Super 68 NH baler

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2015

Has anyone made their own wooden slides for the plunger? If so what did you treat the wood with? I'd think that dry wood would get pretty hot in a days work. Reason for asking is NH wants 133 bucks each for a 2X2" X 18" or so piece of oak with a few holes drilled in it.

Thanks

Rick

Zachary Hoyt · Mar 13, 2015

I picked one up at auction a couple of years ago and it needed new
bottom slides. I made them out of white ash 2x2 material that I
had lying around and it worked fine. The largest number of bales I
have made on one day was around 400-450 if I recall right and it
did not seem to have a problem. I did not treat it with anything.
Zach

Jo Bird · Mar 13, 2015

Dad used quarter sawed white oak and soaked them in oil. Many old implements use wood for holding shafts and such this way.

DeltaRed · Mar 13, 2015

Make your own. I did.Used a piece of a 4x4
'sticker'(pallet)Then toss em in a bucket of (used)
oil for the winter.I pour some used oil on the
wooden slides of my old IH baler in the fall,and
first thing in the spring.And periodicaly durring
the season.

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2015

OK, that looks like what I'm going to do. Don't have time to soak them over winter. Going to need them later this year. Last time I used it was several years ago. I knew the one was going bad so with it in mind that I have a market for small squares it was time to think about putting it back in the lineup. Rest of the baler is good and when last used it would punch out 400-500 bales in a day and might miss one or 2 knots. Called the nearest dealer. 2 day free delivery and with a 10% spring discount 126 each. I don't know about anyone else but that's a lot of money to dump in a baler that's 55-57 years old.

Rick

DeltaRed · Mar 13, 2015

You're right,that is a lot of money for an old
machine.But I look at it like this....I cant buy
another baler in as good shape as what I have.What
I already have is a known factor.I know its
strengths and weakness.Its not worth it if I was
to/had sell it in the near future....I would not
get the 'true' value.Since I am going to use it,it
is going to make me money,and not planning on
selling anytime soon,I wouldnt think twice about
the cost of parts if the baler was in otherwise
good shape.I consider that 'normal' upkeep.The
cost of ownership.But I agree thats a lot of money
for a piece of wood.

Bret4207 · Mar 13, 2015

(quoted from post at 12:23:14 03/13/15)
OK, that looks like what I'm going to do. Don't have time to soak them over winter. Going to need them later this year. Last time I used it was several years ago. I knew the one was going bad so with it in mind that I have a market for small squares it was time to think about putting it back in the lineup. Rest of the baler is good and when last used it would punch out 400-500 bales in a day and might miss one or 2 knots. Called the nearest dealer. 2 day free delivery and with a 10% spring discount 126 each. I don't know about anyone else but that's a lot of money to dump in a baler that's 55-57 years old.

Rick

Rick, make them out of any decent hardwood like oak or maple. If you can submerge them in oil for a week or so that's fine, If not, just slather them good with oil before using them. I had to do it that way and mine are doing good. The bottom ones are easy to hit with oil, the top ones require a little creativity with a Dawn type bottle- fill it and squirt them good. Takes several applications usually to get them soaked. I do it every spring and once or twice over summer.

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2015

Red, gotta agree. And as an advantage I have a nephew who only lives a couple of miles from me who makes furniture. He can knock replacements out for me using an upper as a pattern because they are in pretty good shape. Most likely cost me the woods and 20 bucks.

Bret, thanks. I should have time to soak em for a couple of months. This is MN and we ain't gonna be ready to cut hay for a couple of months.

Rick

JRSutton · Mar 13, 2015

One question I'd like to tag on to yours - I
see people saying soak them in oil.

If I'm not mistaken, the manual specifically
tells you not to oil the wood slides.

I have a 66 that I don't use very often, and
I've never oiled the wood slides - and granted
it hasn't seen much use - but they seem to hold
up fine without oil.

Thing is - I'm always tempted to. But also
curious to see what happens if I don't.

Wondering if anybody has an different thoughts
on this.

Obviously you don't want them sitting against
old wet hay for a long time, with or without
oil.

Bill VA · Mar 13, 2015

They are pretty easy to make - even with basic
shop tools. If you don't want to make them, Best
Baler Parts has reproductions for around $50ish.

With respect to oil - I'm listening, but when I
pulled the wood slides from my plunger, they were
oil soaked and soft. My concern with the oil is
potential softening of the wood. I should think
that at some point the slides would get a hard
glaze and a spot of oil at the beginning of baling
would be good. Just don't know about soaking - no
way am I saying it's bad, just offering up my
simple minded opinion/observation.

When the weather breaks, I'll re-install the wood
plungers on my NH68 and see how it goes. One
thing I'm doing while I have the plunger out is
freeing up the knife - so I can sharpen/shim as
necessary and replacing the pitman bushing at the
plunger as mine has some wear/loosness.

Good luck!
Bill

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2015

Bill my pitman bushing isn't loose but it feels like it has sticky spots so I'm going to do the same thing. Might as well take care of that while it's apart!

I just got the owners manual today in the mail so I have to sit down and read through it.

Rick

Bryce Frazier · Mar 13, 2015

Take care of what you own and it will last a life time!

Right?

I am taking notes here... Had better slide inside my NH 68 and oil em up good too! Has been 30 years since they were oiled!

JDPhil · Mar 13, 2015

Dry white oak will last longer than steel use very little oil on it !!

oldtanker · Mar 13, 2015

(quoted from post at 13:37:58 03/13/15) Dry white oak will last longer than steel use very little oil on it !!

OK, thanks!

Rick

Mike in Mn. · Mar 13, 2015

After reading through this post I will throw in my experience, I completely rebuilt my Super 68 9 or 10 years ago, put in all the metal rail pieces as well as the wood. Looked back and I paid 40 a piece for the wood slides from NH, they are made from rock hard maple. There are a few of those balers still being used around here and were a lot of them in their time, was always said they were better balers than the newer ones with the roller bearings and less trouble. I have never seen or heard of any one putting oil on those wood bearings, I have run mine dry and let the dust lube them, it gets parked inside and is always nice and shiny. I just adjusted mine for the first time last summer and sharpened the knife and set every thing up nice and tight again. I could smell a little maple going with the wind, but it never got tight and after about a thousand bales it went away. It's had about 30 thousand bales through it since rebuilt and the first time for any adj. It's our spare or 2nd baler but we bale with both some days, like to keep both in top shape. What I call my good baler is a Massey Ferguson.

Super 68 NH baler

oldtanker

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Zachary Hoyt

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Jo Bird

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DeltaRed

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oldtanker

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DeltaRed

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oldtanker

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