AGCO and its experts at Hesston provide the following top tips to get the most out of your baler pass. This includes what haying expert Dean Morrell says are the two top mistakes made:

1.  Being too anxious. The biggest mistake people make is moving too fast when they start baling.
2.  Not getting out of the tractor, and checking the baler and the first bales from a field to make sure adjustments are right, so the density and shape of the bales are correct

Operating manuals provide a full rundown on how to set balers to make dense bales that are consistent in size and shape. Here are Morrell’s quick tips for doing the job right:

Set baler pickup tines about 1" off the ground. This helps prevent contaminating the hay with dirt, which raises ash percentages and reduces digestibility. Baler wear and tear caused by picking up stones also is reduced or eliminated.

Set the hay pickup flotation so that the pickup follows the contour of the ground at or just above the tine height setting. If the tines aren’t digging into the dirt, the flotation setting is about right.

Regularly check the hay pickup for bent or broken tines and replace them as necessary. Be sure to stock up on replacement parts before the hay season begins.

Synchronize the field speed and the baler pickup speed so the hay is lifted from the windrow and flows into the bale chamber. Pickup loss is lower when windrows are heavy because the baler is operated at a slower field speed, and there is less contact between the hay and the baler components.

Bale chamber loss, particularly of the valuable leaves, is typically two to three times greater in round balers compared to square balers. To minimize bale chamber losses in round balers, the feed rate should be as high as possible to minimize the number of turns the hay makes within the bale chamber. This can be accomplished by using large windrows and high forward speeds. Since pickup losses are normally lower than chamber losses, it’s usually better to have some pickup loss by driving faster but reducing the amount of time it takes to form the bale.

Monitor bale density. Even if your baler has a density gauge, it is still critical to get out of the cab and "thump" bales to verify that the density is high enough so that bales hold their shape and provide maximum protection from the elements.

Follow drive directional arrows on the baler monitor to make sure hay is fed consistently across the width of the bale chamber so bales have square shoulders. This helps round bales shed moisture, and improves stacking attributes of square bales.

Hay moisture at baling is a critical factor in determining superior hay quality and long storage life. Assessing moisture before baling depends on whether it is stem moisture or moisture from dew. The moisture present from dew will seep through the hay to some degree, while stem moisture will not. When the stem moisture is too high, spoilage can occur. Moisture at baling for large square bales should be no greater than 12 to 15 percent; for round bales, no greater than 16 to 20 percent; and no greater than 18 to 20 percent for small-square bales. The exception to this rule is when hay preservative is applied during baling, which allows hay to be baled with moisture content up to 30%.

To reduce leaf shatter and resulting nutrient losses, avoid baling when hay moisture is too low.

Make sure all operators know how to adjust the baler for top quality.

Keep up to date on regular maintenance. Be sure to visit your local dealer to stock up on pickup tines, common bearings, chain repairs, belts, shear bolts and other common repairs before the hay season starts to minimize downtime from common breakdowns. Dealers usually have a list of recommended parts for on-farm stocking and may offer preseason discounts for parts purchases.For more information visit hesston.com.

Other blog posts regarding Hesston haying tips:

Top Hay Mowing Tips from Hesston 

Top Hay Conditioning Tips from AGCO

Hay Raking Tips From AGCO

 JCB has been having fun and making its backhoes into hot rods since the 1980s. Today, the JCB GT can be caught running ¼ mile stretches at speeds up to 150 mph. The backhoe hot rod is powered by a special 1,300 hp diesel V8 engine. It's said to be the fastest backhoe in the world, and JCB is one of the largest back hoe manufacturers in the world. 

The idea for the JCB GT is said to be from JCB Chairman, Sir Anthony Bamford, the son of the company’s founder, Joseph Cyril Bamford. 

To see the GT in action, check out this clip from the Speed Channel:

And here’s a video from a ¼ mile run on a racetrack in Canada: 

 A good hay raking job eliminates the variables that can compromise a harvested crop. AGCO and its experts from the Hesston brand of hay equipment ask farmers to keep these considerations top of mind:

Avoid raking alfalfa or clover when the forage moisture is less than 35 to 40% to prevent the loss of nutrient-dense leaves.

Create windrows that are uniform in width and in the amount of hay they contain, which will help ensure bales are consistent in shape and density.

For maximum drying, set the windrow as wide as possible and match windrows width to baler capacity. The amount of loss during the baling process can be minimized when hay is at its driest and most subject to leaf loss from handling.

Here are several tips on how to set and operate rakes. Except where indicated, tips are for rotary rakes:

Set rake tines of rotary rakes to skim just above the ground, so they don’t dig up dirt, contaminating the hay and wearing down tines.

