Vermeer Round Balers

[oliverkid]

Still on the hunt for a cheap round baler. Missed the NH I was looking at a few weeks ago. Always heard good things about Vermeer, just never was much around here because there wasn’t a dealer close by until relatively recently. Found a dealer a few hours away that has both a pretty decent looking 605C for $800 and a 605J for $1500. For that I’m doing the $800 is obviously more appealing. Can’t find much good or bad about either one digging around the internet. Anybody have any experience with either one?

 

[DanielW]

Vermeer, for the most part, has always made very respectable round balers. That being said, you want to avoid the C series, because (like all balers of that era) they were closed throat. Which makes them much, much more picky to use, finicky, hard to start the core rolling, etc. The J series was 100X the baler that the C series was. The F and G series were the first open throat Vermeers, and quite capable balers. A little odd in some respects, and not quite as friendly as later balers, but still decent. I have a 504G at our Southern farm and get along fine with it at that farm: We don't do nearly as much hay there as at our Northern farm, so I get along fine with it. At our Northern farm we now have newer Deeres. You definitely don't want any Vermeer earlier than the F/G series. The same applies to any other closed-throat, regardless of make, like the Deere 410/510 (also closed throat nightmares). The Vermeer series I and later were great balers: foolproof and robust. You can't go too wrong with that I or J series. They also had the four-digit series (like the 5410) which were also good balers, but made to be economy, lower HP balers. The 504/605 series is more of the commercial series, while the 5400 and 5410 were more aimed for the hobbiest doing only a couple hundred bales a year at most. Both good balers, but the three digit series is more robust.

Between the two you're looking at, the J is the better, more desirable, more user-friendly, and less finicky baler by a looooong margin. Well worth the extra $700 (assuming they're both in comparable condition). I'm not necessarily saying that you should definitely go with the J. But I will say that you should definitely avoid the C. And again: That's not because the C series was bad compared to other round balers from the same time period. But rather because the open throat balers that came out a few years later are 100X better than the older closed-throat balers - regardless of make.

 

[GermantownGreen]

To the Moon.... Father in law had a 605G, hard to start little light windrows to a bale.
605j is the better.
Better yet watch for a 688 new Holland and avoid the string go to net wrap save time, be happy. Not setting there watching a bale go around 10 times or more to wrap twine. Plus it keeps better in the wind , unlike twine. Your time can be spent wrenching on Olivers like we do..... Ha.
Send me a note, we'll share....
GG Wes

 

[oliverkid]

Vermeer, for the most part, has always made very respectable round balers. That being said, you want to avoid the C series, because (like all balers of that era) they were closed throat. Which makes them much, much more picky to use, finicky, hard to start the core rolling, etc. The J series was 100X the baler that the C series was. The F and G series were the first open throat Vermeers, and quite capable balers. A little odd in some respects, and not quite as friendly as later balers, but still decent. I have a 504G at our Southern farm and get along fine with it at that farm: We don't do nearly as much hay there as at our Northern farm, so I get along fine with it. At our Northern farm we now have newer Deeres. You definitely don't want any Vermeer earlier than the F/G series. The same applies to any other closed-throat, regardless of make, like the Deere 410/510 (also closed throat nightmares). The Vermeer series I and later were great balers: foolproof and robust. You can't go too wrong with that I or J series. They also had the four-digit series (like the 5410) which were also good balers, but made to be economy, lower HP balers. The 504/605 series is more of the commercial series, while the 5400 and 5410 were more aimed for the hobbiest doing only a couple hundred bales a year at most. Both good balers, but the three digit series is more robust.

Between the two you're looking at, the J is the better, more desirable, more user-friendly, and less finicky baler by a looooong margin. Well worth the extra $700 (assuming they're both in comparable condition). I'm not necessarily saying that you should definitely go with the J. But I will say that you should definitely avoid the C. And again: That's not because the C series was bad compared to other round balers from the same time period. But rather because the open throat balers that came out a few years later are 100X better than the older closed-throat balers - regardless of make.

