his new JD tractor and round baler while baling wheat straw. The operator had some burns trying to unhook the tractor. Fire spread to the stubble, took almost 100ac of straw and nearly spread to other farms before the fire dept got things under control.MostJD round balers around here are sold with fire extinguishers attached.

 

[gitrib]

The old Vemeer 605 series was noted for this. The bottom roll bearing would get red hot. A good operator kept a eye on it. It was dump the bale and run then grab the fire exstingisher and put out the baler fire. Got to get away from the hay in the bale and windrow. gitrib

 

[Anonymous-0]

Early round balers were more prone to that- bearings were more exposed. Some later ones mounted the bearing outside of the chamber so it lessened the chance of the hay catching fire. But, it can still happen.

 

[buickanddeere]

Even a 20lb Dry chem and 10 lb CO2 extingushers are about useless on the Class A fire.
And we see people proudly install a 2-1/2 kitchen sized extingusher on the tractor and think themselves protected. Better off carrying a short handled shovel and toss some dirt on the fire.
Two 2-1/2 gallon water extingushers treated with a wetting/foam agent agent such as AFFF are minimum.
The other factor is for reasons unknown. Why don"t the operators of these smouldering or burning rigs face them into the wind. That way the burning baler doesn"t light the tractor on fire.
Same with combines, a fire in the seperator section ends up ruining the main drives, cab, engine(depending), front tires and header. When parked tail to the wind.

 

[buickanddeere]

Even a 20lb Dry chem and 10 lb CO2 extingushers are about useless on the Class A fire.
And we see people proudly install a 2-1/2 kitchen sized extingusher on the tractor and think themselves protected. Better off carrying a short handled shovel and toss some dirt on the fire.
Two 2-1/2 gallon water extingushers treated with a wetting/foam agent agent such as AFFF are minimum.
The other factor is for reasons unknown. Why don"t the operators of these smouldering or burning rigs face them into the wind. That way the burning baler doesn"t light the tractor on fire.
Same with combines, a fire in the seperator section ends up ruining the main drives, cab, engine(depending), front tires and header. When parked tail to the wind.

 

[Hay Dr]

The main problem with baler fires is oil residue on the baler that accelerates the fire. If a operator will used a dry chemical chain lube you will not have a out of control blaze. Once you dump the bale that means most of the fuel for the fire is gone and the fire is easy to put out. In 1992 we stopped putting oiler's on balers and started pushing chain lube and the fires have stopped.

 

[Doug in Illinois]

I would agree, dump the bale, DON"T back up to do it, then get well away from the burning bale, I would say at least 50 feet. My 5580 Hesston has an extinguisher mounted to it, so at least I have one. If you have no extingusher, I would at least recommend keep moving to keep the heat away from you if fire department halfway close, I had a Ford 861 ignite fuel vapors and was able to back into the yard and put it out with garden hose. Had I been more than about 300 yards or with wind wrong couldn't have done that. DOUG

 

[Anonymous-0]

Large dairy operation nearby lost a combine last year during fall corn harvest, my neighbor had to finish his last 200 acres, before he could get his 300 or so in, just on the wire too, weather turned.

He just combined the oats here, + another 35 acres or so, that straw chaff is no match for a hot bearing, like all these incidents, your safety comes first, best not to panic, do what you can and have the appropriate fire suppression equipment for what you are doing, still a tragic thing to lose a machine to fire. I remember when I was a kid, my neighbor lost 2 stacked wagons of hay, while transporting to the barns, some yahoo tossed a lit cigarette in one wagon, had to let em roll off to the side and watch em burn.

 

[johns48jdb]

after my first fire i put walkie talkies in each drivers pocket. it saved the second baler. having a old hot water tank full of water and pressureized with an air compressor on your service truck or trailer is a good deal. lots of times just to be able to wash your hands makes you feel good and a simple facuet on the side of the tank will do that, but to use it under pressure hook it to an air compressor.

 

[JoshuaGA]

We've burnt our cab tractor wile burning a field. Weed seeds on the harrow lit, fire moved to the tractor and hit the oil on the back, Burned most of the wiring harnass, and the ____ shop that worked on it did a shoddy job fixing it. Should have let it burn, but hindsight is 20/20.

JoshuaGA

 

[Anonymous-0]

Add a shot of dish soap to that.

It'll break down the surface tension, so it'll help the water soak into the hay instead of beading up and rolling off.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I like both

To the cost (and loss of production) of a big tractor, may not even be overkill.

In the right hands, a 20 pound ABC extinguisher can knock down a lot of fire -- especially in a car / machinery involving plastics and oils. A 2-1/2 gallon pressurized can, or even simple pump can, can then keep it knocked down by letting you cool everything off.

 

[Heat Houser]

It is a good idea to carry an infared heat gun and check each bearing a couple of times a day to see if it is running hot. They run hotter for a while before the sparks start.

 

[kyhayman]

I've been through threetractor fires. After the first one I started carrying a fire extinguisher. After the second one, I stopped, upped my insurance to replacement cost and decided to walk (run) away and call the FD. No use dying or getting hurt over a piece of machinery.

 

[hay]

the man that bales my hay had a fire in his round baler and he had only enough time to jump out of the tractor and unhook the hydraulic hoses and pull the hitch pin and drive away. he lost a $21,000 baler that day.he figgered it was a siezed bearing that started it.

 

[buickanddeere]

If there is any significant mass of burning class A material (hay, straw, wood) or hot metal which causes re-ignition. Nothing beats water treated with AFFF or even dish soap.
The hay/straw/wood/metal has to be cooled.
Electrical fires class C are best handled by cutting power and using CO2 or beleive it or not, water if the power is off. Dry chem attracts moisture and starts corrosion.

 

[buickanddeere]

Probably should still carry couple types of extinguishers and a shovel. If something really went wrong and a person was trapped and just letting everything burn.
Having a couple of extinguishers and a shovel also looks good to the insurance investigator. It shows that at you tried and took proactive preventative action.

 

[awhtx]

Kaddatz Auctioneering & Eqpt in Hillsboro, TX is a large tractor and implement salvage yard. I bet he has at least 10 burnt up round balers on his lot. My neighbor has burnt up at least 2 (if not more) round balers. We live in the Hill Country of Central Texas and there are lots of rocks. My neighbor claims that all of his baler fires were caused by the pick up tines striking a flint rock and throwing the spark into the baler.
I have a Ford 552 Operator's Manual and it says that if a fire starts the operator should immediately dump the forming bale and drive away then use a WATER extinguisher to put out the rest of the fire in the baler.