Start a Bale in Difficult Conditions

1. See BALE SHORT, DRY, SLICK CROPS; BALE CORNSTALKS; BALE WET HAY; and BALE LONG, STIFF, CANE-TYPE CROPS in this section.

2. Regular Pickup; Check pickup belt tension and condition. (See ADJUST PICKUP BELT IDLER in Service—Baler section.)

   MegaWide™ Plus Pickup; Check pickup slip clutch. (See CHECK PICKUP SLIP CLUTCH TORQUE in Service—Baler section.)

3. Check for broken or missing pickup teeth.

4. To ensure smooth uninterrupted crop flow while starting a bale, try the following:

   • Select a gear that will give 6—8 km/h (4—5 mph) forward travel speed at rated PTO speed.
   • Reduce tractor engine speed to slow idle (900—1200 rpm) when starting the bale.
   • Drive forward at least 3 m (10 ft.) without stopping to allow enough crop into the baler to start rolling.
   • Resume rated PTO speed.
   
   

5. If windrows are wide and ropy, do the following:

   1. Operate pickup as high as practical.

   2. Start in a slow gear, allowing crop to feed in from the sides.

   3. Approach windrow with crop centered on pickup to reduce plugging at crop dividers. Do not cut across the windrow.

   4. Travel forward slowly, as needed, to allow material to feed smoothly.

6. Use variable core feature, if equipped, for long, stiff, cane-type crops.

7. Make windrows narrower than the bale chamber width and avoid getting crop under deflectors to improve bale starting in crops such as bahia grass, coastal bermuda grass, sudex, sudan grass, and star grass.

8. Check belt and starter roll bars for excessive wear that can contribute to bale starting problems. (See CHECK PICKUP TOOTH END PLAY in Service—Baler section.)