I keep a couple mega balls of twine in the twine rack on the bailer just in case I have an issue with the net wrapper. Net has went way up in price though I have not bought any lately. My Kubota dealer is carrying Kubota branded net which is Tama (same as John Deere, different color) but candidly, I prefer Bridon net and will most likely buy that when I require some. The Tama is made in India but the Bridon is made here so you know what I prefer. One of the guys on Hay Talks is a Bridon dealer and been buying it from him and he cuts me a deal on shipping as well so long as I buy at least 5 rolls at a time.
One nice thing about the new bailer I have now is the twine arms overlap so it applies twine in a criss cross manner unlike the New Holland I sold, not that I use it much anyway. Like I said, just there, just in case. Always good to be prepared for any eventuality.
I had enough issues with twine when I had my NH 575, I don't miss it really. Why I'd never have a large square bailer, one, my customer cannot handle the mega squares and all those knotters scare me. He's entirely geared for rounds and I'm all good with that actually. The more mechanical stuff, the more chance of issues. My 575 always ran quite well but when it didn't, it was always a pita. I even had the knotter blowers and the one shot lubrication on it. All gone and glad it's gone.
I never cared for the way the New Holland net insertion was set up either. You had to thread the net in the center of the duckbill and I was always getting cut by the net knife. The new bailer I now have, net insertion is on the left side through a window in the duckbill and nowhere near the net knife. Off the roll, over the top spreader roll, under the second spreader roll and into the window with a 12-14" tail sticking out below the duckbill and that is it and I'll run the first net wrap on manual to be sure it's spreading full width and then switch it over to automatic. I usually wrap at 2.5 wraps per bale. If I run wheat straw I'll jump it up to 3-3.5 wraps per bale, depending on how 'crumbly' the straw is. I don't round bale much wheat straw but I do it occasionally.
My ongoing issue is, I presently don't have my bailer here. it's at the dealer getting refitted with scrapers on the main drive roll as well as the tailgate roll. I was building hay on the main drive roll last year and I was worried that the increasing diameter on the main drive roll would eventually cause the belts to fail and my dealer had the Kubota district rep look at it and they agreed so it's getting refitted at no cost to me I might add and so far Dennis (who is the lead tech at the dealer) has spent almost 3 days refitting it. Kubota didn't make any money on this one as their labor rate is 130 bucks an hour. Kubota sent them the incorrect hardware the first time and had to air freight the correct hardware.
I see that now Kubota is supplying ALL the new bailers with scraper bars and my dealer has 4 more bailers like mine that will have to be modified.
Soon as I get the bailer back, weather permitting, I'll be cutting, raking and bailing. Getting a bit rank but it is first cut anyway.
Weather here don't look good either.
