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Who knows their NH Square Balers?

L

Lanse

Well-known Member
So, after having constant problems with my (not so) trusty 565 this summer, I've decided that I really need a backup baler before next season. Hoping to keep my eyes open and pick one up this winter when the market for them is completely dead...

Anyway, anyone know what the exact differences are between the NH 200 series (273, 276, etc) and then the 300 series (311, 316, etc), versus the 500 series (565, 570, 575)?

I really want parts commonality with my 565 which I know limits me. Is there ANYTHING on, say a 316, that would interchange with it?

My main problem is that this thing is CONSTANTLY broken/having problems. I understand this isnt so much the balers fault, but rather my lack of experience with these machines, mixed with a lack of prior maintenance and some very shotty work done by the NH dealer which I wont be going back to, but I will say, is that I want the most reliable machine that one can buy. I dont care how fast it is, the fields I'm doing are small. I need reliability and something thats the least likely to mess up on me. 64 or 66 HP running it, depending on which tractor I use..

In before "but a round baler".

Thanks in advance guys. Any particular NH models to stay away from?
 
unless you really like headaches and are still thinking you going to make money doing these small hay patches good luck, been there done that years back. you will make way more staying at the shop unless you have not made very many satisfied customers, cause bad of mouth will kill any business. i ran deere units and new holland units. pretty well same other than feeding system. glad see them both gone. if you want to actually make money in small bales, do clean straw to grocery stores etc. you can make money there hay for customers forget it.
 
I am not sure of all the differences. I do know we have a NH. 270 that has been a good baler for us. I believe it is a smaller capacity baler. We have been doing only around 1500 or maybe a little more small squares since we also now do round bales. How much hay are you putting up ?
 
"I understand this isnt so much the balers fault, but rather my lack of experience" How is getting a different baler going to help with the problem?
 
Send the baler you have down the road, then look for another one. Can probably upgrade with the sale of current one plus what you have ready to buy the replacement. Most of the custom balers around me have inline balers. No guarantee your backup baler will be any better, I'd rather have one good baler then 2 maybe balers.
 
Its all about the condition and setup. Any of the 70s on balers can be made to work super well if the worn parts are replaced and its tuned up.

I happen to really dislike the NH?s with that chain and aluminum feed forks nonsense due to them eating it when it flys apart but they do work fine when in good condition.
 
I do it because I enjoy it, I charge hourly to small acr people near me, charging driveway to driveway. Im after the areas too small for most operators with smaller equipment. The business plan would be fine if it werent for this cursed 565 which is always broken. But thanks for not being condescending to me like some here. Cheers.
 
Im still getting started, dont have an exact number yet. Okay. I wonder if those machines have more to keep after than the 500's. Thanks.
 
Im still learning settings and feel but nothing najor. Biggest problem I had all year was that the previous owners if this baler had a new knotter assembly installed by their local dealer, which wasn't installed properly, and self destructed the first time I tried to use it. They fixed it under "warranty " but again installed it improperly so I need to take the whole back part if the baler apart to do it myself.

I don't expect the otger machine to solve tis problem, but as these balers are finnicky and inherently unreliable by nature, it would be nice to have a backup machine. Especially if they share parts, then with two balers it woukd take at leasts three breakdowns to stop me :)
 
Okay thanks. I wonder what the real differences are between the generations...
 
The advice about one good baler is right on, Why buy another one to cuss at?
Somewhere in your area is a mechanic that can walk alongside your bler while baling and tweak and adjust quickly and easily like magic. You gotta LOOK and FIND him now while there is some grass you can mow for the baler test. Bite the bullet, let a pro do it, BUT...pick his brain for as much as he will tell you.
I'd start with the dealer who claimed they had it in perfect working condition. Get his guy out to your field , boots on the ground, staying there until it spits out 20 perfect bales.
 
