| John SD - 6/16/2013 07:42
If I was looking for a good old baler I would try to find a decent Hesston 5500 or 5510. Balers are simple to run and easy to make good moderately tight bales. 50HP tractor can run it.
Main thing is check out the forming grid inside the bale chamber to make sure it is not worn through the bars. Be careful, because if it is worn through there will be very sharp edges. I would avoid buying a baler with holes worn in the forming grid bars.
Also the rollers tend to work off to one side and break lock collars off the bearings.
IMO, this is because Hesston's manufacturing process at that time was not quite up to snuff building the baler framework perfectly straight. Some balers tend to be better or worse than others on bearings. Another thing to check is tailgate latches that may be worn and need building up again.
5500/5510 balers make a 5x5 bale about 800 lbs. Easy to handle bales with 40 - 50 hp older tractors and Farmhand F10s and F11 type loaders. Takes one hyd circuit to run the tailgate and 12V for electric tie.
+1
I bought a 5580 Hesston last year that had been converted from the electric tie to hydraulic. I baled about 130 bales with it and replaced a couple bearings and a chain. Made good 5x5 bales. You could put as big of a windrow into it as you wanted and it would eat it up.
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Old round balers?????
