setting tension on baler

Mtjohnso

Member
How do you go about setting the tension on your small baler? Do you run 2 bales through, feel the weight and check the knots and readjust the tension? Is it based on guesstimated weight?
Do you see the weight of the bales very with different types of hay, from one side of field to another, shady areas of field to areas of all sun, from flat lands to hill side?
 
You can change the weight by density and length. Two bales the same physical size can have different weights based on the type of hay. My oat bales are heavier than my grass hay bales, though both are 14x18x40".
Before you make any adjustments be sure you are feeding consistent amounts of hay into the baler. Small or light windrows make light and squishy bales. Once you're feeding consistent amounts into the machine then adjust your length and then the tensioners. Good bales start at the front. You can't overcome inconsistent feeding with tension handles.
 
I set my bale tension with a tape measure to the same place I set it last time. Write the dimension down (2 1/4") close to adjuster rods.
 
Since I stack on the wagon behind the baler it's constant live feedback. If the bashes are loose I crank it down some. If they're bricks or popping the twine I back them off. I can go all day and only touch them once. Other times it changes by the hour or less.

Last night the hay was very dry and baling good when we had a very brief shower that was enough to just wet the top of the baler. We kept going but I had to loosen the tension a few cranks.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
I clean my baler out at end of season only the rest of the "baling" season bale stays in. But I usually put 3 bales through baler and break open the first two and rebale those.. They are usually not what I want to sell..the third usually is what I want then its a matter of adjusting slightly to get the weight. I use a air bag packing system on my 273. As I bale I can watch the pressure needle I have on it that measures the air pressure in bag. With that I can tell by the air gauge if im baling dryer or wetter hay.. needle goes higher if more moisture and drops down if dryer.. usually stays put....
 
edge bales are almost always heavier for us - more weeds, often shaded by trees so it doesn't dry as well.

So we'll start baling the outer edge, but expect the bales to be heavy - so we don't pay much attention to them.

once we're in a row or two we just stop and pick a random one or two up - see if it feels "right".

About 50 lbs.

I've never weighed one, never seen anybody weigh one. Not even horse people. (though I'll bet they do when we're not looking)
 

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