Help Needed - Vermeer 504l Baler Breaking Down - Possible Problem with Belts?

[Sassy42]

I'm new to farming and we bought a used Vermeer 504l Baler. My father is the one operating it. We used it successfully for about 6 4 x 5 round bales and then it started breaking down, where the belts all got mixed up and crossed.

He did not put the hay into wind rows (I think this is what they're called, basically he did not rake the hay into bigger piles before baling)
Could this be why the belts went crazy and needed fixing? A local farmer suggested this.

Also my husband said he was making the bales VERY big, could this also have contributed to the problem?

They managed to fix the belts, then Dad went out and did the same thing (baling from thin rows and making way too big of bales). The problem happened all over again. Dad wants to sell the baler. Or he's considering replacing the belts. But I'm just wondering if anyone can shine some light on what might have caused this problem?

 

[The Big Cowhuna]

Welcome to the forum, Sassy42! It sounds like your dad is too impatient if he's already talking about selling the baler. Farming is going to be frustrating, especially at first, so he needs to buckle down with it and accept that it's a learning process that involves a lot of trial and error. Was the hay too wet? Sometimes that happens when there's too much moisture. Feeding the machine evenly also helps. I prefer to make square bales myself, so I'm tagging @RichZ who might know more than me about your problem.

 

[Henderson]

Hello, Sassy42! I've never heard of doing it that way. It sounds like your father is cutting out some steps. I'd listen to the local farmer. Having said that, it's not exactly uncommon for the belts to get twisted sometimes.

 

[RichZ]

Haying is complicated and you really can't take shortcuts. Like Henderson said, it sounds like your father is cutting out steps. You can't bale properly without raking the hay into windrows, and if he has the baler set to make oversized bales I could easily see the bales getting crossed. And as The Big Cowhuna said, it does sound like the hay was dry enough. Raking the hay helps it dry.

What was he using to cut the hay? A mower condtioner or a disk mower condition the hay to help it dry. If he was cutting with a sickle bar mower, it would take the hay even longer to dry.

 

[Katie]

I've helped a bit with haying, and it is a process for sure. Can you guys work with someone with experience since you're still getting your feet wet? That might be the best way to go about it.