I'd hate to hire you by the hour and watch you work on that#@%$& baler for 30 minutes every hour. Make 15 bales and stop and adjust, go back rebale busted bales etc. Until you get the operation humming you should think about doing it for free for the experience, LOL
How many tons did you bale this summer?
 
Have. 273 and a 311.
Neither is a backup. On a good day, we have them both out kicking bales...on a bad day...it is nice to have a "B" option.
The 273 is a super reliable, consistent baler. Spits out a few thousand bales every year, breaks maybe 3 bales and 2 shear pins in a season. Except this year when we chased a bill hook problem for a month. Ended the year back at 100%
311 has been equally reliable for its life here (7 years).

That said...not a ton of crossover parts, even the shear bolts are different, pto yokes, etc...but it is nice to have a similar knotter to reference when we do have an issue. I have no experience with the 500 series but setup seems quite different, though knotters all work on the same principal.

All that said, there aren't a ton of "wear parts" that you need to have on hand to interchange between balers. Especially if you have the backup in good running order. When necessary pull it out and use it while you wait for parts.

I guess I am in the minority in that I like haveing a "B" option.
 
So, we only do 25 acres but I made a decision about 10 years ago to have 2 balers, which WERE JD 24T's then, eventually JD 336's. It really helps to have a set of the same parts,etc. most years we use both balers side by side but this year, just never did. There are times when we have over $5,000 of hay down, so, having 2 big tractors and 2 balers makes big sense. Even when number 2 sits idle, I know it is there ready to run. I generally buy new replacement parts if I have a problem. I also do regular maintenance and time them yearly.
 
I know someone who could get your baler working, but it would be along ways to take a baler to get fixed. He also has the space to test it to make sure its working right when he's done with it.
 
well that's all i have ever baled with is NH balers, I know a guy that sells balers on a used lot and he does all the work himself or his son and they sell a lot of balers in and out. I asked what he said was the best NH baler and he told me you could not beat a 311, I have a 310 that he did. and not had any problems with and I got it from him. the last 2 balers I had has the super sweep and it helps not sure how many the made both standard and super sweep. I always want to try a inline and have a friend that got one and he got it new and he says he loves it. hope this helps.
 
Ill say from experience leaving a baler parked for years to be used in a pinch at short notice rarely works well. I?ve kept my 336 inside as a backup to my jd 348 but 50,000 bales later it hasn?t been needed.
 
I understand wanting a backup baler. We've been using a 273 for a few years, baler didn't miss and was reliable however it was getting worn and didn't make nice consistent bales. We found a 315 for a decent price, but it didn't work out as well as we'd hoped. The hydraulic tensioner had a little bit of a learning curve to it. The different kicker designer seemed to burn strings much easier. Needless to say, I think the 273 may have baled more squares than the 315 this year. It was good to have the backup.
Big differences are:
315 is a good bit bigger and heavier.
315 feeder finger assembly is completely different than the 273
315 is much quieter
315 can take more hay at a faster rate. We were having a good bit of issues shearing pins with the 273 before the 315 came.
315 kicker design to be able to fold up and drop on the ground is a great feature.
315 seems slightly more complex in the drive mechanisms for pickup, feed, etc.
Hope that helps
 
(quoted from post at 22:05:13 10/09/17) Im still learning settings and feel but nothing najor. Biggest problem I had all year was that the previous owners if this baler had a new knotter assembly installed by their local dealer, which wasn't installed properly, and self destructed the first time I tried to use it. They fixed it under "warranty " but again installed it improperly so I need to take the whole back part if the baler apart to do it myself.

I don't expect the otger machine to solve tis problem, but as these balers are finnicky and inherently unreliable by nature, it would be nice to have a backup machine. Especially if they share parts, then with two balers it woukd take at leasts three breakdowns to stop me :)
Click to expand...


This might help- https://external_link.com/new-holland-baler-knotters-service-manual.html

NH balers really aren't finicky and unreliable. They do take proper setup and maintenance. Once they're set right they work for 10's of thousands of bales before parts wear out. Maybe you can find a real square baler man in your area to talk to?
 
