# Conventional balers



## MRichardson

I guys I'm looking to buy a conventional baler any advice ?


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## Country Boy

By conventional baler, do you mean a small square baler (18"x18"x3' bales)? If so, look into New Holland balers. From my experience, they built about the best small square balers out there. My neighbor has one that has several hundred thousand bales through it (its a 1970s model) and it ties every bale without missing a beat. I don't have much experience with John Deere balers, but I would probably steer clear of IH balers unless you find one that has very few hours on it. That's coming from a guy who loves IH and has an IH baler himself. Our IH balers are moody about tying bales. They will tie several hundred bales in a row no problem, then start missing for no reason, then go back to tying. IH relied on the bale exiting the chamber to pull the knots off the duckbills, whereas just about everyone else used a wiper arm to sweep the knots off. IH's system worked, but sometimes the knot just broke instead of pulling off, especially if you got a slug of feed into the chamber right after knotting.

Look for a baler that was kept in the shed and isn't rusty. Balers are very sensitive to rust on their knotters, and sitting outside will quickly rust things tight. Keep yours inside for the same reasons.


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## MRichardson

Hi thanks for the advise we've brought a 1975 newholland 370 baler to do both hay and straw with but the hay mowers packed up so won't be doing that for a while


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## Country Boy

Let us know how it works out for you!


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## ford7740

I'm thinking of buying a McCormick international baler what do you think


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## MRichardson

Hello when I was looking for a baler we were looking at an international 440 but we heard from freinds they made a bit of a banana bale I would say new holland are the best


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## ford7740

Orite cheers I might try it and see what there like


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## MBTRAC

There's quite a bit of discussion on the pro/cons of various balers on this thread which may help:- 

http://www.tractorforum.com/f324/lets-talk-about-balers-21490/

The key to maximising haymaking operations is matching all the gear, otherwise inefficiencies creep in........


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## Country Boy

I had International 46 and 37 balers and they both made a nice solid bale. Never had any issues with them curving. If it does, then your packer fingers are not adjusted for the crop you are baling. They are either pulling the feed too far into the chamber or not far enough. There is a pin you can pull and move from hole to hole to adjust the travel of the arm, along with an adjustment on the arm on the larger balers. From my experience, the IH balers made the most solid, easy packing bale, but the McCormick knotter was very temperamental. The twine had to be just right, and the chamber tension had to be spot on or it wouldn't tie worth a hoot. The Deering style knotter that almost everyone else used was a much more reliable knotter. I don't know why IH didn't use their own patented knotter on their balers when it was a better tying knotter. If parts weren't harder to come buy for the balers, I'd have stuck with my McCormick baler, but I needed something with a thrower and the parts for the IH one that would fit my baler were mostly obsolete.


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