NH 271 Baler chains

DD in WA

Member
Over the past years I've had a couple chains fail on my 271 baler, the most recent this past weekend. Both happened to be 2040 chains that powered the pick-up tines. Luckily when this weekend's failure happened I had a new spare to get me back going. My question is this; what other chains are likely to fail (all ?) and what size are they? I'd like to get some spares before it happens so I'm not stuck with hay on the ground and unable to get a new chain for a week. One in particular I'm concerned about is the big chain that runs the tines that push hay into the bale chamber but there are others on the machine that are a different size than the 2040's that have broken. Also, any other spare parts worth having on hand? I've been running 600-700 bales through it per year for the past 17 years with not too many problems.

Thanks,

DD
 
One can do a simple test of the chains by grabbing each of them in the center area of a sprocket and pull up on it. If it pulls up say more then a 1/4-1/2 inch the chain is showing signs of being old and ready to be replaced,. Also the teeth on a sprocket should not be real sharp and if they are that to means they are showing signs of wear. One chain you want to keep on hand and know the number of links is the main drive chain it needs the have the correct number of teeth it it can and will throw things out of wack Learned that one the hard way. I have a NH271 and I have had the main drive chain break and it caused a bit of a problem and if it had not been for a good working plunger safety stop it would have turned a good baler into scrap iron
 
Chain is cheap at farm stored compared to losing crop in field with broken down equipment or crashing a baler. I replaced all the chains on my 24T baler last spring and will probably do at least the primary drive chain in the front of the baler again this winter. That one runs the shaft that drives everything except plunger.
 
my opinion if your only running that many bales a year.. replace them all..and you'll be good for a while..

I replaced my main drive chain (big one on the side of my 273 two years ago in the field) bought it from farm store and it has been fine..over 10,000 bales and still going..

Just bought a bale wagon and replace every chain on it along with the cables just because I didnt know how long they had been running.. not expensive and easy insurance in my opinion..
 
Thanks for the input. It looks like the main drive chain is a 2050 chain (from the parts diagram), sound right to you? I think I'll pick up one of those, another spare 2040 and then a 550 that drives the tine bar.
 
I would have to go out to the baler and look to be sure what the main chain is. But if and when you replace it be 1000% sure to time it correctly or it will not work. I got lucky on my 271 it had the info on a decal in the twine box that told me how to time it. I know this for sure it is easier to time a NH baler then it is to time a JD baler BTDT on both and hands down NH takes the least amount of time and work to time
 
When the feeder tine chain has an issue it usually drops the tines in front of the plunger and breaks them off. Happened on my 283. The chain didn't break it was a .15? c clip that holds the master link together. It's on the first set of tines, I would check that there is a clip on each side. So have a set of tines on the shelf too or a new chain won't do much good.
 

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