There’s a super nice cream puff of a 504I I found for $1200 that I want in the worst way and is more the bale size I’m looking for. But it’s clear out on the other side of Montana. Naturally now that I’m looking for a round baler all the ones I really want are half way across the country. To get into a baler that size around me you’re 4-5k which it more than I can justify for what I’m doing.

 

[Texasmark]

Still on the hunt for a cheap round baler. Missed the NH I was looking at a few weeks ago. Always heard good things about Vermeer, just never was much around here because there wasn’t a dealer close by until relatively recently. Found a dealer a few hours away that has both a pretty decent looking 605C for $800 and a 605J for $1500. For that I’m doing the $800 is obviously more appealing. Can’t find much good or bad about either one digging around the internet. Anybody have any experience with either one?

No experience.....thought seriously about buying one on a couple of occasions but didn't after looking them over. Happy with my JD. On those prices you posted, if you saw one around here for that kind of money it would be a prime candidate to leave sitting out in the field and letting trees grow up through it!

 

[Texasmark]

Never figured out their design of their belts, both with width variances on the same machine, and some belts that are deliberately twisted. You see a few around here. JD is apparently the most desirable as most you see are JDs....including mine.

 

[Tx Jim]

Don't rule out a JD rd baler. JD rd balers built since 1983 have very similar design. I've baled over 125,000 rd bales in 35 yrs of custom hay baling. I put 30,000 on each of the last JD 467 rd balers that I owned before I decided to retire from custom baling. Where I live JD round balers greatly outnumber all other brand rd baler seen baling in local fields !!!!

 

[DanielW]

Don't rule out a JD rd baler. JD rd balers built since 1983 have very similar design. I've baled over 125,000 rd bales in 35 yrs of custom hay baling. I put 30,000 on each of the last JD 467 rd balers that I owned before I decided to retire from custom baling. Where I live JD round balers greatly outnumber all other brand rd baler seen baling in local fields !!!!

+1 to to this. The only concern I'd see in the OP's case is that you pay a premium for green paint. Any Deere in his price range would likely be worn to heck. I'm still a little surprised you can even get a decent Vermeer (or other make) in that price range. But its a little more plausible, as other makes don't demand quite the same premium as JD.

If given my choice of the common North American brands, I'd rank JD as top, Vermeer a very, very close second. Massey/Challenger next. Never had much patience for NH, but I haven't worked with any of the newer ones so I really shouldn't judge. Definitely not a fan of the NH's from the 90's to early 2000's. They weren't strictly 'bad', and most folks get along dandy with them. They just weren't anything exceptional. And NH held on to that stupid sledge roll design for far, far too long.

 

[jhwis]

Don't rule out a JD rd baler. JD rd balers built since 1983 have very similar design. I've baled over 125,000 rd bales in 35 yrs of custom hay baling. I put 30,000 on each of the last JD 467 rd balers that I owned before I decided to retire from custom baling. Where I live JD round balers greatly outnumber all other brand rd baler seen baling in local fields !!!!

I do like my JD 456 baler.

 

[Tx Jim]

I do like my JD 456 baler.

Since you like your 456 you would love a 467 with mega-wide pickup. No hat=rm intended but I personally don't like JD rd balers that are limited to 5ft diameter & smaller bales, I saw a for sale ad for a 457 & 467 rd balers with netwrap located close to Houston that the 467 needs a broken roller replaced that 457 has in it for $5K. Also 2 bale monitors are included. I never broke a roller on my rd balers but I only made a bale 64'' in diameter not 72'' in diameter as designed

 

[jhwis]

Since you like your 456 you would love a 467 with mega-wide pickup. No hat=rm intended but I personally don't like JD rd balers that are limited to 5ft diameter & smaller bales, I saw a for sale ad for a 457 & 467 rd balers with netwrap located close to Houston that the 467 needs a broken roller replaced that 457 has in it for $5K. Also 2 bale monitors are included. I never broke a roller on my rd balers but I only made a bale 64'' in diameter not 72'' in diameter as designed

What size does the 467 make? I like a 4x5 bale myself.

