NH Super 66

I am having issues with bale compactness and twine tightness. Any and all advice would be amazing. I am very new and know the basics. I have been posting on haytalk and a few people recommended I try here.
 
Make sure the hay dogs are working as they should be. The hay dogs keep the hay in place as the plunger goes back to compact another bunch of hay. If the springs on any of the hay dogs are bad that will cause a problem like your having
 
as mentioned, wedges(restrictors) on both sides of the bale chamber, the more the better. I don't know if super 66 has the hydraulic tensioner or not. even if it does you may still need to tighten down on tension bolts. Type of hay makes a lot of difference, short really dry hay is tough to make a tight bale out of no matter what you do
 
forgot to mentioin, feed rate of hay makes a lot of difference. Most balers I have opperated bale better when feeder is kept full. If you have small windrows, roll 2 together and it may work better.
 
(quoted from post at 13:17:38 08/29/16) forgot to mentioin, feed rate of hay makes a lot of difference. Most balers I have opperated bale better when feeder is kept full. If you have small windrows, roll 2 together and it may work better.

All good advice so far, check your hay dogs. Make sure that the plunger is shimmed tight in the chamber.

I assume that you know how to adjust bale tension on your baler?

A 66 is an oldy-goldy, it probably has two big screw handles just behind the knotters. You've adjusted them, right?

Feed rate will, as already mentioned, affect bale shape and density.

Most balers operate best (I've read, and my experience is similar) when you are putting hay through fast enough to get a bale about every 13 to maybe 20 plunger strokes. A couple of times, with an old Ford that had a really fast first gear, I made bales at six plunger strokes per bale, but that's pushing the edge of breaking a shear pin, and you often, when pushing that hard, get uneven length bales, as the slabs (flakes) are really big, and it's a crap shoot as to whether the knotters activate before or after one of those big slabs get put into the bale.

I've gotten into the habit, now, of listening for the needles and knotter to activate, and then counting plunger strokes in my head until I hear it again. If it's too many plunger strokes, then either the winrow isn't big enough, or your ground speed is too slow.

My own personal take on that is, like the previous poster said, if you need to feed the baler faster, it's better to rake a bigger winrow by doubling or tripling, or whatever, until you get a nice feed rate. If you try to get a higher feed rate by driving faster, then you're going to bang your nice baler all over the field.


That's all sort of been covered by previous posters.

I have maybe one new thing to add.

One thing that I also check for with an old baler is the length of the "dinosaur teeth", the big shiny aluminum teeth behind the pickup that sweep the hay across.

A friend of mine inherited an old 269 baler. He wondered why his bale shape was a little loose and odd. I took out a couple of the "dinosaur teeth" and took them to the dealer to compare to new ones.

Found out that they should have been about 15 inches long, but they were worn down to about half of that. Short teeth won't sweep the hay across to the plunger properly.
 
I would also take a look at the packer fingers on the end of the wadboard they will get beat up by the plunger if the wadboard chain breaks,as that is what packs the hay in the bale chamber after the auger brings it in from the pick-up.
 
I did not realize windrow size was such an
important factor. The windrows I was baling
were small and the length of the grass was
on the shorter end. I do have 1 set of stops
or wedges. I called the dealership and they
said the 66 was only designed to have 1 set.
The hay dogs 2 top and 2 bottom are in
position and the springs are working. My
bale chamber is rusty so it was suggested
that I take a wire wheel to it to shine it
up. I am aware of the bale tensioners at
the end of the chute. The manual suggests
starting about half way down the bolt and
adjusting from there. I am really hoping I
can make a nice bale by increasing windrow
size. I honestly didn't realize it would be
so hard to to make a nice bale.
 
I wouldn't worry about the rust in the bale chamber - if anything, until the hay wears it down, it will add a tiny bit of resistance - which is good. Won't take long for the hay to "wire brush" the innards of your bale chamber.

Go out and about and look at some used square balers on a few dealer lots and look at the wedges in them. Also mash their haydog springs. There are broken haydog springs and weak haydog springs. Yours might be OK, not broke, but weak. Wedges - you can add two more, one each side. When looking at the other balers, you will see these additional wedges and take some measurements to drill holes to mount another set in your baler.

A word of caution - if your dealer is like some of the ones in my neck of the woods, you already know more about your baler and how it ought to work than they do. So take what they say - like, "not designed to..." with a grain of salt.

Also - spend some time on youtube. There are some good videos of the New Holland 66 balers at work. Look at the windrows for that baler in the videos and other balers, such as the New Holland 68, 69, 268, 273, Deere 14T and 24T for a feel/visual of windrow size.
 
(quoted from post at 21:56:39 08/29/16) I did not realize windrow size was such an
important factor. The windrows I was baling
were small and the length of the grass was
on the shorter end. I do have 1 set of stops
or wedges. I called the dealership and they
said the 66 was only designed to have 1 set.
The hay dogs 2 top and 2 bottom are in
position and the springs are working. My
bale chamber is rusty so it was suggested
that I take a wire wheel to it to shine it
up. I am aware of the bale tensioners at
the end of the chute. The manual suggests
starting about half way down the bolt and
adjusting from there. I am really hoping I
can make a nice bale by increasing windrow
size. I honestly didn't realize it would be
so hard to to make a nice bale.

