lastcowboy32
Well-known Member
Well... mine (NH276) was doing this here and there. More often when bale tension was high, or if hay got a little wet or at changeovers of twine balls. When it did happen, it happened on the knot on the "heavy side" of the baler. (Left side)
I figured that it was time to install new twine discs. Went and bought a new twine disc, cleaner and twine holder from the dealer. 150 bucks. This is for the newer version... three discs... two cleaners and a twine holder with two fingers. (old versions had 2, 1 and 1) They are interchangeable...but newer version holds better.
The above assumption was correct...but there is still and lingering problem and a couple of lessons learned.
Lingering problem... I'm now getting about one broken bale out of 50-ish on the same side (better than before!), but what I'm getting is a perfect knot on one end (also better than before!)... nothing on the other... also had the twine wrap on top of the billhook
So... lessons learned (and chime in if you have either critique or validation)
To get at the twine discs on my baler...
I had to remove the wiper arm...
I had to remove the twine disc worm gear, the twine disc worm drive pinion gear...and the shaft for twine disc worm drive. This allows access to the rivet holding the twine holder.
I also had to remove the billhook and the billhook pinion gear. This allows space for the twine discs to come out.
Lastly, I had to remove the twine disc pinion gear and the rivet holding the twine fingers.
Lesson 1:
When you remove this many parts from an old set of knotters... you should be ready to replace with new or good scrap! Or... do the procedure with a couple of days before baling, so if you find a cruddy part... you can replace, since you essentially have the whole knotter frame de-populated.
Commentary on Lesson 1...
I didn't have time to spare. I had hay on the ground, by the time I got to this.
Luckily, I had a spare set of knotters from a 269 that I just scrapped. I removed all of the same parts from these knotters... and compared. Bill hoook was better. (no flats on ball, better bill) Bill hook pinion gear was better (flat wasn't worn). I wished that I had a better twine disc worm drive pinion gear... or new, because there was a little wear on the one I removed. I had to re-install the old part. It wasn't terrible... but I wish I had new.
My friend "Old" will be happy to know that, since I had the wiper arm out... I did sharpen the blade, even though it seemed plenty sharp... why not.
Lesson 2...
New parts...new settings. I set the twine disc tension spring (the cantilever thingy) to the spacing in the manual, since discs, cleaner and holder were new. I set the bill hook cam spring about where the other side of the knotter was set. It's a different, better, but used billhook. Factory settings may or may not work.
Commentary on Lesson 2.
Twine disc tension was good. I'm now always getting one knot on the twine, as opposed to none. Billhook cam spring needed a little tightening, as first four bales I ran through had loosely formed knots.
Lesson 3...
Even with new parts... start baling at a light chamber tension and adjust up.
Commentary on Lesson 3:
I got cocky. I wanted to prove that I could make tight bales again, so I started in on a field of second cut (good and dry) with about middle of the road tension... Well... that fine hay packed like a mofo in the chamber and my first four bales went splat. I noticed loose knots... adjusted billhook cam spring as above... also noticed the chamber was like packed green concrete and loosened up my tension. Started making good bales.
Lesson 4... Knotter problems are onions, like Shrek... they got layers. Based on my residual issue... now I always get a knot on the #1 end... the knots I do get are perfect... tight, nice even cleanly cut tails of good length... but an occasional miss on the #2... and I had one example of the twine wrapping on top of the billhook. So... it looks like my twine disc issue was hiding a tucker finger issue.
Commentary on Lesson 4...
I did adjust my tucker fingers at the beginning of the season, but are they running exactly 1/32" from the needles, as specified???? Not hardly. My eye isn't that good.
I'm hoping that a re-adjust on my tucker finger will get me back to high reliability knots.
I'm also hoping that the lessons learned here will serve me well when I replace the twine discs on the other (right side) knotter frame, because I have that twine disc tension spring just about at full squeeze right now.
I figured that it was time to install new twine discs. Went and bought a new twine disc, cleaner and twine holder from the dealer. 150 bucks. This is for the newer version... three discs... two cleaners and a twine holder with two fingers. (old versions had 2, 1 and 1) They are interchangeable...but newer version holds better.
The above assumption was correct...but there is still and lingering problem and a couple of lessons learned.
Lingering problem... I'm now getting about one broken bale out of 50-ish on the same side (better than before!), but what I'm getting is a perfect knot on one end (also better than before!)... nothing on the other... also had the twine wrap on top of the billhook
So... lessons learned (and chime in if you have either critique or validation)
To get at the twine discs on my baler...
I had to remove the wiper arm...
I had to remove the twine disc worm gear, the twine disc worm drive pinion gear...and the shaft for twine disc worm drive. This allows access to the rivet holding the twine holder.
I also had to remove the billhook and the billhook pinion gear. This allows space for the twine discs to come out.
Lastly, I had to remove the twine disc pinion gear and the rivet holding the twine fingers.
Lesson 1:
When you remove this many parts from an old set of knotters... you should be ready to replace with new or good scrap! Or... do the procedure with a couple of days before baling, so if you find a cruddy part... you can replace, since you essentially have the whole knotter frame de-populated.
Commentary on Lesson 1...
I didn't have time to spare. I had hay on the ground, by the time I got to this.
Luckily, I had a spare set of knotters from a 269 that I just scrapped. I removed all of the same parts from these knotters... and compared. Bill hoook was better. (no flats on ball, better bill) Bill hook pinion gear was better (flat wasn't worn). I wished that I had a better twine disc worm drive pinion gear... or new, because there was a little wear on the one I removed. I had to re-install the old part. It wasn't terrible... but I wish I had new.
My friend "Old" will be happy to know that, since I had the wiper arm out... I did sharpen the blade, even though it seemed plenty sharp... why not.
Lesson 2...
New parts...new settings. I set the twine disc tension spring (the cantilever thingy) to the spacing in the manual, since discs, cleaner and holder were new. I set the bill hook cam spring about where the other side of the knotter was set. It's a different, better, but used billhook. Factory settings may or may not work.
Commentary on Lesson 2.
Twine disc tension was good. I'm now always getting one knot on the twine, as opposed to none. Billhook cam spring needed a little tightening, as first four bales I ran through had loosely formed knots.
Lesson 3...
Even with new parts... start baling at a light chamber tension and adjust up.
Commentary on Lesson 3:
I got cocky. I wanted to prove that I could make tight bales again, so I started in on a field of second cut (good and dry) with about middle of the road tension... Well... that fine hay packed like a mofo in the chamber and my first four bales went splat. I noticed loose knots... adjusted billhook cam spring as above... also noticed the chamber was like packed green concrete and loosened up my tension. Started making good bales.
Lesson 4... Knotter problems are onions, like Shrek... they got layers. Based on my residual issue... now I always get a knot on the #1 end... the knots I do get are perfect... tight, nice even cleanly cut tails of good length... but an occasional miss on the #2... and I had one example of the twine wrapping on top of the billhook. So... it looks like my twine disc issue was hiding a tucker finger issue.
Commentary on Lesson 4...
I did adjust my tucker fingers at the beginning of the season, but are they running exactly 1/32" from the needles, as specified???? Not hardly. My eye isn't that good.
I'm hoping that a re-adjust on my tucker finger will get me back to high reliability knots.
I'm also hoping that the lessons learned here will serve me well when I replace the twine discs on the other (right side) knotter frame, because I have that twine disc tension spring just about at full squeeze right now.