NH 848 and JD 336 baler

lookin at to balers guy selling .like to know what size bale the 848 makes and are they good balers and what the look out for in both ,,,we have a old NH68 now and lookin to updates some,,,$1500 for JD and $2000 for NH848 thanks cdv

848 makes a 4 ft wide bale and 4 1/2 tall.

I have a JD 336, bought new in '76. Has been a super great machine. Makes your standard small sized square bales. Only thing thats ever been done to mine is a complete knotter rebuild at about 100,000 bales. Tale care of it and it will take care of you.

The 848 will make a 4' wide by 4.5' tall bale. They're not a bad baler but they're not a great baler either. They will bale anything... the biggest problem is that they're like a mobile mechanno set waiting for a place for something to break or wear out. Nobody around here that has one ever admits to ever having a problem with one... but..
What I see is the chains wear out. All of the idlers for the chain wear out. Slat bars get bent. If the chain jumps time on one side, bars can get bent... Air bags leak over time. I've seen them with the reverser torn out. Guys who push them tend to tear the reversing belt up frequently... Other than that... they never have a problem... lol
The biggest thing to watch is that the apron chain is in good condition. Otherwise the baler is worth what it weighs.

The 336... I don't have a 336 but I have a 327 which is a slightly smaller version from the next model revision. They're decent balers. Just make sure the plunger travels freely. If it doesn't... and binds up mid stroke then it's likely due to corrosion under the guide rails on the right side. The cure is time invested to pull the plunger head and rails, beat the rust out to level the chamber floor again, then reinstall the rails and head... then readjust. It's a good days work. You might also plan on replacing those rails/guides while you're at it, the knives if they're chunked out badly (or at least thoroughly sharpen the old ones), and the plunger head bearings since you have it out. Could run you a grand in parts by the time you're done... but it's all maintenance parts and should be good to go for a long time again.
Otherwise, if setup correctly, they make a good bale. They're just not fast balers for their class size.

Rod

He is about $1900 to high on the 848. I used to get bales from a guy with a 848. He bought a 650 a few years later. Night and day difference in after-storage quality.

I have a Nh848 (1988) and am satisfied with it.I bought it used 10 years ago and make about 90 -120 bales a year,mainly 1st cutting alfafa, orchard grass and brome. I bale it wet (45%-55%) and plastic wrap it. I also bale some cured hay. I have no regrets,oil the chain,grease the fittings,check the airbag and tire pressure and bale.Bars do bend when stones interfere,if bad enough they will shear a protective bolt.They are easy to change.We have lots of rocks here in eastern Pa.but once your fields get established you will rarely bend one.

I'm no expert by any stretch, but the chain type NH RB's are know to be a fairly high maintenance rig. For a RB the price is pretty low, but I'd be more inclined to look for a belt style machine.

Best description I've heard on the difference between a chain baler and belt baler is that it's like the difference between a rubber tired tractor and a crawler- steel on steel works great till it wears out, and then it's EXPENSIVE to fix.

My 848 doesn't have an apron chain.

I've had to replace a hydraulic hose, one air bladder, and one chain bar on my 848. Baled up a chunk of firewood and bent the bar (guess who's fault that was). It's been a good baler for me with my 45 hp tractor and steep hillsides. I only make about 100 bales a season, so it will probably outlast me. I wish it had a wider pickup, or gathering wheels like some of the other brands. It's supposed to make an 800 lb bale. I've never weighed one.