Keep foreign material (crop, chaff, twine, etc.) from building up on the machine near potentially hot areas, such as bearings. Remove this buildup as part of the regular service operations.
Avoid high pressure power-washing adjacent to the bearings to prevent damaging seals.
Regularly check bearings for early signs of failure, and replace as indicated. Turn off power to baler and check for unusual noises, hot parts, smells of scorching, and discolored paint or metal. To check condition of bearings:
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Open gate and lock it.
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With the belts slackened, rotate each of the rollers by hand, paying attention to "dry" or "grinding" noises, or rough rotation.
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Push and pull on the roller.
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Watch and feel for looseness in the bearings.
Soon after operation, the temperature at each bearing location can be checked to see if it is noticeably hotter than the others. Replace worn or damaged bearings.
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