NH 326 or the NH 570 /575??

Local dealer has a NH326 on the lot that would probably sell reasonable as it needs some TLC to get back into field ready condition.

How does the feed rack system stand up on the 326?? It all looks orginal on this baler except for the feeder tracks which have been replaced recently.

Don't they still this system now on the 565?? Looks much simpler then the older 320 style. Also it has a metal tube instead of aluminum. I always wondered if a metal square tube would work in the 320 feed rack??? Wouldn't be hard to make one up and put it together. I've made the 320 aluminum finger bar from aluminum square tube stock already.

Or should a one just wait it out for one the newer generation 570-575 balers??? What year did they come out and what kind of problems was there with them??? As if I went this route I'd probably looking to get an older one etc.

thanks

I make my bales around the 50-60lb range with my old NH balers. Banana shaped bales are not really an issue. If your driving the correct speed for the swath. My 278's are very in good in this area unless your really over feeding them. I bale swaths that would give many balers grief. My 320 will do it once and a while if your under feeding it. But nothing to worry about still makes good bales for picking. Them JD grates seemed to have elimintated the problem.

You may want to try a set of those JD restrictor grates in the front of the chamber. I stuck a set on to try on the 320. Makes a differance in real dry conditions it seems in making nice even dense bales. So I stuck sets in my other 2 balers for the heck of it and will test them out in a few days. I'll run a few thousand bales throught them. That will be a good test.

JD, Hesston, and MF use them maybe more. Don't know why NH never did.

I've baled about 5000 bales on the 320 this season and it seems to be working really good. It was the most noticeable in the super dry, hard to compact hay. True test will be with all the balers running the grates and more difficult baling conditions. I have another 16K aprox. of bales to make this 1st cut. Then I'll give my observations on if they make enough of a differance to justify putting them in. I have pictures of it but I don't think you can post them on here.

Have heard different feed back on the 575's in that they like to be kept pretty full in order to make nice bales. I know that goes for all balers in general etc. However my vintage balers I run now a couple 278's and a 320 are able to make a decent bale for picking in light swaths and heavy ones. Our second cut can be light and in our climate we rarely rake the swaths together.

Does this cause a problem with broken tines on the left feed side of the bar?? The one I looked at has a different set up on the left tines unlike the older aluminum versions like on the 320. Does the 565 feed sysetm have the same set up no spring action??