With the current spell of fine weather, a limited number of balers have already been called into action, gathering up surplus grass. However, with the grass season now just around the corner, it’s time for farmers and contractors to get the annual pre-season maintenance done on all grass machinery.

In this article, we offer some pointers for getting a combination baler/wrapper ready to roll.

We focus on a McHale Fusion. However, many of the points will be applicable to a number of different brands. Remember, safety should be prioritised.

The tractor should be turned off and if the chamber door is opened, the hydraulic tap should be locked.

1 Pickup reel

1 Pickup reel: The cam bearings, which are located on the tine bar ends, should be replaced at the beginning of each season.

The pickup reel should be maintained to a high standard for the machine to gather grass to its potential. It needs to be gone through in depth before the machine is put to work.

The cam bearings, which are located on the tine bar ends, should be replaced at the beginning of each season. The cam track should also be inspected for wear.

The scroll pins on the tine bar ends should be replaced at the beginning of each season to keep the pickup nice and tight. The plastic bushings at the centre of the pickup should also be replaced. It’s important that the two carrier bearings on the centre shaft are greased. Any broken or damaged tines should be replaced. Missing tines will put more of a strain on the existing tines.

It’s also important that all bands are attached. Bearings in the small wheels that the reel runs on should be inspected and replaced, if necessary. McHale advises that operators should replace the gearbox bearing on the drive side after every 25,000 bales. It’s also good practice to change the oil in the gearbox each season. It takes two litres of 80/90 oil.

The auger and rotor bearings should be checked over for any play. McHale uses a double roller bearing on the rotor, which should be good to last 60,000 to 70,000 bales.

2 Knives

2 Knives: In an ideal situation, a new set of knives should be fitted to a baler at the start of every season.

In an ideal situation, a new set of knives should be fitted to a baler at the start of every season. However, this will depend on how much work the machine is doing. In good chopping conditions, a new set of knives will chop up to 1,000 bales before the edge needs to be sharpened.

It’s advised that the knives should be removed and sharpened professionally using a grindstone. This method is far better for longevity of the knives and it is safer than sharpening them using an angle grinder. After their first sharpening, this process should be repeated after every 500 to 800 bales depending on grass conditions. Depending on swarth going through the machine, a set of knives can chop in excess of 7,000 bales.

Baler operators should carry spare knives in the event of damaging or breaking knives due to hitting foreign objects. A new knife costs in the region of €25 plus VAT.

While checking around the knife bank, all roll pins need to be examined. These roll pins hold the knife forward in a chopping position. Replacement roll pins cost approximately €1.

3 Chains and rollers

3 Chains and rollers: Once the baler hits around the 20,000 to 25,000 bale count, a complete new set of chains should be fitted.

The McHale Fusion has 10 chains, all of which should be checked on a regular basis. They are easily adjusted using the tensioners, if needs be. It will be evident when chains are coming to the end of their lifespan as the tensioners will be at the maximum and the chains will start to slacken more and more before they eventually break.

Once the baler hits around the 20,000 to 25,000 bale count, it is advised to replace the full set of chains. Otherwise, these chains will begin to break one by one, leading to unwanted downtime during busy periods.

McHale recommends buying the full box of chains which are cut to the correct length rather than cutting them yourself. This is down to chains of the wrong size damaging sprockets – costing more in the long run. A full set of chains is priced in the region of €825 including VAT.

The wear-strip which the chain runs on and the idler bearings on the tensioners should be checked over.

The rollers and bearings should be checked over for movement. The rollers should also be checked for any cracks or splitting. Damaged rollers should be replaced before the season kicks off. It is good practice to run the baler for a short period to double-check that the auto-greasing unit is working correctly. The greaser and oil unit should be topped up regularly.

4 Netting unit

4 Netter: The reservoir for the barrel wrap option should be checked and kept topped up with hydraulic oil.

At the beginning of the season, the netting unit may require some maintenance around the erred wheel. Once freed up and running at the start of the season, it should be fine. The errling on the wheel should be kept nice and rough. If it is smooth, it means there is an erring missing. It should be replaced.

The cutting knife should be fine, but it’s no harm to give it a rub with a wire brush to freshen up the edge.

If the Fusion has the option of applying both the standard netting option and the barrel wrap option, there will be a small oil reservoir on the right side of the baler.

This reservoir should be checked and kept topped up with a high-quality hydraulic 46 oil.

5 Wrapping unit

5 Wrapper unit: The two ‘cut and tie’ units should be taken out and cleaned at the beginning of the season.

The wrapper unit doesn’t require much maintenance. The break pad unit for the ring should be inspected at the beginning of every season. If this is done, it should be perfect for the full season. All of the rollers on the wrap dispensers should be cleaned and oiled. All rams should be greased on a regular basis.

The two cut-and-tie units can be easily taken out and cleaned. They should be taken out every year at the beginning of the season.

It’s only a matter of opening one bolt and sliding them out by hand and cleaning and oiling them.

The blades can be changed very easily too, if required.

It’s important from a safety perspective that the drive shaft has a good functional cover.

The grease points should be easily accessible without having to remove the cover. All hydraulic hoses and fittings should be checked over for leaks, cracks or damage.

Likewise, all lights should be checked regularly. The brakes should be checked at least twice per year and adjusted, if necessary. Wheel studs must checked and tightened, if required.

The control box should be mounted on a safe bracket in the cab. If this isn’t the case, now is a great opportunity to get this correctly set up. The wiring loom should be kept free of any dust and dirt. If possible, there should be a good power supply to the control box.

Cleaning

Regularly cleaning down the baler is good practice and should be done daily once the season kicks off. Otherwise, old grass will build up and can pose as a fire hazard.

Dust and dirt should be cleaned off sensors and valve chests using an air compressor.