Once you get tension and feed rate sorted out you will be making nice bales. A good sized windrow would be about 24 inches wide by about 18 inches high. If you make them 50% bigger you can make bales like these 40 inch nine flakers.
39844.jpg
:)
 
I don't know if it's my only problem but I
am certain my windrow size needs to double
or in some cases triple. I need to fix the
drive chain for the pickup tines. I think I
need to adjust it a little higher. I'm
thinking I hit some unlevel ground and
that's what broke the chain.

I'm also working on a IH 27V sickle bar. I
have a field out back I need to cut. I am
very much a beginner and appreciate all the
help. I'll try to post some pictures.
 

Don't take this the wrong way, but as someone who started out with things like a completely worn out 68 baler, 27V sickle bar and busted Oliver rake, do yourself a favor and start looking for a decent haybine, at least an operators manual for the baler (if not a much newer baler) and a good rake. I assure you that on the course you are on now, you will literally spend years rebuilding every component of what you have now, hours and hours searching for obsolete parts, weeks trying to find an old farmer who can tell you exactly why whatever is going wrong is happening and hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars replacing things that will still leave you with a barely functioning implement. I've spent 20 years getting my 68 baler to the point it makes decent bales and I'm not done yet. I don[t think anything wears faster than farm machinery and it's a constant battle to keep things going. I understand that old stuff is cheap and "cool", but just be aware you can't always make a sows ear into a silk purse. If nothing else, dump that sickle bar back int he fence row and go spend a bit on a haybine, drum mower or disc mower. If you look through the archives here you'll see thousands of guys trying to make a worn out sickle bar work right. They are a precision cutting instrument and the factors involved in getting one working right are numerous. There is a reason they are all sitting in fence rows! A good one is a joy, a bad one will give you headaches that never end.

Just my 2 cents based on decades of going "cheap".
 
If I had other options than going "cheap" I would gladly choose that path. However, I am in a limited funds situation so I need
to make the best with that I have. I totally understand that equipment wears and old equipment wears 100x faster. All of my
equipment is OLD!

Farmall 200 and Farmall BN
NH Super 66 - Baler
IH 27V - Sickle Bar
NH 256 - Rake

I need to get a few years behind my belt. See if I can fund some equipment upgrades with some hay sales. In order to have
sellable bales they need to be decent shaped and tightness.
 
I have the owners manual for my baler and rake. I am in the process of buying the manual for the sickle bar. The manual explains things but to bad it doesn't make the
repair and pay for it...
 
I'm not sure I know what you mean about two big screw handles just behind the knotters. It has the bale tensioners at the end of the chamber/chute.
 
The wadboard looks in pretty good condition. It has the pointy fingers on the end. None are cracked and it looks good. The baler was stored inside by the previous owner and I store it inside.
 
Have not read all the replys. That baler will make a very nice straight tight bale if in proper condition and adjusted. Probably just if all parts are good just need to learn how to adjust. The basic difference between the 66 and A66 is the way the knoters measure, the S66 you can set to about any length from 24" up where the 66 that I had was limited to 30", 36" or 42" bales.
 
A NH 256 is a good rake. I haven't read all the replies but it seems your windrows are small which make it hard to get good bales. Maybe rake 2 windrows together and try that. It makes a difference. Good luck - Bob
 
Sounds like you don't have enough resistance to sliding in the bale chamber. Bales are sliding out too easily for some reason. Get more hay compacted into the bale and the twine will be tight.
 
That baler can make good bales with any size or shape winrows. Sounds like something is not working as should in bale chamber.
 
(quoted from post at 12:48:35 08/30/16) If I had other options than going "cheap" I would gladly choose that path. However, I am in a limited funds situation so I need
to make the best with that I have. I totally understand that equipment wears and old equipment wears 100x faster. All of my
equipment is OLD!

Farmall 200 and Farmall BN
NH Super 66 - Baler
IH 27V - Sickle Bar
NH 256 - Rake

I need to get a few years behind my belt. See if I can fund some equipment upgrades with some hay sales. In order to have
sellable bales they need to be decent shaped and tightness.

Well, at least you have a good rake. If you have to make do, then get an operators manual for the baler ASAP. You HAVE to have the information in the manual to begin to understand why and how things work. As far as the sickle bar, again a manual is a huge help. Each section/guard interface is a pair of scissors blades. They have to be sharp, tight and at the right angles to work. The cutter bar lead needs to be proper and if you don't understand what that is, you need the manual. See if there are any older farmers in your area that can mentor you through the process of getting these things working right. If funds are tight then throwing money at things int he hope they might help is just going to make it worse!
 
(quoted from post at 16:12:47 08/30/16) I'm not sure I know what you mean about two big screw handles just behind the knotters. It has the bale tensioners at the end of the chamber/chute.

He means the bale tension cranks. Tighten them and see if the chamber end is getting smaller, giving you tighter bales. Could be something broken, stripped threads, etc if it's not.

