General Baler Difficulties

Monitor-controller GATE CLOSED indicator does not come on and GATE OPEN indicator stays on.

Obstruction between gate and frame.

Remove obstruction.

Hay buildup on belts in gate area in some crop conditions.

Remove buildup. Operate PTO while closing gate.

Too much clearance between latch hooks and shim pad.

Adjust gate latch stop. (See procedure Service-Baler section.)

Hay buildup at gate latch area due to incorrect routing of hydraulic pickup lift hoses.

Route hoses correctly.

Monitor-controller GATE CLOSED and STOP indicators are on.

Gate latch switch not adjusted properly.

Adjust gate latch switch. (See procedure in Service-Baler section.)

Tractor hydraulic valve leaking oil into baler.

Repair tractor hydraulic valve. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Air in hydraulic system.

Open and close gate several times to remove air.

Internal leak in gate hydraulic cylinder.

Repair or replace cylinder. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Hydraulic cylinder not completely retracted when gate is closed.

Hold tractor selector control valve lever 2 to 3 seconds after green light is on.

Gate not latched.

When closing gate, hold tractor selector valve until green light comes on.

Gate latches not adjusted properly.

Adjust gate latch stop. (See procedure in Service-Baler section.)

Gate sprung.

Straighten. (See your John Deere dealer.)

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Gate not latched.

Obstruction between gate and frame.

Remove obstruction.

Hay buildup on belts in gate area in some crop conditions.

Remove buildup. Operate PTO while closing gate.

Too much clearance between latch hooks and shim pad.

Adjust gate latch stop. (See procedure in Service-Baler section.)

Hay buildup at gate latch area due to incorrect routing of hydraulic pickup lift hoses.

Route hoses correctly.

Bale density gauge reading in red.

Tractor selector valve not in neutral position while baling.

Move hydraulic lever to neutral while baling.

Defective density gauge.

Replace gauge. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Defective bale density valve cartridge.

Replace or repair valve. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Diamond surfaces on bale forming belts are rubbing together.

Upper belt tension roll in shipping position.

Move to operating position. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Crop or mud buildup on rolls.

Clean rolls.

Belt tension arm not fully down.

Lower tension arm with tractor hydraulic lever.

Belts not routed properly.

See belt routing diagram and reroute. (See INSTALLING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Belts too short.

Repair belts. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

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Starter roll wraps with hay.

Regular Pickup; Pickup drive idler not adjusted properly or pickup belt damaged.

Adjust idler or replace belt, if necessary. (See ADJUSTING PICKUP BELT IDLER in Service-Baler section.)

MegaTooth™ or MegaWide™ Plus (468 and 468S) Pickup; Slip clutch worn.

Replace pickup slip clutch. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Check pickup clutch torque. (See CHECKING PICKUP SLIP CLUTCH TORQUE [MegaTooth™ or MegaWide™ Plus] in Service-Baler section.)

MegaWide™ Plus Pickup (468 and 468S); Main drive slip clutch slipping.

Adjust main PTO driveline slip clutch. (See ADJUSTING MAIN PTO DRIVELINE SLIP CLUTCH in Service-Baler section.)

Adjust starter roll scraper. (See procedure in Service-Baler section.)

Windrow wet on bottom.

Turn windrow. (See BALING WET HAY in Operating the Baler section.)

Ground speed and rpm too high when starting bale.

Reduce rpm until bale core has formed.

Windrow too large.

Decrease windrow size.

Install starter roll scraper. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Material pinched under pickup crop divider, tire, or gauge wheels (if equipped).

Start bale with windrow centered on pickup. Gathering wheels may help for scattered windrows.

Nicks or rough places on starter roll.

Smooth with file.

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Bale density control knob hard to turn.

Raised gate and/or belt tension arm causes additional turning resistance.

Adjust with gate closed and belt tension arm down. (See ADJUSTING BALE DENSITY in Operating the Baler section.)

Dry thread on adjusting screw.

Apply a few drops of oil or a dry graphite lubricant to the threads.

Locking ring locked against valve body.

Unscrew locking ring before adjusting density control knob.

Belt lacing failure.

Belts are not the same length.

Repair belts. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Belts not tracking correctly.

Adjust belt tracking. (See procedure in Service-Baler section.)

Making oversized bales.

Check maximum bale size adjustment. (See ADJUSTING OVERSIZE BALE SWITCH in Service-Baler section.)

Belts not routed correctly.

Route belts correctly. (See INSTALLING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Material wrapping on rolls.

Remove material from rolls.

Belt splice pins break.

Excessive wear on pins.

Check pins for wear or breakage every 2000 bales (every 1000 bales in sandy conditions). Replace pins if broken, or if more than one-third of pin thickness is worn through.

Incorrect belt length can cause excessive load on shorter belts.

See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.

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Belt slipping or not turning.

Belt tension arm not returning all the way down to tension belts.

Operate tractor at full rpm when closing gate to ensure tension arm tightens belts before gate close indicator comes on.

Water dripping off belts and rollers.

Avoid baling in rain or frosted crop.

Reduce density. (See ADJUSTING BALE DENSITY in Operating the Baler section.)

Belts too long.

Check belts for proper length. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Excessive wrappage of net material around top idler roll (No. 11) pinches belt against top baler frame tube.

Remove wrappage around starter roll.

Upper tension arm compression spring out of adjustment.

Adjust spring. (See ADJUSTING TAKE-UP ARM COMPRESSION SPRING in Service-Baler section.)

Gate lock valve closes or locks before gate is closed.

Gate lock valve spool is not in full unlocked position (snap ring should be against housing).

Make sure valve spool is not binding. If handle contacts bracket before spool is fully out, bend bracket slightly to allow full travel of valve spool in both directions.

Binding at gate pivots.

