NH 276 has a squealing sound...other general questions

We have a small group of dairy cows, and we've purchased hay, or borrowed a friend's baler (NH 269) up until now.

A friend of mine found a 276 at a farm that sold their cows about two years ago. It sat around until now.

He bought it and brought it up to our farm to try. He knew that I was sort of looking for a baler with no thrower, as we only have a small tractor. A baler, kicker and wagon are a little heavy for it. This is a 276 in decent condition with no thrower, no rear tongue hookup for a wagon and an output tray for the bales to slide off of. Something that not many people, other than myself, would want.

Anyway, I greased every fitting that I could find and turned it over gently. As it turned over with the tractor idling, I coated all of the chains with WD-40 as they turned.

Everything sounds good, but it has a short squeal sound that seems to be timed with the plunger. It's loudest if you put your ear by the bottom of the plunger chamber near the tire on the plunger side of the baler. The squeal comes and goes. It isn't there on every plunger cycle. When it is there, it lasts only a fraction of the plunger cycle.

I ran a few bales through it, after stringing with new twine. It seems that, to make square bales, it needs the right (twinebox) side chamber clamp about 15 turns (by thread count) looser than the other clamp in order to make a square bale. I'm thinking that the "dinosaur teeth" may have worn a little short on the tray feed...or the tray feed needs to be adjusted further towards the chamber to pack the far side of the bale more.

It made a few knots just fine.

I also noticed (or I think I noticed) that the plunger tempo, pickup speed and feed tray speed is higher than the older 269 that I'm used to? I chalked that up to the 276 being a much higher capacity baler. Does that make sense?

When I lifted the cover on top of the plunger chamber (just behind the flywheel) to look for grease fittings, I found one on the plunger arm that appears to be designed to have a tube on it that goes somewhere else. It's a little L shaped fitting mounted on the plunger arm. When I put grease in the fitting, it just came out the other side of the L, right on the surface of the arm...I'm thinking that it's missing a tube there that goes...where???

Any comments people? I'm getting a manual, but some comments would be appreciated if any of what I wrote above rings a bell with anyone.

Thanks!

#1 WD40 is not a lube and what you did has not helped a chain one bit. WD is a water displacement spray not an oil or lube. You need a good chain lube or a good oil and oil every thing up and try it again. NOT WD40

I hear you about that.

The WD-40 does penetrate and clean and lubricate initially to get things going.

To me, the more lasting lubricant, like you're suggesting comes later...like now, after the WD-40 has loosened things up.

WD40 only works to remove water that is what it is made for and nothing else. If you want to clean and lube at that same time a pumper oil can full of ATF works better then any thing else. WD40 is a oh not this is all I have on hand stuff nothing more and does not lube much of any thing

Couple of comments:

It is possible one of the bearings the plunger rides-on may be going bad. I can't speak for a 276, but the plunger on my 68 was easy to remove. It might be worth a proactive check -
just for that and sharpening the plunger knife.

Bale shape - several things. 1. If you are not getting bricks, not enough hay is being delivered to the guilty side of the bale chamber or one or more of the spring loaded hay dogs
have a broken spring or are missing. To correct the amount of hay into the chamber - first try feeding the pick-up side of the baler next to the bale chamber full. Next is adjust the
feeder forks that move the hay into the bale chamber. Not sure just how they are set-up on a 276, but you adjust opposite of what you think. Standing from the rear of the baler, if
you want more hay to the left side, mover the feeder tines to the right until you get the desired amount. Also, your plunger knife needs to be sharp and set within (I believe) 1/32
inch clearance from the stationary. If it is not, it will drag hay into the right side instead of cutting it all and that will cause banana bales.

From what I've read, the 276 is one of the all time great balers New Holland ever made. Order a manual and I think you are good to go.