Set wheel rakes to have as little contact with the ground as possible.

Ensure rotary rake bogey wheels beneath the rotor are level. The rotor should have 0.5 to 1" of ground clearance on all sides at all times.

Set the tine arm release based on crop conditions and the size windrow. A dry, fluffy crop requires an earlier release setting. For a heavy, wet crop, use a later release setting.

If the rake is PTO driven, synchronize the field speed and PTO speed for a gentle lifting and turning action. This helps avoid aggressive handling that can cause excessive leaf loss.

Operate the rake at a consistent speed to create an even windrow for uniform drying and fewer slugs.

Stay up to date on regular maintenance to ensure peak machine performance including daily greasing of pivot points and hinges.

Tighten bolts and replace broken or worn tines. Check tire inflation regularly.

Be sure to visit your local dealer who should have a list of parts to stock up on replacement tines and basket and rake wheel bearings before the season starts to minimize downtime from common breakdowns. Also, doing this before the season can take advantage of preseason.

For more information visit hesston.com.

Other blog posts regarding Hesston haying tips:

Top Hay Mowing Tips from Hesston

Top Hay Conditioning Tips from AGCO

 As hay-making season approaches, many manufacturers are coaching farmers on how to yield the most per acre for every bale. Here are some top reminders from Claas for each machine used to make hay:

Oil and lubrication points should be addressed regularly. The gear box oil is especially important to change, as deterioration can lead to damaged seals. Change the oil before harvest season every year, and operators should also check with the owner’s manual for more specific information. 

Depending on the machine, oil can breakdown at different rates and cause more severe damage if the recommended intervals are not adhered to. So the hourly operation intervals between changes may vary.

Vent the friction clutch annually and greasing all points on each machine – including U-joints, the cutterbar and PTO shaft.

On mowing equipment, check the disk for wear. If the disk is always kept in the same position, it will only wear on one side as it rotates. Increase longevity of the mower and alter the position of the disk to disperse any machine wear that could otherwise build up on a concentrated area.

Examine the mower cutterbar, especially for potential problems that occur under extremely dry conditions. Alfalfa coming from rain-deprived areas could be particularly problematic because this alfalfa can contain more sap in the stems and that can drip down and form a hard, concrete-like substance on the cutterbar. If a mower sits even for just a few hours, the disk can lock in place and burn out the clutch. Check the cutterbar for any sap accumulation and scrape it clean before firing up the machine; if the sap is too thick, spraying the cutterbar with water can loosen the buildup and more easily allow for removal.

Properly match the baler to the crop. Cornstalks and silage can be much harder on a baler than grasses, and specifically designed balers should be used when necessary. Operating a generic baler is not as effective and can damage the inside of the machine.

Round balers demand that a number of grease and lubrication points to attend to. A good tip is run the baler for a half hour, and then use an infrared temperature gun to check the temperature of the bearings.

For belt balers, each knife should be checked for sharpness and quality. Scrapers, cam track bearings, chamber rollers and the teeth should also be checked routinely in the maintenance schedule.

Tedders must be properly lubricated and the tines well-maintained.

For more, visit the Claas website. 

 With its new $100 million expansion in Shippensburg, Penn., Volvo is revving up to produce 70% of its wheel loaders for North America at this facility.

The ribbon cutting took place on March 21, 2013, and here’s a video report from the event, including the unveiling of a wheel loader with an two-sided paint job featuring an American and Canadian flag.

The facility also houses the new headquarters building for the Americas, relocating the sales office from Asheville, North Carolina.

Wheel loader production will initially start for the L60-L90 range of loaders, and company officials say the scope of product sourced from the facility will broaden.  Localized production will also help the company become more flexible and responsive to its customers in the region.As part of the same investment, Volvo CE will also open a customer center in the area in the first quarter of 2014.

In addition to wheel loaders, the Shippensburg facility also makes more than 50 models of road machinery. Operations include welding, large machining, paint and assembly

The site’s global technology center employs around 200 people and provides development expertise to the wider Volvo business.

The Shippensburg facility has been committed to producing quality construction equipment for nearly 40 years. Volvo CE acquired the business from Ingersoll Rand in April 2007. A $30 million, 200,000 square foot expansion was completed in June 2010 and included a new assembly hall and materials building. The office expansion, which opened in March, adds an additional 36,000 square feet and two smaller production buildings, which will open in April this year to provide a further 37,000 square feet, bringing the total size of the expanded facility to 650,000 square feet.  

Today, the site employs more than 1,000 employees from nearly 20 countries, together working in operations, technology, sales & marketing, and customer support.

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