Problem with hydraulic tie on MF1560 baler

Rod

Next check the condition of the nylon bushings on the twine tube and the tie(?) arm pivots. They are located on that angle iron that runs across the top front of the baler. While these are pretty thin, if they are worn out or missing, the resulting slop will not let everything work right.

If you look in the parts listing you will see where the twine tube, twine arm and lower plate( where the knife mounts) meet, there is a steel bushing. If this is worn or missing it will not allow the lower plate to rotate the knife up to cut the string. I can't remember right, but I think that there may even be some adjustment on how these parts assemble to increase or decrease how much the knife pivots upwards at the end of the hydraulic cylinder extension.

With all the pieces right, the last little bit of cylinder extension should bring the knife up and into the twine in a forcefull manner.

There is still one more adjustment to make. Where the twine feeds into the twine tube, there is a special flat headed bolt that pinches the twine against the tube when the hydraulic cylinder reaches full extension. This applies tension on the twine. Too little tension and it will not pull over the knife and cut. Too much, and the twine will break where it feeds into the twine tie tube. It must be just right. Try adusting the bolt in 1/8 of a turn increments.

I know this reply will sound long winded, but I had both balers so I probably had to manually cut only one bale in a thousand.

Hope this helps

John

New manual from Vermeer dealer (I paid for it, didn't know the company sent out free, dealer didn't mention....) glosses over the twine tie, doesn't mention adjusting a darn thing. I was disappointed.....

No tab on the knife to hold the twine in place? Just a dull knife blade, twine doesn't ever really seem to stay on it, drops off the bottom....

The knife is supposed to pivot up more than the twine tube - or do you just mean the whole assembly has to rise up high enough? There is no 'extra' pivot of just the knife tho is there?

Oh, the 'twine tensioner' clamp thing just outside the twine box has a bunch of flat washers on it - no spring. Shouldn't this have a spring on it to set some tension on the twine? Don't understand the flat washers at all.

That little metal head at the top of the twine tube needs to be adjusted on mine. That is the only thing I really knew for sure.

But with the dull knife, and the twine never stays on it anyhow, didn't think it would ever make much difference....

Would like to get it to actually tie off a bale now & then. Legs are getting older....

--->Paul

Get that new plate with the tab or weld a small piece of metal to the end of yours to stop the twine from rolling off the knife. Make sure the bushings are OK per my previous post. Extend the twine tie cylinder all the way. The plate the knife bolts on has a slot with a carriage bolt and nut. The rest of the carriage bolt moves freely in the slot on the end of the twine tie arm. Loosen the Carriage bolt on the plate and adjust it so the knife pushes up against the twine more aggressively. Tighten the carriage bolt back up. As the cylinder retracts the mechanism rotates the knife away from the twine, so don't be afraid to move it up. If you move it too far up, it might cut the twine a foot in from the edge instead of 3 or 4 inches. If so, adjust it until it cuts closer to the edge of the bale.

Adjust the flat headed bolt where the twine enters the twine tie tube. This is critical because it provides twine tension while cutting. The tension on the side of the baler, near the twine box, only provides tension for wrapping the bale.

Don't be afraid to try different adjustments. If the tie is not workinig properly now, what do you have to lose? Other than the exercise of climbing in and out of the cab every bale. BTDT and that's why I spent the time figuring out how to make the darned thing work right.

John

If I ever get the corn picking/ combining done... ;)

--->Paul

Re-read your post. If you don't have a manual, get one. If your MF dealer can't get one try Vermeer. The operator's manual also included a parts manual. Any other questions e-mail me.

John