 

[Tx Jim]

What size does the 467 make? I like a 4x5 bale myself.

4X36''-'72''. Just set 5 ft diameter on monitor & stop forward travel when stop alarm goes off!!!

 

[trackrat]

had an old Vermeer 504 the very early one closed throat piece of junk is cut up on my scrap trailer now late models do Fairley well just dont buy anything that is closed throat hard to start bale and any little stick will choke it up

 

[marloweg]

the c is a good baler three thing you must do. 1 hay MUST be dry. 2 nice big windrows. 3 go fast at the start of bale and go side to side to fill all the way across . i did custom baling for years with a c 10s of thousands of bales cheep baler to run

 

[Texasmark]

had an old Vermeer 504 the very early one closed throat piece of junk is cut up on my scrap trailer now late models do Fairley well just dont buy anything that is closed throat hard to start bale and any little stick will choke it up

I had a Hesston 5600 I think I recall the number....5x6 roller with 4" belts. It was apparently closed throat as starting a bale was a king sized PIA and the reason for my getting rid of it..add the narrow belts to that reasoning. I sold it and bought a used 5x6 JD 530 which served me well till I downsized my equipment as I got older. My current 1991 JD 375, bales a 5x4 (not 4x5) rolling out at 7-800# on a good field. Paint was still like new which told me that the PO kept it inside and probably that's why I had few little (piddly) problems I could fix working alone with it.

Paid 5k for it, put in a couple of roller bearings over the years....last year I put new 3 ply diamond pattern (like OEM JDs) on it and I couldn't believe the improvement even though the belts on it were OEM and not even worn half way. The new belts have the later model, improved clinching design (forget the name) which I really like....no alligator teeth to tear out.

 

[paul]

I ran a lot of years with a Vermeer 605F. I believe it was the first ‘good’ round baler. The earlier ones like the C you mention were closed throat, and were much much more fussy in what you can bale.

The F wasn’t perfect and mine was wore out when I got it, but it baled 50 to 150 round bales a year as good as anything. You need good teeth on it, you need those rubber flaps on that counter rotating bar new and stiff not wore and folded over. And then it was a pretty good machine. Those 2 items were the key to starting a bale. Simple and easy to work on, keep running.

I would hesitate to get the C. While I never used one, I have heard enough over the years, don’t get lower than an F model.

Wider belts are better, narrower belts are cheaper, so Vermeer combined them to make a value priced machine to its customers on some models, the wide outer belts make a better edge to the bales.

A twist in 2 belts on some newer models allows one to see through the belts that things are operating fine and more so lets bits of hay clogs to fall out of the baler and not build up and cause issues. Certainly a good thing for those models.

I got a 2013 Vermeer recently to replace it, a Rancher I always forget the number. Obviously a step up from the 605F.

Paul

 

[Texasmark]

I ran a lot of years with a Vermeer 605F. I believe it was the first ‘good’ round baler. The earlier ones like the C you mention were closed throat, and were much much more fussy in what you can bale.

The F wasn’t perfect and mine was wore out when I got it, but it baled 50 to 150 round bales a year as good as anything. You need good teeth on it, you need those rubber flaps on that counter rotating bar new and stiff not wore and folded over. And then it was a pretty good machine. Those 2 items were the key to starting a bale. Simple and easy to work on, keep running.

I would hesitate to get the C. While I never used one, I have heard enough over the years, don’t get lower than an F model.

Wider belts are better, narrower belts are cheaper, so Vermeer combined them to make a value priced machine to its customers on some models, the wide outer belts make a better edge to the bales.

A twist in 2 belts on some newer models allows one to see through the belts that things are operating fine and more so lets bits of hay clogs to fall out of the baler and not build up and cause issues. Certainly a good thing for those models.

I got a 2013 Vermeer recently to replace it, a Rancher I always forget the number. Obviously a step up from the 605F.

Paul

Thank you sir for the comprehensive reply.