Good luck,
Bill

Use the "Chain and Cable Lubricant" spray can sold at your tractor dealer's shop. The only "lubricant" in WD40 is FISH OIL. And that is not made for outdoor machinery use.
Spray the WD40 on when you are DONE baling to help prevent rust.

Lets not argue about WD=40, we've flogged that horse to death already. That squeal is possibly coming from the roller on the bottom of the plunger. It rolls on an angle guide in the area you have described the squealing coming from. Won't hurt to try and get some lube in on that guide, after all its been sitting for awhile. Banana bale have a lot of culprits, the hay dogs on top and bottom of bale chamber just infront of the knotters. The chamber wedges on the side of the chamber. The position of the stationary knife to the plunger knife need to be very close to specifications. You really need to get a manual and spend some time with it and you baler. Keep plugging away, learn on the fly. I wish you well. gobble

I just so happen to have a quart of ATF sitting in the garage that I bought for my father-in-law's Oliver tractor; which he sold.

I now have a use for it.

Thanks.

Go to this link:

http://latorrepasquale.it/FIAT/Small%20Baler%20-%20496665.pdf


PDF for 276 parts manual (not service manual). Print it if you think you'll keep the baler.


Will let you know if you greased it everywhere.

I understand the difference between penetrant and lubricant. I already see the wisdom in ATF as a lubricant.

The only thing that I want to say here is that the whole "Fish oil in WD-40" trope is a wives' tale.

Regardless of your opinion of its efficacy, the ingredients do not include fish oil.

I work in engineering, and I once listened to a college degree holding engineer talk about how he uses WD-40 to bait hooks because of the fish oil.

It just isn't true.

Please refrain from promoting this myth.

http://wd40.com/cool-stuff/myths-legends-fun-facts

That makes sense. I noticed three wheels on the pickup side of the plunger that (sorry to say) loosened up after a couple of sniffs of WD-40. I couldn't see the other side; because it's hidden by the chamber wall. I was wondering if the same wheels could be found over there.

Seems that removing the plunger would be a worthwhile undertaking to look for that reason combined with the dull knife/knife setting advice that I've been getting.

The knife does look dull to me...which could explain some of the uneven shaping of the bales, as explained by somebody else up above.

In general. I really like this old 276. I think that some tuning up could produce a winrow eating machine.

Thanks for the link to the parts manual.

I am rebuilding a 270 which has been a pain and am now trying to replace one bearing on the plunger. To get the plunger out I disconnected the bolts that hold
the connecting rod to the crankshaft at the front of the baler. Then removed the old hay which exposed some rust problems. Then took off all the compression
wedges?? on the sides of the baler so the plunger could be pulled out the back. There is an issue on this baler with a bearing support being welded in place on
the side of the plunger and I am in the process of fixing that now. There are, I think, 10 bearings on my plunger. I would check all of them, maybe oil them
some. They cost $32?? each.

I think here is an inspection hole on the big wheel side of the bale case. Possibly you can check the bad bearing without removing the plunger. I think some
of the bearings could be removed and replaced without taking the plunger out, but I wouldn't have been able to do that on my 270. Oh, most of the bearings are
mounted on a support that can be adjusted for proper alignment since it is machined offset.

The bearing that was bad was the very front upper one on the big wheel side of the baler. It could easily be seen when the plunger was at the front of it's
stroke. I know the 276 is a later, bigger baler but the general layout should be similar.

KEH

Sometimes it can be as simple as a dried up corn stalk wedged in somewhere. Kinda makes a squealing sound. Start squirting old motor oil around. When you hit the problem area the sound will go away.
That will not fix the problem but it will tell you where it is.

