John deere 678 baler wrapper

pjamesmk1

Member
Hi,

Looking into investing in a baler wrapper combi, have seen a John deere 678 advertised with low bale count. Has anyone used or have experience of one? Are they any good on hilly ground? Thanks in advance
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
Hi,

Looking into investing in a baler wrapper combi, have seen a John deere 678 advertised with low bale count. Has anyone used or have experience of one? Are they any good on hilly ground? Thanks in advance
Very weak rear door hinge as if they get loose it's nearly impossible to get them tight again.
Box is a little over complicated when compared to a Fusion.
Easy to grease and service.
Easier to change wrap than a Fusion by miles and better storage as no need to take wrap in boxes cause it won't get damaged without a box unlike a Fusion!!!!
Pickups always a little noisy.
Best machine ever on the road as SO smooth to pull.
Good firm bale's.
Buy as late a build as you can get as the more modifications it will have had and the better it will be and the later machine's had the 2.2 MTR pickup as well
Not the fastest but a very good useable baler at cheap money and in many ways far nicer than a Fusion but not as much of an animal.
Excellent on hilly ground but may need the hill kit which is just an extra roller to stop the bale going straight over the table. Less likely to jam a bale wrong between the bobins like Fusions love to do and you will also wrap the last small bale unlike a Fusion. Very underrated machine
 
Last edited:
Hi,

Looking into investing in a baler wrapper combi, have seen a John deere 678 advertised with low bale count. Has anyone used or have experience of one? Are they any good on hilly ground? Thanks in advance
They are sh!t had 2 of them produce a good bale but the transfer table could be a bitch and the last one wrapper couldn't keep up with the baler that was a 744 also the control box is hard work on early ones
 
Very weak rear door hinge as if they get loose it's nearly impossible to get them tight again.
Box is a little over complicated when compared to a Fusion.
Easy to grease and service.
Easier to change wrap than a Fusion by miles and better storage as no need to take wrap in boxes cause it won't get damaged without a box unlike a Fusion!!!!
Pickups always a little noisy.
Best machine ever on the road as SO smooth to pull.
Good firm bale's.
Buy as late a build as you can get as the more modifications it will have had and the better it will be and the later machine's had the 2.2 MTR pickup as well
Not the fastest but a very good useable baler at cheap money and in many ways far nicer than a Fusion but not as much of an animal.
Excellent on hilly ground but may need the hill kit which is just an extra roller to stop the bale going straight over the table. Less likely to jam a bale wrong between the bobins like Fusions love to do and you will also wrap the last small bale unlike a Fusion. Very underrated machine
Take it you not a fusion fan?
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
Take it you not a fusion fan?
Run a Fusion but the 678 had the edge on several areas but not speed. Fusion is a bitch to clean as crap just builds every where and bounces like its on a trampoline on the road. Square edges don't help when it leans because the single axle hits a dip going through a tight gate way.
The 678 ran WAY cheaper as well as had two large bills for Fusion this year one of which was when it tore the end of a roller off on the same day as it blew the big sensor for the wrapping ring. And a new PTO shaft which to be fair is a wearing item.
Not saying a fusion is a bad machine but in many ways neither was a late model 678 and mine would have been one of the last produced with the later netwrap unit but both have good and bad point's.
A 744 was by far worst than a late model 678 due to very dodgy electrics as I know only to well as having my right leg totally crushed and almost totally torn off by one!!!!!
Fusion will walk on wet ground that a 678 won't as its lower and it can drag mud between the axle's which is mile applying brakes when the goings bad any how!!!!
 
Last edited:

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
Hi,

Looking into investing in a baler wrapper combi, have seen a John deere 678 advertised with low bale count. Has anyone used or have experience of one? Are they any good on hilly ground? Thanks in advance
Alot can be bought for very little more money than a stand alone baler and you don't need to go back and wrap?
 

Ducati899

Member
Location
north dorset
funny you should say that about them bouncing on the road as i was heading into plymouth once on a day trip and coming down the hill towards me was a tractor & fusion which looked to be bouncing fairish and with that over she went,quite scary too see
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Very weak rear door hinge as if they get loose it's nearly impossible to get them tight again.
Box is a little over complicated when compared to a Fusion.
Easy to grease and service.
Easier to change wrap than a Fusion by miles and better storage as no need to take wrap in boxes cause it won't get damaged without a box unlike a Fusion!!!!
Pickups always a little noisy.
Best machine ever on the road as SO smooth to pull.
Good firm bale's.
Buy as late a build as you can get as the more modifications it will have had and the better it will be and the later machine's had the 2.2 MTR pickup as well
Not the fastest but a very good useable baler at cheap money and in many ways far nicer than a Fusion but not as much of an animal.
Excellent on hilly ground but may need the hill kit which is just an extra roller to stop the bale going straight over the table. Less likely to jam a bale wrong between the bobins like Fusions love to do and you will also wrap the last small bale unlike a Fusion. Very underrated machine
Just bought a sh fusion and wondering what you mean about the wrap getting damaged also why won't it bale the last bale. also if you let out the bale while going up a steep hill is there any chance of it rolling straight over the wrapper and getting away? Tia
 

