[AT] 276 new holland baler--first time out

[John Hall]

Yesterday I took my new-to-me 40 year old 276 New Holland baler out for 
the first time. It did pretty well. I just got all the tine fork 
mechanism put back in yesterday morning, talk about cutting it close---I 
went from the shop directly to the field and started baling. The tine 
forks had once upon a time self destructed--bent up the tracks, bent the 
shaft the idlers fit into, bent the seperator bar that strips the hay 
off, drive chain one tooth out of time etc. I pulled all of it out and 
started properly rebuilding--whomever tried fixing it was doing no more 
than emergency first aid.  If you have ever had the tube the tine forks 
mount on apart you know all about the huge compression spring and the 
nylon blocks the rod must slide thru. I made new nylon blocks, 
straightend and rewelded the rod that the spring goes around, pulled the 
seals out of the bearings and repacked them. I left the big shield off 
the side of the baler for now so I could see if everything was working 
as it should. To start with the baler was tight/rusty. In the shop I had 
to use a 3 ft pry bar and lots of muscle to roll the baler over past the 
peak of bale compression--with running that has gotten much better. Also 
had to loosen up a couple hay dogs. I did find the slip clutch for the 
pickup slips if you get to feeding too much---I think it just needs 
adjusting. The knotter never missed a bale!
   I am having trouble with banana bales. I have moved the pair of tine 
forks next to the chamber about as far as they will go toward the 
chamber--thats what the book says to do.  Most of the bow has gone, we 
have more to bale Mon. so I'll see then.
  I am surprised how hard the baler pulls--as in hearing the back lash 
in the tractors driveline. We are running it with a 4020 Deere. When I 
initially tested the baler we were running it with a 454 IH. Both of 
those tractors used to run our 3XX series New Holland---bigger than this 
one. I'm wondering if my knife is out of adjustment---maybe this would 
contribute to the banana bale issue--bales are long on the knife side? 
Now that the rust is out of the inside I can better check that.

John Hall