Possible to store a NH68 baler outside?

If I get crazy with the tarps can I keep a NH68 square baler sitting outside through the snow and the rain?

Space is at a premium in my barn. The square baler is just a backup baler, I barely use it. It's also the cheapest piece of hay equipment I own. That being said, it works and makes a real nice bale. I also keep it inside because it seems a lot more susceptible to the weather with it's wooden slides and stuff.

So if I wrap it up really well, will it keep outside or will it rot away?

Don't know where you are located, but wrapped tight with a tarp(s) can hold condensation inside allowing sweating with temperature changes. Covered to shed the weather but having an air space around it is better, than "wrapping it really well". Condensation will still occur but can evaporate sooner if in the open. JMHO.

I can only store my IH46 outside and have since I bought it in 1988. I clean it out completely - remove any hay, chaff, etc and take out the twine bales as mice like to make nests in them. I put a good tarp
over the top only. Wind can move under it and around it. This process has worked well for me from the first day I bought the baler. I have to replace the tarp about every 3 years and use the old one as a layer
under the good one.

very nice machine, ive one with a 2 cyl wisconsin motor, tip top, very easy to operate...i store
inside, but if outside cover it up...

My 68 has never been inside over winter because I simply don't have anywhere to put it. Not optimal, but then I only know one other guy locally that stores anything inside, so I'm not alone. Get the hay out of the bale chamber, clean it good , grease it and spray it down with drain oil.

Rain is bad for it, but wind won't hurt it. Tarp it so the rain can't get to it (especially moving parts) but the wind can minimize
condensation under the tarp. Essentially that is how I store my balers in open sided sheds.

Your climate and how wet the soil is under the machine might determine how much water condenses under a tarp. Venting the bottom of the tarp to let air flow through can help dry any condensation that does occur. Some padding over sharp corners can extend the life of a tarp.

Graphite spray paint is another alternative to oil, it prevents rust, leaves a slick surface, lasts long in storage but wears off quickly in use, and collects less dirt, but can be harder to apply and more expensive than used oil.

As said pad sharp areas and tarp just the top side. Remove any hay and oil the bale chamber. I don't like balers outside but it
is the best that you are going to do.

My NH271 sits out side 24/7 365. It works when I want it to and has been that way for well over a decade

(quoted from post at 21:51:55 09/22/21) If I get crazy with the tarps can I keep a NH68 square baler sitting outside through the snow and the rain?

Space is at a premium in my barn. The square baler is just a backup baler, I barely use it. It's also the cheapest piece of hay equipment I own. That being said, it works and makes a real nice bale. I also keep it inside because it seems a lot more susceptible to the weather with it's wooden slides and stuff.

So if I wrap it up really well, will it keep outside or will it rot away?

Click to expand...

I'd make an effort to keep it in, at least during winter when you can pack things in tight and close the doors, but in reality it will likely be fine outside if there is no hay left in it and it's parked where the sun and wind can dry it off.

I drove by a farm in early summer 2020 with a MF baler in the field and 2019 hay still in the chamber and the 2020 hay growing around it, drove by in 2021 and it had moved an new bales were out of it.....

Winter is worse for me because the sheep move into the barn, so I have less space. But by the sounds of it, it could work if I get all the hay out, get it covered but still let air flow through it.

In my area balers have set outside for years. Tarps cause moisture and cause more rust

No equipment around here gets stored in sheds . The nice
thing about storing outside is never have heard or seen of
equipment parked outside ketch fire and lose it all like you
would inside a barn or shop

My balers stay outside with a sheet of rubber roofing on them. We have no problem with condensation.
The biggest problem is leaving hay in them over the off seasons and that includes all the dust and chaff.
So cleaning them out in September 100% and greasing them is a must.

Our balers have set outside for years without much issue.

I second all of the comments above about cleaning the baler out for the winter.

I want to add, cleaning a baler out for the winter for storage is only part of protecting it.

I'm actually just as concerned with getting chaff and stuff off of it when it's done baling for the day.

It used to be a pain in the butt, to get it back to the barn and try to weasel the baler through the driveway (usually with fully loaded haywagons waiting to be unloaded) to get to the air compressor at the end of the day.

Nowadays? This summer, I bought a cordless leaf blower... a 40V Kobalt model from Lowes. That thing is a lifesaver. It's really easy to get the leafblower to the field at the end of the day, and it only takes a few minutes to blow the chaff and stuff out of the knotters, the plunger chamber, the needle pan... and all of the little angles on the thrower, bale chamber and such.

That stuff blows out easily when it's dry. Wait for a rain, or even a heavy dew, and you have gooey, gummy stuff that can rot metal fast.

It's especially important for the area where the haydog springs are and under/around the knotters.

Otherwise, if the knotters are cleaned and greased, all of the moving parts are fairly resistant to rain. The grease seals it out.

Plastic tarps are death to an implement, almost can't have enough ventilation. If one feels one must cover, spend a few more bucks and buy canvas tarps.