Alligator Belt Laces

[chh]

Hey guys if you did like I did and just ran the heck out of your baler last year you better check the hinge pins on your "Gator" laces. MF says to change them every 800 to 1000 bales and I have seen other manufactures say somewhere in the 1000 to 1200 bale range. I ran mine 2058. I had to take needle nose vise grips and turn them out like a big screw and one broke into 3 pieces trying to get it out. Anyway it is supposed to be a simple job if the pins aren't worn that badly. With the belt tension off you are "supposed" to be able to turn them 90 degrees and pull them out(an extra hand may be helpful though), start a new pin in while the old one is coming out.
I tried to take a pic of how badly they had worn, but my camera didn't do a very good job of it.

 

[scrapironford]

I changed mine at 1000 give or take and sometimes couldnt get the pins out, Hesston 555. BIL, JD 466 changes his at 1500 bales and has big problems removing pins. Now I am using an M&W 4500 soft core,chain baler. Cant wait to get out from under it, just dont like it. Dont you have a 2746 baler? Have been thinking of a 1746 MF, what do you think of it? We bale 275-350 rolls per year, pensacola &tift 9 bahia, about to sprig 20 acres Tift 85. Hay is for our cows & horses . thankyou Scrapironford

 

[chh]

Yes I am running MF 2746A baler and I really like it. Everybody I baled for and everbody that bought hay commented on how nice the bales were. I probably would have had a 1746 if I had not run onto this 2746 as a demo unit. A neighbor of mine has a 1746 and likes it. His only problem has been with getting the net wrap settings correct(might help if he read the owners manual) and so far the only problem with mine has been a faulty relay.
I owned a soft core baler at one time, I never shed a tear when it went down the road the last time. They have their advantages, I guess, but I sure prefer a tight bale myself.
This is the first baler I have owned with the "gator" laces, so it was kind of a "different" maintainence item for me.

 

[Sonny580]

The pins do wear a pretty good rut in there and are usually kinda hard to get out,--but they do make for a lot simpler belt installing on the machines, just gotta change them out when they wear to a certain point before they break! thanks; sonny580