If you're putting bales through a mixer wagon, then sharp, in fact, REALLY SERIOUSLY SHARP knives more important than the brand of baler
Round baler advice for small holding
- Thread starter Macleanr
- Start date
Wellytrack
Member
Personally I think you will be wasting time and diesel trying to grind up unchopped bales.
Yeah,buy a new set of blades,if you’ve not got too many stones,should do 2/3 years without even sharpening.Only sharpened mine once in 7000 bales.
- Location
- north Wales
Changed a RP12 we'd had since 1990 for a lely 235 this year ....what a difference!!! Not 1 blockage or breakdown of any sort over 900 bales, it's made the job 10 times easier!!Hello there
I’m thinking of upgrading an welger rp12 which we have had since 1986 ! It has served us well and apart from the odd fartbeen pretty faultless and simple. Ideally I’m after something reliable, not loaded with science fiction and easy to repair efficient .
I was thinking of a more modern welger or class however I’m seeing various others which I’m clueless about ie krone, JD , Vicon etc. Anyone out there got experiences of what are good and what are best to avoid?
As always any info appreciated
Attachments
- Location
- Somerset Devon border.
We had an RP12 from new for a number of years, what a hateful barstewarding thing that was, slow, string, absolutely would not bale very dry barley straw ............. so Dad bought another Welger 
, traded it in for a new RP202 Special (just looked it up, can't quite believe that was in 2008), what a revelation, done approx 1000 bales a year since with no mayor problems at all, absolutely flies along, had my friendly mechanic go right through it last winter and he said what ever you do, don't buy a new one !!!!
, traded it in for a new RP202 Special (just looked it up, can't quite believe that was in 2008), what a revelation, done approx 1000 bales a year since with no mayor problems at all, absolutely flies along, had my friendly mechanic go right through it last winter and he said what ever you do, don't buy a new one !!!!Did something similar a few years ago. Changed from an rp12 to a rp202. Made baling much easier and faster.
But a few things to consider,
There is at least 50% more grass in a bale. That is 50% more weight per bale. Can your tractor lift the extra weight on a wet year? Every time you open a bale there is 50% more food per bale, will it all be eaten before it starts to heat?
But a few things to consider,
There is at least 50% more grass in a bale. That is 50% more weight per bale. Can your tractor lift the extra weight on a wet year? Every time you open a bale there is 50% more food per bale, will it all be eaten before it starts to heat?
- Location
- Somerset
We have a JD572 round baler. Belts, which are good for hay and straw. We like the belts for straw because we unroll the bales, make a nice solid centre so you can unrol them all the way, unlike roller ones which fall apart. Its OK at silage, not very good if its very very damp as no rotofeeder, and doesnt like short wet grass either. If you're doing thick crops of nice long ryegrass you'll be fine just following your mower, and you can go at a fair speed. Those balers can be had fairly cheap and for low bale numbers a year i'd recomend one. If i was buying one i'd go for the wider pickup and a rotofeeder personally. Only issue is the netwrap can be a bit tempremental, occasionally have to unroll a bale and redo it. again on the low bale counts it shouldnt be a problem.
Putting 4 a day from August to March, anything above 40% DM is painful, fortunately most aren't. Feeding to sheep, so needs to be short. It's the odd core of a drier bale that gets caught that wastes time and diesel. Is 17 knives enough? Or 20 plus better?
Think youv givin me a good answer there . Will defy look out a 235
What mixer wagon ?
We do hard centre belt baler bales through our KV twin auger tub mixer it'll munch up anything in minutes even unchopped but I usually put 17 knives through them and they just fall to bits
Exactly, as any farmer knos, the cheapest option is simply to sell up or go and work for minimum wage somewhere and be better of with no hassle.
Its an old K and K, not a beauty but simple and still some life left. Low DM bales do fall to bits, just the drier stuff that can cause a problem.
Ours will chop anything up . Unchopped straw is no bother to it for the cows ration so dry chopped silage and haylage is no bother
Wellytrack
Member
Even running a half set of knives will make a massive difference so long as they are kept really sharp and a good undamaged knife that will cut to the very centre.
I have 25knives in mine and will either run with the set of 12 or 13.
Is there no stones at all where you are ? I could be at mine on a daily basis re sharpening them.
There can be a big difference in blade quality.The original ones on the Kuhn baler I have now are much harder than the welger ones I’ve had in the past.
Devon James
Member
- Location
- Devon
We have a 235 for sale. Message if would like details
Actually interested, what sort of age /bale count and £ is it ?
Devon James
Member
- Location
- Devon
It is sold. Thanks for the interest
My brother in passed away with cancer back in 2016 aged 49, his Mchale F5400 fixed chamber year 2012 was his pride and joy, on his passing he never shown me how to use it! I can tell you there’s 20 mistakes you can make on a Mchale F5400, the biggest design like is where you can drop the floor of the chamber when it blocks during over enthusiastic baleing, it needs a 130 BHP tractor and if you have the chopper fitted 140 BHP minimum, the mechanics are simple and Mchale support invaluable in advice. Latest issue I’ve had and it’s my fault I left the bottom link arm in raised position, nearly bent PTO shaft but cut the cover, that cut caused friction and snapped the small chain which spun around and has damaged the umbilical lead for the computer to speak to the baler