JD used to make a baler with a specific size bale that is highly popular. Mommy Dearist,, decided in her wisdom to quite makeing it a few years ago.. Don't recall the model number, but put out just the right size (high demand) bale.  Anyway,, Since the green machine quit making that specific size bale.. A guy here started a good business making that specific size baler.  Buys a brand new JD baler cuts the thing apart horizontally builds a beefier plunger rebuilds the whole chamber tougher,, then complete "skins" the entire length of the bale chamber with easily replaceable sheeting, repaints the things.  Then puts his own Name on them. 

He has a pretty good business, just keeps buying brand new Balers, completely rebuilding them and selling them.

As the Freemans are close to buying GOLD since Allied took over Freeman. The New baler prices have gone through the ROOF !!   Parts are just as bad !!

Anyway,, this guy is considering building a John Deere 3 twine baler to compete with the Freeman line.  The guy told me, " at $70,000 some thousand for a new Freeman,, I can buy a JD baler make it a 3 Twine baler and sell it for less than a New Freeman."

Freeman does or did make an inline baler not popular here either.  The biggest problem with the inline balers is tractors aren't tall enough  to fit over the windrows, so the tractor winds up draging the windrows an just making a big huge mess! Around here guys figure on about 30 + - tons/hr out of the 330/370's.

Big difference between baling 4-4.5 ton/ac timothy and 2-3 ton alfalfa.

Is kind of odd,, JD doesn't take baler's very serious,, as Hay (of all types) is the 4th largest farm product in the US.  Didn't take them too long to "steal" the rotary header idea for the Self propelled swathers !!  

Small bit of history,, the very first self propelled swathers with rotary headers were built here by the same guy who now builds the "new" balers. After he perfected the rotary headers,, lol... word got out,, Factory reps and machine designers from EVERY LINE of Equipment were nosing around/spying trying to figure out his design !!   LOL... He had to put his machine(s) in his shop and put black plastic over all the windows to keep the Hay industry SPIES from trying to copy his idea/concept !!   LOL... He finally sold the patient rights to John Deere.  The very first machine's he built were higher capacity acre eater's than the production models now offered.. lol...  The rotary's he built: in alfalfa they would cut 3 ton alfalfa at top road speed (14-16 mph)of the "tractor" unit, and 8 mph in 4 ton/ac timothy. And the machine maintained that production all day long.