New Holland 68 w/Wisconsin Engine

kopeck

Member
I fellow I know down the road has offered me a 68 Hayliner with the Wisconsin engine.

I guess when he bought it a few years ago he had the old service fellow that used to work at the NH dealer rebuild the engine. I don't know how through the rebuild was but he said it ran great for a few years. The last time he used it the engine developed a tick. He was nervous so he shut it down. He tried running it a few times after but it ticked so he gave up on it and got a "new" 310. He said it baled well when put away. It hasn't been in a shed but he did tarp it.

So first off is there an obvious reason the engine would all of a sudden pick up a tick? I've read the THD/TFD (not sure which it has) had issues with the exhaust valve sticking (which could make some noise). Other then that they seem to be pretty tough.

Any ideas? He shot me a price that seems to be around the average for working baler of the same vintage. That probably isn't realistic if the engine needs work. I've never been around Wisconsin engines other then chasing my grandfather's 14T years ago.

K
 


Get a PTO shaft assy and sell the Wisconsin. The 68 is a good baler, the Wisconsin a good engine. It's just a lot easier on the baler to use PTO power.
 
(quoted from post at 04:05:21 06/14/17)

Get a PTO shaft assy and sell the Wisconsin. The 68 is a good baler, the Wisconsin a good engine. It's just a lot easier on the baler to use PTO power.

It's crossed my mind. I'm guessing the PTO shaft & clutch are probably not the most inexpensive setup to come by though.

I'm trying to come up with a offer for him. I know we don't like to get into appraisals here but if "working" machines like it are around $1000 does $600 seem pretty fair? Seems the PTO shaft or moderate engine work could be $300 to $400 pretty easily.

K
 
IF you can find the complete PTO drive then do so. That Wisconsin motor is a PAIN to deal with baling. IF you shut them off hot forget starting them until they cool down. The PTO assembly will not be cheap as you usually find them missing the PTO shafts themselves. People break/wear out theirs and they get sold first off of a salvage baler.

As for value the motor drive with a non running motor hurts it at least 50%. So I would not want to give more than $400-500 IF the rest of the baler is real good. IF it is not then skip it and buy a working PTO drive baler. Your life will be much simpler.

I usually walk away from balers that have been stored out side. Even tarped they usually have knotter issues from rust and exposure to the elements.
 
We had a 66 bought new with the 2 cylinder wisconsion and it was rebuilt onec with cylinders bored and would need it again soon when we got rid of the baler but it was only because we got a thrower baler and we could not get one for that 66. The engine if properly maintained and most were not was not hard to start. That hard to start warm was from overheating and that came from the air passages in the housing not being cleaned every time the baler went out and it would plug so no air would get over the engine to cool it, same as a water cooled running with a pluged radiator and no faf blowing air over the engine. And even tho I have not baled since 1981 I know I would prefer an engine over a power take off as you can adjust your speed better for uneven size winrows.. I did bale for a few years with PTO and no live power that gave no problems except when you should be able to increase your ground speed or slow it down you could not do it. That is the same reason the self propelled combine with the variable speed drive became popular. So you could adjust travel speed to what you needed not what the maker of the tractor thought you needed. If I was still baling I would want that engine if I had a live pto tractor, only excemption would be a hydrostatic tractor. But baling is out for me as I am now 73 and not in good health.
 
I have a Massey # 10 that came with pto drive and bale with a H, could not go slow enough to get the huge windrows that they make with swathers through baler. I completely rebuilt a wisconsin THD and mounted on on baler, now i can go whatever speed needed or stop if needed. Have never killed the engine it will shear a bolt first and it will bale just as fast as the pto driven. You can turn around with it and go down the same row and no driveshaft chattering.
The wisconsin is a good engine but like leroy said they have to be maintained(kept clean, oil changed and air cleaner serviced regular) or you will have trouble. If you can find one with a starter it is a plus. I would never go back to a pto.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.

For my needs, which are not a lot, PTO or engine driven is fine. Right now my field and my parents fields are cut by another friend. He just tends to leave A LOT of hay standing because of the funny shape of my field, lets just say he doesn't like slow down. I still have all the other hay tools from my grandfather, I'm just missing the baler. I would be using it for cleaning up and probably second crop.

After doing a lot of searching Craigslist and our local swap and sell it sounds like I need to think pretty hard about a counter offer. The engine could be pandora's box (like anything I suppose) and a full PTO unit isn't going to come cheap. When I can get a 268 w/PTO "field ready" for the asking price of $1200 then $1000 doesn't make sense for a 68 that needs work. There's also a International 440 for $1000 down the road, I've heard mixed reviews on those and it's been left out side for a while.

K
 

It may depend on location, but finding a PTO set up for a 68 should be about as easy as it comes. I can't imagine anyone wanting more than a hunnert bucks or so at the extreme for whole set up.

As far as using an engine vs PTO, in our hay the Wisconsin just wasn't enough engine. I run my 68 with a 55hp tractor and it's worlds better than the Wisconsin.
 

I would definitely go with the 268 over the IHC simply for parts availability and repair knowledge available.
 
We never found the 2 cylinder Wisconsin engine lacking power on the 66, when we got the McCormick with kicker the 28 horse John Deere B had plenty of power, actually pulled the baler easier that the 39 horse John Deere AR. The A was on the 4 row cultivator and the Farmall H 27 horse was on the 9' Case haybine. and now need for more power their either.
 
Unless you are very short on tractor HP, a PTO baler and a tractor with live PTO should be much handier than an engine powered baler.

Four cylinder Wisconsin engines can be very hard to restart after they are warmed up. They often needed to cool down for close to an hour before they would restart. Owners need to become good at refueling while the engine stays running.
 
(quoted from post at 05:11:03 06/15/17)
I would definitely go with the 268 over the IHC simply for parts availability and repair knowledge available.

Yeah, I would too. Most people I know that had IHC balers had love hate relationships with them, mostly hate. I think the 440 is a better unit but from what I see parts are getting hard to come by.

NH and JD are the most common here and for good reason.

Re PTO shaft: In my location most used stuff is treated as gold IF you can find it. I used to watch stuff sell in the Mid-West for a quarter of what it goes for around here. That being said there's been a shift recently and prices are coming down. Even last year a good 68 like baler would bring $1500 - $2000. All spring I've been watching baler with $1000ish dollar asking prices just sit.

K
 
(quoted from post at 07:18:26 06/15/17) Unless you are very short on tractor HP, a PTO baler and a tractor with live PTO should be much handier than an engine powered baler.

Four cylinder Wisconsin engines can be very hard to restart after they are warmed up. They often needed to cool down for close to an hour before they would restart. Owners need to become good at refueling while the engine stays running.

My Grandfather's 14T had the 4 cylinder Wisconsin and that thing was a bugger at times. The great sin was running out of gas...

I think ideally a PTO engine would be better simply because it's one less engine to take care of. I'm sure you guys know what that's all about.

What makes me a bit more inclined to peruse this one is it's close by and I trust the owner would tell me the truth. "Field Ready" mean almost nothing to me these days, just because it work 15 years ago doesn't mean it's going to today...

K
 

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