My experience tells me that those older NH balers like to be almost choked with hay. Rake 2 or 3 or even 4 windrows together if you have to. Light hay doesn't feed the same as heavier hay and you tend to get misshaped bales wit light windrows. Better a heavier windrow and slower ground speed than a light windrow and faster ground speed.

Is it tying good? My old 68 showed me that sisal twine quality has gone to the dogs. Changed to plastic twine and my knotting problem virtually disappeared with the change. I've had one hung knot out of several thousand bales and maybe 3 missed knots over 4 years. Thats outstanding for a 58 year old baler. A good tight bale also helps make for good tying.
 
(quoted from post at 15:16:13 08/31/16) Yes it is tying good. I'm going to try the larger windrow with slow speed.

If you go slow you will negate the big windrow, It can draw in only what it can reach. I bet you are running it at half the correct RPMs too, trying to baby it. That is very hard on a baler, especially an old one.
 
(quoted from post at 20:02:06 08/31/16)
(quoted from post at 15:16:13 08/31/16) Yes it is tying good. I'm going to try the larger windrow with slow speed.

If you go slow you will negate the big windrow, It can draw in only what it can reach. I bet you are running it at half the correct RPMs too, trying to baby it. That is very hard on a baler, especially an old one.

This is true! They need to run at rated speed which is going to be at least 60-65 strokes a minute. The manual will tell you for sure. Operating at rated rpm means the flywheel can do it's job. If you have a tractor that doesn't have a speed that allows you to run at rated strokes per minute you have to build your windrow to come as close as you can. You want hay going into the baler every stroke but you don't want to have so much hay going in you are killing the baler. This is where tractors with live PTO and multiple speed trannies come into play. For instance, on my 68 running it with a David Brown 990 I run about 1800 engine rpm in 2nd gear in high range with the creeper engaged for a doubled windrow...this year! In a wetter year it might be 1st gear or low range in another gear. You have to play around and find what works.

A bit OT- My 68 originally came with a Wisconsin 2cyl and not PTO. The rated speed was supposed to be 63-65 SPM or something like that, but the Wisconsin never came close to that in hay. I believe this is part of why I have so much flywheel bushing and shear pin bushing wear.
 
This baler is motor driven not pto. I have
the motor full throttle. I have bigger
windrows and I'll pick up the ground speed a
little.
 
I did some baling today and was very happy with the results. It must have been the windrow size and ground speed. I double up the windrows and kept a faster pace. The
bales were very much tighter and compact. The bales were still a bit light but that was because I was baling bone dry straight grass.
 
(quoted from post at 14:55:40 09/02/16) I did some baling today and was very happy with the results. It must have been the windrow size and ground speed. I double up the windrows and kept a faster pace. The
bales were very much tighter and compact. The bales were still a bit light but that was because I was baling bone dry straight grass.

If they are light compared to most bales that you have handled, and you want them a little heavier, you can achieve that with your tensioners at the back.
 
(quoted from post at 14:55:40 09/02/16) I did some baling today and was very happy with the results. It must have been the windrow size and ground speed. I double up the windrows and kept a faster pace. The
bales were very much tighter and compact. The bales were still a bit light but that was because I was baling bone dry straight grass.

I'm glad that you are getting things going in the direction that you want. My wife just did some great bales with our baler and an unfamiliar tractor, in different sized windrows with just a few simple instructions:

You should hear the plunger going like the ticking of a clock...about one stroke per second.

You should listen for the knotters activating somewhere around every 11 plunger strokes (a number that I've revised down, based on experience with our 276)

Just listen to your baler. Get a feel for a good plunger tempo. Count the number of plunger strokes per bale (listen for when the knotter activates to tell you when a bale is "done") that works for your baler to make a good bale.

Once you've gotten an ear for it, you can adjust your ground speed on the fly just by listening to your baler. It worked for her, and she doesn't have that much experience.

Again...glad that you're happy with your results.
 
(quoted from post at 12:25:56 09/06/16)
(quoted from post at 14:55:40 09/02/16) I did some baling today and was very happy with the results. It must have been the windrow size and ground speed. I double up the windrows and kept a faster pace. The
bales were very much tighter and compact. The bales were still a bit light but that was because I was baling bone dry straight grass.

I'm glad that you are getting things going in the direction that you want. My wife just did some great bales with our baler and an unfamiliar tractor, in different sized windrows with just a few simple instructions:

You should hear the plunger going like the ticking of a clock...about one stroke per second.

You should listen for the knotters activating somewhere around every 11 plunger strokes (a number that I've revised down, based on experience with our 276)

Just listen to your baler. Get a feel for a good plunger tempo. Count the number of plunger strokes per bale (listen for when the knotter activates to tell you when a bale is "done") that works for your baler to make a good bale.

Once you've gotten an ear for it, you can adjust your ground speed on the fly just by listening to your baler. It worked for her, and she doesn't have that much experience.

Again...glad that you're happy with your results.

I always listened to my radio and the faint hum of the AC blower.
 

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