Hesston 4600 baler

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
The Irish call them Coffin Bales .wonder why that is

Because they're about the size of a coffin? I don't think its anything to do with them being unstable. Being a lot wider than they are high they are pretty stable when stacked, I have stacks 10-12 high and they are fine. The unstable 4 stringers are the 80x90 ones, they are evil, being higher than they are wide.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
Because they're about the size of a coffin? I don't think its anything to do with them being unstable. Being a lot wider than they are high they are pretty stable when stacked, I have stacks 10-12 high and they are fine. The unstable 4 stringers are the 80x90 ones, they are evil, being higher than they are wide.
He is talking about 80x90
 

Stcarnwell

Member
Livestock Farmer
Yes I do still have my 4600. Its the reserve baler now, as I've bought a new one that makes the same size bale, a Supertino SR508. Very pleased with the new one, far faster than the old 4600, probably up to 50% quicker. Horse customers like the bale size, as they can get the sections in a standard hay net, which they can't with a 80x70 bale. So its a win/win - they get cheaper hay than small bales and I get to sell big bale hay at something approaching small bale prices. I've managed to move a lot of customers over to the 80x50 bales and make far more area of them than small bales now.
You wouldn’t consider selling your old one would you? Cheers
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Because they're about the size of a coffin? I don't think its anything to do with them being unstable. Being a lot wider than they are high they are pretty stable when stacked, I have stacks 10-12 high and they are fine. The unstable 4 stringers are the 80x90 ones, they are evil, being higher than they are wide.
They bend like a banana if you not carfull and fall apart . They have there place and you have found a market so good show, but the lads in the yard would give me hell if I bought a load . They hate them
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
They bend like a banana if you not carfull and fall apart . They have there place and you have found a market so good show, but the lads in the yard would give me hell if I bought a load . They hate them

Depends how tight you bale them. As I sell by the bale I'm not looking to get too much in each bale, so I know what you mean about bending like a banana, I lose a few each year when re-handling them, and the flat 8 fails to grab correctly. If made heavier they're as solid as any other bale. I'll admit I wouldn't want to move them with a bale spike, a flat 8 grab is the best bet for 80x50s, you can pick up 3 side by side no problem.
 

Stcarnwell

Member
Livestock Farmer
Sorry, its worth more to me to hang on to it, my hay making philosophy is to have 2 of everything if I can, in case of breakdowns!
that’s fine don’t worry I have the same opinion!!! You wouldn’t know anyone else who would have one for sale? Also what would you thing is the value of one nowadays? Cheers
 

bovrill

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Essexshire
The unstable 4 stringers are the 80x90 ones, they are evil, being higher than they are wide.
That's all I've got now, and I find them ideal because you can pop a 250/300kg bale over the gate into the yard, and roll it to where you want to cut the strings. You'd struggle to roll a 6 stringer on your own.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
that’s fine don’t worry I have the same opinion!!! You wouldn’t know anyone else who would have one for sale? Also what would you thing is the value of one nowadays? Cheers

I have no idea on value to be honest. They are getting a bit long in the tooth nowadays, parts are hard to come by, or very expensive, thats partially why I upgraded to a new baler, my 4600 is 30 years old this year and I thought I was pushing it a bit to have such a critical part of the process reliant on such an old machine. All the 4600s I've seen for sale seem to be in the £5-10k range. Off the top of my head I think I paid £7k for mine, that was over 10 years ago now.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
@Goweresque What sort of money was the Supertino, any issues with it so far? Is there any UK back up?

The Supertino was about £45k for the 80x50 model. The UK backup is not great, there's just an importer, who sells mainly feed wagons, but can order the balers from the factory. So its more for the self reliant sort of user than someone who wants the main dealer backup experience. Parts are readily available from Italy I'm told, not needed anything so far. I liked it because its virtually entirely mechanical, the only electric system thats crucial to the baler operation is the hydraulic chamber pressure setting, and I'm pretty sure that could be fairly easily converted to a manual system in an emergency. I've had a few niggles, leaky hydraulic pipes, that sort of thing. But nothing major thats stopped me baling.

Do they make bigger ones?

Yes, they make a considerable range of chamber sizes - 80x50, 80x60, 80x70, 120x60 and 120x70.
 
@Cab-over Pete my 920 has been pretty reliable, smashed a knotter last year due to seized bill hook (my fault shite grease) but on the whole a bloody good baler takes a 40ft row of straw no problems too. Faster than the D710 I used to operate

Glad you’re pleased with it. ? It was a real disappointment to my dad and brother when they had theirs, the Hesstons having been so good. I suppose there’s always the odd bad one about. But dad had two!!!!
 

Devonpastie

Member
Livestock Farmer
Anyone braking one I need new nutters or where I can get new parts
59D36DD8-EC3D-4C0D-974D-C9D48D6F7321.jpeg
 

PBW

New Member
Hi Guys I run a H4600 baler, great machine, I also have another that I use for spares, I managed to get new 4 x knife arms out of germany,
My customer base love the 2 bales wraped as one balage and the 1.5 hay bales which are a 5 bale equi eg 100 to 120 kg. I use a static wrapper to wrap the balage and I offer my customers a 5 to 10 bale equi eg 1m length to a 1.5 m length. Trying to get the aculmater to work, do you know of any one who uses on. cheers peter
 

PBW

New Member
My Dad and brother ran two for several years. Cracking little balers they had the twin drop sledges on the back too. Really simple and well made but they had a weak spot, the pick up reel. It goes way too fast and eats bearings for fun. Not a difficult job though, my brother got so he could replace them easily.

DO NOT buy the updated New Holland BB 960 (??) version. They were quite simply shite. I worked for Dad the summer we had the first one and we would never take it far from Warwick because it was a sure fire bet at some time in the day we would be dropping it at Murleys for a repair. It really was shocking and could never do a full days work. Dick Forty at Murleys fought Dads corner and I think NH replaced it, but that was crap too.

Can’t remember which show it was but me and my brother were there looking at a new BB baler on the NH stand. The area sales nob head was doing his best to sell it to a bloke from Wales. He spotted my brother and for some strange reason said to the Welshman “Aaahhh..... Mr Smith will tell you all about this model of baler”

He did. For ages. Every little fault and detail. He didn’t buy it. ??

But the Hesston, really good little baler, we made tens of thousands.
Hi I run a 4600 here in NZ with a sledge... could I pm you some questions, cheers Peter
 

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