Lance Kerr

New User
We have a 2002 NH 488. purchased new. I hear great things about them. I have no luck with this unit. It has been well maintained and cuts 160 acres a season. Several issues. 1st. The reel pulsates. 2nd. It has never cut a nice clean swath(pulls). 2nd cutting or 1st. cutting. 3rd. If the hay is not in perfect condition it will bang the rollers and bind up. We use a 584 IH, to pull the unit and doesn't matter what rpm we run in. I've replaced cutter bars and double checked tolerances on the unit. I would love to see the 488 live up to its reputation.

Thanks Lance Kerr
 
Are the pto joints in phase? Is the sickle in proper register? Sickle bushing worn?....it"s 11 years old. Are the rolls timed properly? Worn roller chains? Definitely out of proper adjustment.
 
In addition, make ALL reel adjustments to match your crop, ground speed, and field conditions.
 
Tractor Guru, Thanks for the quick reply. I have no idea on the questions you asked. (sorry for being ignorant) except for the one. The sickle bushing is new. The chain and sprockets look good and per the manual are with in the envelope. I had Bull International from our area look at it. They had me shim the sickle bar to 10 ths. and it definitely helped. Still something wrong. hates 2nd. cutting. Can you recommend a manual or literature that I could use to help with the questions you asked.

Thanks Lance Kerr
 
What kind of guards are on it? I like the long guards but all my hay is grass. Is it plugging the knives and then banging through the rollers if you back up? Curious to hear what you come up with. I have a 488 and 479 and get along well.
 
I have both the long guards and the snub guards. We cut Timothy and orchard grass mix. The snub guards work the best for us. I have even tried a sickle bar with dual blades. It does plug up, especially on the fare end.
 
I ran a 488 of the same vintage a number of years. It needed a fair amount of adjustment when it was new from the dealer.

1. I did experience the reel pulsation you mentioned. The large diameter pulley on the end of the reel is constructed of two halves riveted together. The rivets were very poorly installed and allowed the pulley halves to separate and in turn made the reel appear to pulse. Grind out the rivets and replace with bolts and nylock nuts. There is also a reel speed adjustment using shims on the reel drive pulley.

2. Header flotation will affect cutter bar performance. Check to see if it has the correct ground pressure listed in the manual with a bathroom scale. Note: the drive side of the header is heavier and will require more spring tension.

3. The machine is asking the reel to do a quite a lot. Keep the guards clear, pick up downed crop, and transport the crop up to the rollers from the sickle. In shorter crops it gets to be a real challenge. The cam track can be rotated to change how the reel feeds the rollers in a short crop. Unfortunately, the manual does not give a lot of help on reel adjustment.

Hope this helps.

Bob
 
I have a 2004 and I found the center of the main drive pulley broken out. Other items to check are the rubber bushing in the end of the sickle and check the wobble box bearings.
 
We almost always run in 4th low. Some times 3rd. depending on hay thickness. I have tried numerous speeds and RPM's. With very little change.
 
I haven't checked the center pulley for damage. Will do a visual. Bushing is new. and the wobble box bearings are in good shape.

Thanks
 
I have 1 purchased new in the 70's. It will eat anything you can put thru it and do it smoothly. Its got to be something bent or out of adjustment, good luck.
 

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