Who’s getting hay equipment prepped?

[Hay Dude]

Axle seal

Baler loaded with twine/greasing.

 

[Southernspeed]

Just changed all the chains on my baler last week. Bought some cutter parts, I'll do that when (if) it stops raining! No where near the level of maintenance you have to do though! Just built a 64x36 barn so plenty of new storage space too!

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Been working on changing bearings on baler on and off for 2 weeks,after completion ran it for about 5 minutes and heard that dreaded sound of a different bearing going bad, so it is ordered and hopefully that will do it, glad it did it under the barn and not in the field as I would have never heard it from inside the cab of the tractor until I saw the smoke.

 

[Farmer495]

Be a while yet for me. Don't have to do a whole lot this year though...at least I hope not.

 

[Yander]

My equipment is much smaller and not as much for making a living but for putting food on the table. I do need to get in the barn and get my tractors and equipment started up, and ready to mow, bushhog, and till.

I'll be doing an extra garden this year, mostly for the kids.

It probably won't be today, though, I have inside stuff to do today.

 

[J&K]

Not yet but getting a parts list together for the baler and rakes.

 

[dieselscout80]

Serviced my TC45DA cleaned out the fuel tank and replaced the loader valve as it quit lowering the bucket.

To do:
Build a new light setup for the ROPs
Add rear hydraulic valve
Installation of switches in permanent location

 

[Southernspeed]

Been working on changing bearings on baler on and off for 2 weeks,after completion ran it for about 5 minutes and heard that dreaded sound of a different bearing going bad, so it is ordered and hopefully that will do it, glad it did it under the barn and not in the field as I would have never heard it from inside the cab of the tractor until I saw the smoke.

That's my biggest concern. A chain breaking was no big deal but bearings are another matter. I had a driven gear bearing go up in smoke year before last, scary stuff.
If only they'd made them grease-able, they'd last forever at the speed they turn. (old NH)

 

[Quaffer]

Good reminder-- everything needs oil changes and new filters. Whoops there goes several days ....

 

[Tinhack]

I'm clearing a place in the shop for a tire machine I ordered. Should be here in another week or so. I've had the Harbor Freight special for years but I'm getting too old (weak) for it. I went with air and electric this time. And it will sit under my gantry crane if I need help getting a tire on the table.

I was getting so flustered taking tires to the tire shop only to have them go flat the next day. The downtime is the worst. And I still have to dismount/remount the wheel myself to get it to the shop. It's catus abundance around here as well as Mesquite shedding its winter coat like a mangy dog. There're stickers everywhere!

Not a Coats, but it will do what I need.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

That's my biggest concern. A chain breaking was no big deal but bearings are another matter. I had a driven gear bearing go up in smoke year before last, scary stuff.
If only they'd made them grease-able, they'd last forever at the speed they turn. (old NH)

I could write a book on having non-greasable bearings on a hay baler go out while baling hay, it's a wonder I haven't burnt a baler up in the field. I bought an IR thermometer to shoot the bearings in the hayfield after baling for a while but even that doesn't always work as well as you would think as when a bearing gets ready to go it goes.

 

[Hay Dude]

I could write a book on having non-greasable bearings on a hay baler go out while baling hay, it's a wonder I haven't burnt a baler up in the field. I bought an IR thermometer to shoot the bearings in the hayfield after baling for a while but even that doesn't always work as well as you would think as when a bearing gets ready to go it goes.

I had 2 bearing fires on the same New Holland Roll Belt 450. Luckily, I caught them both before disaster.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Yeap. Already tilled and planted a field. My equipment is just really small.

 

[WinterDeere]

Yeap. Already tilled and planted a field. My equipment is just really small.View attachment 3258686

Hah... you beat me to it! The only crop I'm hewing and harvesting here is lawn grass.

I did the maintenance on the zero turn over the Christmas break, as I usually tend to do, alongside the CUT and other OPE.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I had 2 bearing fires on the same New Holland Roll Belt 450. Luckily, I caught them both before disaster.

There is not a bearing on my Vermeer 504 that hasn't been replaced, the worst part is if I don't catch the ones on the roller tubes quick enough it flares the end of the tube and it's shot, and that's $750.00 a pop.

 

[Hughman]

Bought some fuel for the tractor last week so I can mow again this weekend. Does that count?

 

[Farmer495]

Been working on changing bearings on baler on and off for 2 weeks,after completion ran it for about 5 minutes and heard that dreaded sound of a different bearing going bad, so it is ordered and hopefully that will do it, glad it did it under the barn and not in the field as I would have never heard it from inside the cab of the tractor until I saw the smoke.

I've had many bearings go. I think I've replaced every one on this baler now.

Last year one failed bearing turned into 7. The one that failed and smoked, two others that literally fell apart taking the machine apart to replace the first and 4 others that could hardly turn by hand.

 

[Farmer495]

Guess I already did start prep.

Got the baler control box mounted in new tractor.
Ordered spare bearings for new to me baler.
Did yard adjustments to hitch and rake height on new rotary rake.
Calculated how much twine and wrap to buy.

As of now I should just have to change oil & knives on the disc mower and grease everything.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I've had many bearings go. I think I've replaced every one on this baler now.

Last year one failed bearing turned into 7. The one that failed and smoked, two others that literally fell apart taking the machine apart to replace the first and 4 others that could hardly turn by hand.

Some bearings are easy, others make you wonder what a designer/engineer was thinking when they designed it.

 

[Farmer495]

Some bearings are easy, others make you wonder what a designer/engineer was thinking when they designed it.

I've done some an been back in the field in 30 minutes. Others 12 hours for one bearing. My personally favorite is not using the same bearing sizes on the majority of the machine.