Do not know about the fish oil thing but I do know the stuff sure the heck will burn. Been told it does not but I have tried it 2 ways and both ways it burns. #1 hold a lighter in the spray as it comes out of the can and it burns like a torch and #2 spray it onto a can etc and let t sit 10 minutes and tried to light it and yep it lite up. Any more I keep a pumper oil can full of ATF and use it when I need to free thing up and or clean them up or unlock a stuck engine

(quoted from post at 17:51:33 07/24/15) Do not know about the fish oil thing but I do know the stuff sure the heck will burn. Been told it does not but I have tried it 2 ways and both ways it burns. #1 hold a lighter in the spray as it comes out of the can and it burns like a torch and #2 spray it onto a can etc and let t sit 10 minutes and tried to light it and yep it lite up. Any more I keep a pumper oil can full of ATF and use it when I need to free thing up and or clean them up or unlock a stuck engine

Click to expand...

Yeah...I've never trusted the stuff around a flame.

I'm also a big fan of some of the lithium grease formulations that you can now get in a spray can and apply with pinpoint precision using the little tube thingy on the nozzle. I've been putting that stuff on just about anything that slides or rubs around the farm. (I have kept it out of the bedroom, though.)

The parts manual has been a big help. I'm looking at the plunger exploded view....I don't know how similar it is to the 270 baler mentioned in KEH's reply up above.

NH276 is a very good, high capacity baler. Parts are still easily available. Yes, a long tube carries that grease to the proper spot. I think the squeal is likely a plunger bearing. I'd put some good oil on the area and see if the rust and gunk loosen up. My 276 bales bricks. Nice and square. Have you checked the feeder finger adjustments per the manual.
Frankly, before I would start adjusting for bale shape I would take it out in the field and put some real hay from a windrow thru it to see if it happens in real haying situations.

You have the good fortune to get a top model baler. Does it have the supersweep pickup? A nice feature.

PS: Sure wish I was still limber and supple enough to put my ear to the bale chamber near the tire. I'll have to take your word for it. Actually I could still do it....I just could not get back up afterward.

(quoted from post at 03:13:12 07/25/15) NH276 is a very good, high capacity baler. Parts are still easily available. Yes, a long tube carries that grease to the proper spot. I think the squeal is likely a plunger bearing. I'd put some good oil on the area and see if the rust and gunk loosen up. My 276 bales bricks. Nice and square. Have you checked the feeder finger adjustments per the manual.
Frankly, before I would start adjusting for bale shape I would take it out in the field and put some real hay from a windrow thru it to see if it happens in real haying situations.

You have the good fortune to get a top model baler. Does it have the supersweep pickup? A nice feature.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the pickup is a supersweep. How would I be able to tell that?

Super sweep has more pickup tines. Dividers between the fingers are only a about 2 inches wide.
Regular pickup has fewer pickup tines spaced wider apart. Dividers are about 5 inches wide.
I am guessing at the measurements. The difference is easy to see...once you know what to look for.
Supersweep is good in light crops.

I have 3 276 balers, one parts machine, a good one, and a really good one. Nice to be able to have two balers if the
rain is coming. High Capacity, great balers, as long as everything is lubed and kept in shape.

Yes, it IS a supersweep. It's funny, that was the first thing that I noticed about it. I remarked to my wife that the teeth were spaced more closely than on my friend's 269 that I had used before.

It's getting its first field test today. I put down maybe 8 acres of hay as a nice, light, checkout day.

It still has some bale shape issues, but they may have to wait until after the rain on Thursday.

Right now, I'm more concerned with getting dry bales under cover than with how pretty they are.

Lubricated the squeak away.
Put in a bale of non-descript 9000 foot plastic twine for thirty one bucks.
Greased all the zerks, lubed the chains....

My father-in-law baled with it while I was at work and adjusted it to make a decent shape.
Over two hundred bales in difficult conditions. Fields hadn't been baled in years. Hay varied from fine wispy grass to canary grass to seven foot tall goldenrod that baled up like corn stalks. Some weighed thirty pounds...some weighed seventy pounds. Every bale came out with good knots.

I'm starting to like the old girl...

Does not sound too bad. Keep the chains tensioned and lubed. It should last a very long time. I like mine.