Is it out of place?

[gone up the hill]

no, I would think that most blow.

To do the job properly will take a lot longer than you think, at least 2/3 hours min by the time you get inside the bale chamber/ take panels off/ get behind chains/ under the baler etc etc

 

[caveman]

At the straw sale the other day a couple of lots were sold on the above basis ( vendor would inspect the baler before you could enter the field ) those fields made £80 acre less than other crops without this instruction

That's the compressor, lance and time paid for then.

 

[kiwi pom]

So what do they do tow a compressor round with them? To do it properly in a reasonable amount of time would take a large volume of air. Or is it just a quick cosmetic thing off the tractors air.
Seems a good idea as long as the contractor has factored it into his costs and not just bid cheaper than the other guy.

 

[Dolomite]

Fine to ask him but expect to get put at the last name on the list for baling and also you will have to pay him for his time blowing down the baler which needs to be £50 hour min.

What?!

I don’t treat anyone like that if they ask me to blow down my round baler or conventional baler. But I blow down anyway without being asked. Sure that would be the quickest way to lose customers but each to their own.

 

[DRC]

Is it any wonder that some Arable farmers choose to chop straw. Especially if they are blackgrass free.
Something livestock farmers and straw dealers probably don’t think about.

 

[gone up the hill]

What?!

I don’t treat anyone like that if they ask me to blow down my round baler or conventional baler. But I blow down anyway without being asked. Sure that would be the quickest way to lose customers but each to their own.

To do it properly to prevent ANY seeds being carried on the baler will take at least 2+ hours, are you really saying that you spend this much time between each farm??

Anyone can take a line and have a quick blow around for 5 mins but that is a complete waste of time if you are trying to prevent seeds being carried from one farm to another!

Because you will have to do ALL the baler including inside the pick up reel for example to be sure to stop any seeds being carried from one farm to another.

Basically if you want to guarantee that you would defo not bring seeds onto the next farm the baler will all but have to be in showroom condition before you drive in the gate, also you will need to do the same to the tractor including the engine bay/ under the cab etc as seeds could sit in these places then fall off as you drive around the next field.

 

[d williams]

Is it an easy job to eject the straw from the bale chamber. So the baler can arrive empty at the next farm.

No its not

 

[Chae1]

So what do they do tow a compressor round with them? To do it properly in a reasonable amount of time would take a large volume of air. Or is it just a quick cosmetic thing off the tractors air.
Seems a good idea as long as the contractor has factored it into his costs and not just bid cheaper than the other guy.

I have a leaf blower. Can carry it on top of baler.

The cool dude wearing his shades, gelled hair and schoffel won't like getting off his arse to get covered in dust during the day. It's a job best done last thing at night.

 

[Dolomite]

I have a stihl leaf blower I go round with for 20-30 mins gets most of thebits off but if I near home or at home i call back to the yard and I use the proper line and take longer. It may not be thorough in field but at least it’s an effort to control the spread of seeds.

 

[gone up the hill]

I have a stihl leaf blower I go round with for 20-30 mins gets most of thebits off but if I near home or at home i call back to the yard and I use the proper line and take longer. It may not be thorough in field but at least it’s an effort to control the spread of seeds.

Anything is better than nothing I agree with but what you are doing isn't anywhere near enough to stop the spread of seed weeds.

 

[milkloss]

The leaf blower thing is about as much use a a chocolate teapot, no offence meant. But there is a habit of blowing off before leaving a field/farm so any seed not caught as jobs go by will spread as the baler is never really clean until it’s yarded.

 

[Dolomite]

Anything is better than nothing I agree with but what you are doing isn't anywhere near enough to stop the spread of seed weeds.

I agree and don’t expect for a minute anything less than a strip down pressure wash/ air line blown down to be thorough enough. But it’s a case of damage limitation and customer appeasement. At least it is better to try and at least show the customer you have made an effort all be it a minimal or most futile effort. However if it prevents 100 seeds spreading it’s 100 plants saved from being a issue for me or another farmer.

 

[JD6920s]

Would a quick blow off possibly create more risk as just potentially dislodging seeds that otherwise may have held on where they lay, as I believe it takes the best part of a day to properly clean a baler, I’m not saying do nothing but in some cases it might cause more of a problem

 

[Pigken]

Surely bio security in arable sector just as important as bio security on livestock farms, anything better than nothing, but supposes how's how caring others can be sharing things with you for free

 

[Deerefarmer]

No it's not asking to much, we have organic farmers who want a blow down ,and while I'm sure you won't be able to get 100%, you can still make a difference, good practice really , comp can be easily towed to jobsite, and makes short work of it,

 

[Farmer Roy]

Don't know anything about baling, but standard practice & common courtesy here for harvest contractors here to blow machines down every night, whenever they finish a job & before moving to another farm

As a planting contractor, I always make an effort of tractor & planter hygiene when moving between jobs.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Would a quick blow off possibly create more risk as just potentially dislodging seeds that otherwise may have held on where they lay, as I believe it takes the best part of a day to properly clean a baler, I’m not saying do nothing but in some cases it might cause more of a problem

No guarantees but after blowing what you can off hopefully anything left will either blow/bounce off on the road or be well lodged where it won’t one off.

 

[joe soapy]

maybe the makers could design out the seed traps

 

[Sid]

If a machine is dry it's easy to blow it down.
I do it to round bales so it's easy to check round for faults or issues.

Washing your hands will not get rid of all the bacteria but it sure does knock out the majority of them.

Worked on a farm years ago where grass wheat barley oats and osr were grown for seed.
Combine baler trailers etc were all cleaned down between fields due possible contamination of varieties let alone weed seed.
Process was very streamline and efficient

 

[ollie989898]

Is it any wonder that some Arable farmers choose to chop straw. Especially if they are blackgrass free.
Something livestock farmers and straw dealers probably don’t think about.

Yes, an on going blackgrass problem can get expensive fast!