Tripping Empty Knotters.....

Bill VA

Well-known Member
The manual for my JD348 says, "Never trip baler at full rpm without twine in twine disk holder."

It's a guarantee that during the change over of twine balls that my knot will come undone - sometimes. At that point I've got an empty knotter cycling.

Anyone busted a knotter because it didn't have twine in it?
a217680.jpg
 
Only the tongue of the billhook is at risk. If the tongue is open and no twine to close it, it can be damaged as it rotates. However, I have seen them repeatedly tripped at speed without damage with no twine in either knotter.
 
Just trip it and run it over at idle. Doesn't have to be at full speed. I've done it many times with no ill effects, but I guess something could happen.

David
 
(quoted from post at 16:24:54 02/29/16) The manual for my JD348 says, "Never trip baler at full rpm without twine in twine disk holder."

It's a guarantee that during the change over of twine balls that my knot will come undone - sometimes. At that point I've got an empty knotter cycling.

Anyone busted a knotter because it didn't have twine in it?
a217680.jpg
Maybe john deere might give you a direct answer to that imperative? Personally I hate those kind of instructions that do not give a least some kind of reason why.
 
Well it's going to happen and I am sure JD knows this. Poorly written instructions are nothing new in ag equipment. I have two JD balers and on occasion have run several hundred feet before realizing knotters were not working properly. Never had any damage. I even had one time I ran two rows of wet hay onto a wagon with no twine in...just pushed it out loose. No damage done. Probably shouldn't have done it but no damage occurred and it cleaned up the field.
 
Have inadvertently done that dozens of times with a NH 268. No damage I can see, other than bales don't get tied, and you have to rebale. Did I tell you I hate rebales?
 
I used to have strings pull apart,too. Started not trimming the 'tails' from the splices. Now I just leave a 3 to 6" 'tail'. The splice never comes apart now.Doesnt interfere/cause problems with a long tail,except when it ties right on the splice.That has happened once in about 5 years.
 
Are you using a square knot when you tie the balls together? Pull it tight and leave an inch or so of tail on the twine. Never had any problem with the knot coming loose.
 

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