[AT] hay baler bearings

[Cecil Bearden]

Had to get my neighbor to bale my Rye yesterday.   I started baling with 
the NH648 baler and the overhauled TS110 NH and the baler kept shearing 
pins.   Neighbor had a 2 yr old JD 569 5x6 baler.    On 24 acres he made 
17 bales.  When I moved them with the Belarus and Koyker loader, things 
squeaked and groaned!  His bales were about 2 & 1/2 times what my 4x5 
bales would weigh.  However, the baler as tightened up but the bales 
were very ragged and soft compared to my New Holland baler on green 
rye.  It was about 16% moisture.   I had a lot of problems getting them 
picked up with the bale spike on the rear.  I had to have a bale on the 
rear to counterweight the loader.

I started the tear down on my NH648 baler.   When I had a fire in the 
baler last year, it damaged more than I thought.  So far, I have found 3 
bearings out on the rollers in a "sledge frame" that forms the front of 
the Bale chamber.  There are 3 rollers that are driven by gears at the 
end of the rollers.    The gears have a bearing in them and the bearing 
is not sold separate.  Since I need to replace the gears,  I will go 
ahead and get them from NH, the only place. The rest of the bearings I 
can  get cheaper at a bearing supply house.   However, the bearings on 
the belt roller at the top are $105 each and no prt number interchange.  
They are not in good shape to determine just what they are either..  In 
order to get back in the field with this baler, it will be just a little 
less than $2000 in parts.  If I could not weld up the frame that is 
worn, it wold be another $1640!!

Since Fiat bought into New Holland, the parts prices have gone up over 
25% from last year.

I got to figuring my cost on those 17 bales of Rye and the fert, seed 
and baling comes to $186 a bale.  If they weigh 2000# as the loader acts 
like, that is $186/ton not counting labor....

My Dad used to say it took a shower of Manure and a Shower of Rain every 
30 minutes to make a crop on this land...  I think he was right.  There 
was $2300 worth of fertilizer on that 24 acres, at the lower prices....

I turned the cows in on the stubble and they seem to be happy.

Cecil in OKla