Recommended Baling Guidelines

Under normal to moderately heavy crop conditions, operate tractor at 1800 rpm. Under light crop conditions, it can help to operate even slower (example: 1500 rpm). Only under more heavy crop conditions operate at a higher rpm (above 1800).

For consistent density and properly shaped bales the following conditions must be set:

• Bale shape sensors properly adjusted. (See Adjust Bale Shape Sensor (Channels 007 and 009) in Service—Baler section.)
• Correct tractor tire spacing. (See Adjust Tractor Wheels in Preparing the Tractor section.)
• Proper driving technique.

Baling windrow one-half width or less than the bale chamber:

1. Start feeding windrow in the center of the baler.

2. Move quickly to one side for several yards feeding the baler, as close as possible to the side sheet, without leaving hay in the field.

3. Weaving back and forth across the windrow must be done quickly in a crisp zigzag fashion to balance crop intake side-to-side. Weaving too often or too slowly puts too much crop in the center of the bale and must be avoided.

   Move quickly to the other side for several yards feeding the baler, as close as possible to the side sheet, without leaving hay in the field.

4. Move quickly back to the other side feeding the baler, as close as possible to the side sheet. Continue feeding this side until the top bar on the monitor-controller display lights or the other bale shape bars drop into the red.

5. Quickly drive to the other side and continue feeding this side until the top bar on the monitor-controller display lights or the other bale shape bars drop into the red.

6. Continue to feed in this manner. Weave from one side to the other and take one set of bars to the top and then the other, until the near full indicator is flashing. Then finish up the bale by getting the bars on both sides as high and as even as possible before reaching full size. Both sides must be in the green zone when finished and, if possible, finish bale by feeding the left side.

As bale diameter increases, bars are less sensitive to rise and fall as hay is fed into the baler. Do not weave from one side unless the top bar is lit or the bars are at least in the green zone. Avoid baling for extended periods with either of the bale shape displays in the red zone.

If operating at less than maximum pressure, with the variable core engaged, or in some crop conditions, the top bar or bars on monitor-controller cannot come on. If after driving on one side for several inches of bale growth while feeding the crop as close as possible to the side sheet, and the top bar has not come on, then the highest bar that has come on becomes the top bar.

If it is desired long term to operate at less than maximum pressure, then the bale shape sensors can be readjusted to cause the top bar of the display to come on by using Adjusting Bale Shape Bar Display—Field Procedure (Channels 007 and 009) in Service—Baler section.

Handling Round Bales with Net Wrap

Do not snag or tear the net material. Snags or tears in the net wrap can reduce life span of bales and detract from hay quality when bales are stored outside.

Feeding Round Bales

Improperly disposing of waste can threaten the environment and ecology. Remove net material from bales before they are fed to reduce possible problems of the material binding in machinery and ingestion by livestock. Inquire on the proper way to recycle or dispose of waste from your local environmental or recycling center, or from your John Deere dealer.