We've used NH balers since 1975 and still have the first one my father bought! Which has done probably a good 800,000 bales by now with no problems with "banana bales" as you call them when run correctly.Balers 1st need to be set properly according to the operators manual. Then it has to be in good condtion. Especailly the plunger knives and clearances etc. Next you need to drive at the right speed as to not over feed the baler. For my bales for the NH balewagon I like a 38" bale with about 12-15 strokes in it. Only time I've seen a banana bale with our old NH balers is when the driver is trying to ram bales through with only 8 strokes per bale. Sure the baler is heavy duty enough to do this but it makes poor bales!!! Our old balers make nice bales that pick good. This new 575 makes nice bales in light or heavy swaths it seems to me. I have no complaints about bale shape or length problems. I think so far it's done 2500 bales this week. I do all the picking about 30-40,000 bales a year so I like nice bales and really the old NH's have done just fine over the years. When I have to pick 3 or 4000 bales in a day I have no time to fool around with "poor shapped bales". We go out set the tension when we start (and through out the day) and get baling!!! Once the baler is set it all comes down to the driver making sure they are making bales with the correct amount of strokes. Only complaint I have with the old 278's is the feed rack system that is high maintance and can crash up. If it wasn't for this I think these old balers would run for another million bales. JD balers work fine too but are they really any better?? I can't say as everone has a different opinion on it. Some guys swear by the Hesston inline and would never think of using a NH or a JD!! If you feel a JD baler will work better for your condtions you should get one then.
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