Boohoo

Member
Location
Newtownabbey
Just bought a sh fusion and wondering what you mean about the wrap getting damaged also why won't it bale the last bale. also if you let out the bale while going up a steep hill is there any chance of it rolling straight over the wrapper and getting away? Tia
Did you buy a Fusion 1, 2 or 3? I've worked with all 3 and the only time I know of wrap getting damaged was driver error by a driver who liked to modify things to make his life easier but never thought of the consequences of his actions. If the last bale is too small it will fall between the rollers on the wrapper but it isn't difficult to judge how close you are to a full bale and whether to wrap it or take it to the next job. I've never had a bale go over the back, and I've baled plenty of steep ground. Some people aren't Fusion fans but I wouldn't want anything else. Served my time on JD 575 and 578s and it was a demo of a 678 that prompted my then boss to switch to McHale, he now runs 3 Fusions
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
Just bought a sh fusion and wondering what you mean about the wrap getting damaged also why won't it bale the last bale. also if you let out the bale while going up a steep hill is there any chance of it rolling straight over the wrapper and getting away? Tia
The wrap rubs on the storage area and damages it's corners if removed from the the box it came in and there for breaks and tears when put on the wrapper.
Last bale if small drops straight through the wrapper rollers and can fowl in the wrapping ring unless it's 90% of a full bale.
Haven't had a bale exit over the wrapper yet and we bale some very very steep bank's. Brutal bale transfer tho!!!!
 

hally

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
cumbria
Just bought a sh fusion and wondering what you mean about the wrap getting damaged also why won't it bale the last bale. also if you let out the bale while going up a steep hill is there any chance of it rolling straight over the wrapper and getting away? Tia
Did you buy a Fusion 1, 2 or 3? I've worked with all 3 and the only time I know of wrap getting damaged was driver error by a driver who liked to modify things to make his life easier but never thought of the consequences of his actions. If the last bale is too small it will fall between the rollers on the wrapper but it isn't difficult to judge how close you are to a full bale and whether to wrap it or take it to the next job. I've never had a bale go over the back, and I've baled plenty of steep ground. Some people aren't Fusion fans but I wouldn't want anything else. Served my time on JD 575 and 578s and it was a demo of a 678 that prompted my then boss to switch to McHale, he now runs 3 Fusions
Its a fusion 3, 19k bales. We have moved up from a 550 and HS 2000 in line so hopefully a bit better on banks than that outfit. Decided I was too old for two control boxes simultaneously bleeping so fusion was obvious choice. We are not baling off farm at the moment but could do with some to justify the upgrade as we are only baling 1500 currently. We have a 150 hp 4 cylinder fendt which I am hoping will be man enough for the job on a bank.
 

Boohoo

Member
Location
Newtownabbey
The wrap rubs on the storage area and damages it's corners if removed from the the box it came in and there for breaks and tears when put on the wrapper.
Don't know what you're doing with the wrap but I've never put wrap in boxes into the storage area and I've never had damaged rolls. Must be my 10th or 11th season of baling with Fusions
 

James

Member
Location
Comber, Down
Just bought a sh fusion and wondering what you mean about the wrap getting damaged also why won't it bale the last bale. also if you let out the bale while going up a steep hill is there any chance of it rolling straight over the wrapper and getting away? Tia

I've had one go out over the back once luckily it just rolled safely to the bottom and the farmer lifted it back in with loader
 

R tea

Member
@kill with regard to 678 combo have you or know of the problem with the shaft in the drive from motor with the brake that drives the wrapper arms . shearing. ...some one local is having bother with his
The one i used to use had a key way inside it that used to break up, have had to put a new key in a few times.
Possibly due to the break motor weakening, as it needed a new break motor in the end.
 

kill

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South West
I am looking into one also..
Hay and straw will be ok unless super, super dry as at the end of a bale these balers can lose grip on the bale and not achieve the netwrapping process and holy poo you have a problem as the full bale explodes on the wrapping table and as the bales moves to wrapping position as it hits the top off the wrapper which very often rolls the bale off between the wrapper and the baler resulting in a dusty, hot , sweaty and very unpleasant job that can only be done by hand.
 

Galcam

Member
Why would u take the wrap out of the boxes is my question when your loading up the fusion? I don’t and can’t see why one would want too.
 

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