Now I'm not trying to be mean or nasty but there is an old saying --You have to be 3% smarter than the equipment you are working on. By that I mean, 1. do you have a manual on that baler, 2. Have you read it and 3. Do you understand what you have read. A lot, self included, will only look at the little bit of the book that they are working on at that time. In order to operate a baler properly, you need to have a basic understanding of how it works. You say they installed the knotters improperly, how did you arrive at this conclusion? What did it break? and what caused it to break when it did? These are things you as an operator need to know and have a basic understanding about. Did the needles get broken & if so was it out of time or was the brake not set properly or was it all rusty? Things like this is why you need to get a manual and read it & when you think you understand it -read it again. I have had N.H. square balers for years and yes they will wear out and will break down, but something causes them to break, learn and understand. Have someone turn the flywheel by hand and trip it & watch it go thru a tying cycle & see what's not doing as it should, then and probably only then will you understand the baffeling tying mechanisms of a square baler. I have a small handbook that I use when I have a problem that will guide me thru the problem it's name is Practical Service Tips For Rectangular Balers by New Holland the number is 4032004, you might want to get one and try it. I really don't think a Utube video will show you a whole lot about your personal baler. Just my thoughts.
 
ive had my 273 for 12ish years. before that had a 65.. 273 was a huge step up and I have loved this baler..HOWEVER..
From what Ive heard and learned on here that a 276 might have been a better baler for me and my operation. 273 is a reliable baler I have baled for years with no hick-up till this year started dropping 5-10 bales every 100 or so..But figured it out and so far 100%.
276 from what ive heard is a larger capacity than 273. For my operation at this point and time would be a better choice but the 273 is what Ill stay with until a good deal comes along for a 276 or maybe a j.d. 336. who knows..
 
I used to run a NH 276, bought a 565 new and still run it. They are similar, but very few parts will swap between series. Maintenance is similar between them, too. That 565 should do everything you need it to, if properly repaired and adjusted. Like someone else said, get a manual if you don't have one, and read all of it.
 
You really need two of the same model if you want parts to interchange, plus you can keep some of the common wear parts on hand so they will fit either baler. We have a NH 315, and it has been trouble free as far as major problems go. Bought it brand new in 1980 (its put out a countless amount of bales over the years) now its going through a complete rebuild, and getting new paint so it should be able to run another 37 years.
4589.jpg


4590.jpg


4591.jpg
 
IMHO - if you want common parts, common design and a great baler (no disrespect to other makes as I have a great New Holland 68), look to the John Deere 336 and newer balers. While there are some differences, my JD348 shares many parts with the afore mentioned balers and mechanical (for all practical purposes) functions the same. Pumps out bricks, consistent length, no bananas, no fuss or adjustment - yet.

Having said that, if your budget is limited, you might focus on learning/fixing your 565, which IMHO is a fine baler. Nothing breaks without a reason and sometimes sticking with an old baler until it's fixed/reliable is a great learning tool for another day and/or baler.

Good luck,
Bill
 

Lanse
Another option is I could trade you a JD 347 that will bale hay for your non working NH 565 then I could determine if I can repair a NH sq baler.
Jim
 
If you are having problems with the first baler, I would not buy another one as a backup just yet. Get the first one running like a top before investing in a backup machine. It's possible that you will need to trade balers to get one that runs well. NH and JD are first class balers, but any baler can be out of adjustment or have worn parts and there is a learning curve to running, debugging and repairing them.

If you are looking for experience, consider hiring someone with a similar baler to see how they adjust and run theirs, or offer to load wagons behind their baler to see how theirs runs. They might be willing to look at your baler and give you some tips.
 

Lanse
Another option is you could bring your baler down to me & I would see if I can get it baling correctly for you. I'm disabled and can't travel to you but I've been repairing sq balers since the late 60's.
Jim
 
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