Dopp Creek
Member
While happily baling with my MF 124 this summer, the drive rod broke at the plunger head and left a big dent in the top. I pulled it out today and it appears the impact pulled the drive end together about a 1/4" (so it is 1/4" narrower at the drive end than hay end). As well the top is pulled in 1/4" so the knife clearance at the top is a 1/4" and roughly zero at the bottom. Salvage yard wants about as much as the baler is worth for a plunger and drive rod.
I'm tempted to heat and straighten it, maybe even cut off the bent steel on top, straighten it (plunger) and weld in a replacement sheet on top. Then I would put sleeve in the ID of the drive rod to index it and then weld it together.
I want this thing to last; it has been a great baler for years. Anybody ever do this? Will it work well or am I wasting my time? Thoughts?
I'm tempted to heat and straighten it, maybe even cut off the bent steel on top, straighten it (plunger) and weld in a replacement sheet on top. Then I would put sleeve in the ID of the drive rod to index it and then weld it together.
I want this thing to last; it has been a great baler for years. Anybody ever do this? Will it work well or am I wasting my time? Thoughts?