Eliminate binding.

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Gate twisted.

Gate becomes unlatched on one side when baling begins, or gate becomes unlatched while baling.

Hold lever 2 to 3 seconds after GATE CLOSED indicator is on before beginning to bale. (Do not rely upon sound of gate closing.) See your John Deere dealer to straighten gate.

Gate latches not adjusted properly.

Adjust gate latches. (See ADJUSTING GATE LATCH STOP in Service-Baler section.)

Gate latch proximity switches not adjusted properly.

Check gate latch switch adjustment. (See ADJUSTING GATE LATCH PROXIMITY SWITCHES in Service-Baler section.)

Tractor selector valve leaking.

Repair or replace as necessary. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Broken or stretched latch hook.

Replace parts.

Bale sticks in chamber.

Paint on sidesheets of new baler.

Reduce density until baler has made several bales to polish sidesheet. (See ADJUSTING BALE DENSITY in Operating the Baler section.)

Bale density too high.

Lower bale density at control valve. (See ADJUSTING BALE DENSITY in Operating the Baler section.)

Bale sticks in front frame due to damp crop.

Install High-Moisture Kit. (See Attachments section.)

Excessive side sheet friction caused by "gummy" buildup on side sheets.

Remove buildup. Make sure gate deflectors (if equipped) are installed in gate.

Excessive sidesheet friction.

Check straightness and straighten front sidesheets of baler if needed. (See your John Deere dealer.)

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Damage to belt diamond pattern. Belts cut or broken.

Material buildup on compressor rack causing belts to contact starter roll.

See BALING SHORT, DRY, SLICK CROPS and BALING CORNSTALKS in Operating the Baler section.

Foreign objects in windrow (rocks, sticks, etc.).

Operate with pickup as high as possible. (See ADJUSTING PICKUP HEIGHT in Operating the Baler section.)

Remove foreign objects from windrow.

Wrappage on lower drive roll forcing belt into starter roll.

Remove wrappage.

Bale forming belts contacting each other.

See "Diamond surfaces on bale forming belts are rubbing together" in this section.

Belt edges fuzzy.

Normal break-in.

After break-in period, the fuzziness will stop.

Trim loose cords.

Excessive wear on belt guides and/or tension arm.

Improper belt tracking or tension arm rear tips not centered.

Adjust belt tracking. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Check for grooves worn into tension arm wear channels. (See TENSION ARM WEAR CHANNELS in Lubrication and Maintenance section.)

Center tension arm rear tips and replace tension arm wear channels. (See your John Deere dealer.)

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Belts pinched between lower gate roll and axle tube.

Gate is closing before tension arm removes slack from belts.

Operate tractor at full rpm when closing gate to ensure that tension arm tightens belts. If operating with low hydraulic flow tractor, see INSTALLING ORIFICE IN TRACTORS WITH LOW HYDRAULIC FLOW in Service-Baler section.

If equipped with net wrap, the flow restrictor valve supplied with the bundle must be installed. (Pin must be installed through the valve toward the bottom.)

Tractor selector control valve lever in detent while closing gate.

Adjust selector control valve lever for no detent, so lever returns to neutral when released. (See your tractor Operator's Manual.)

Sticking or contaminated check valves in tensioning valve assembly.

Repair or replace as necessary. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Belts turn over or cross.

Closing gate with PTO engaged and strong winds prevailing and/or side hill operation.

Disengage PTO before opening gate.

Operating baler empty with gate up and no tension on belts for extended periods.

Do not operate in this manner for an extended time.

Driving too long on one side of windrow at bale start. Hay pushes out between belts.

Center pickup on windrow at bale start.

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Belts do not track properly.

Belt tracking rollers out of adjustment.

Adjust rollers. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Belts not correct length.

Correct belt length. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Belts not cut square when splicing.

Resplice belt. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Twine or mud buildup on baler rolls.

Remove buildup.

Belts not routed correctly.

See belt routing diagram and reroute belts. (See INSTALLING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Bad bearing on roll.

Rotate all rolls by hand and inspect for loose bearings, etc. Repair or replace as necessary. (See your John Deere dealer.)

New belts track back and forth on rolls.

Wax from belts builds up on rolls.

Use oil dry granules or talcum powder to polish rolls. (See CHECKING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Belts not correct length.

Belt lengths need to be within 38 mm (1-1/2 in.) of each other. (See REPAIRING BELTS in Service-Baler section.)

Bad fabric or construction of belt.

Repair or replace belt. (See procedures in Service-Baler section.)

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New belts cross and flip on rolls while raising and lowering gate

Wax from belts builds up or rolls. High belt friction from sticky silicone on belts. High roller friction form paint on rolls.

Use oil dry granules or talcum powder to polish rolls. (See BELT TRACKING ISSUES in Prepare Baler section.)

Improper belt tracking at belt guides.

Check and adjust three belt tracking rolls as needed. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Sticky or contaminated check valves in tension valve causes tension are to lower slowly during gate closing.

Repair or replace as necessary. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Tension arm rubbing sidesheet.

Tension arm not centered between sides.

Adjust tension arm. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Crop builds up at tension arm and/or upper belt guides.

Crop gets pinched between lower drive roller tube and belts. Crop sticks to back of belts and travels up front of baler.

Make sure belts are centered on rubber strips of drive roll. (See ADJUSTING BELT TRACKING in Service-Baler section.)

Engage soft core option, if equipped, for the first 36 inches of bale. (See ADJUSTING VARIABLE CORE DIAMETER in Operating the Baler section.)

Install silage auger kit. The auger will scrape crop from back of belts, allowing crop to fall back onto windrow. (See your John Deere dealer.)

Excessive wear of lower drive roll strips.

Replace lower and upper drive rolls. (See your John Deere dealer.)

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