End of Season: Tama’s 5 Top Tips for Round Baler Storage
The end of the baling season is finally here. But savvy farmers know that the work isn’t over. The steps you take now to protect your baling products and equipment will pay off when the next harvest rolls around.
With that in mind, the Tama team has put together our top baler storage and round baler maintenance tips. Here’s how to make sure your baler’s ready for next season.
Store your baler under cover
The best way to store your baler is under a shed roof. This protects the machinery from rain and helps prevent rust and degradation of belts and seals. If this isn’t an option on your farm, invest in a high quality tarp to cover the baler outside.
Clean out crop residues thoroughly
Crop debris left in your baler can easily lead to rust if it isn’t cleaned out. Most of it is in obvious places, such as the pickup tines and around your belts, bearings and rollers. But dust and chaff can easily get into less obvious corners as well, jamming up chains and other moving parts. Use a leaf blower or high pressure air hose to blow out this residue and keep the baler in good condition.
For stickier residues, wash off with a steam cleaner, but note that you should avoid bearings, electronics, and rubber components. The baler should then be greased, and a high pressure air hose used to remove any residual water. Finally, apply a barrier coating to prevent corrosion.
Under hot, dry conditions, more chaff comes off the bale as you’re turning it, so you can expect more dust to become lodged in the crevices of your machine. So pay extra attention to cleaning out those hard-to-reach gaps.
Loosen your baler belts
If you’re using a variable chamber baler, you’ll want to loosen the belt tension for storage. This prevents permanent stretching of your belts and reduces strain on other baler components from the taut belts. The procedure for reducing belt tension depends on your model, so consult the operator’s manual for the correct settings.
Lubricate relevant components
Once all crop residues have been cleaned away, you should be able to see all grease points on your machine clearly. Most balers will have these clearly marked, either with decals on the body of the baler or on a diagram in the operator’s manual. Make sure to systematically lubricate the grease points with an appropriate product, like EP2 Lithium grease, and use aerosol chain lubricant on the baler chains.
Greasing components before storage protects baler parts from moisture and corrosion and ensures they’ll still be in good working order the next time you fire up the baler. The same goes for any areas of bare metal in the baler chamber. A thin layer of a lanolin product or another oil based barrier coating on these exposed surfaces can go a long way towards protecting the baler walls from corrosion and preventing snags or tears in your netwrap next season.
Inspect for damage before storage
As you work through cleaning and greasing your baler, take the opportunity to do a thorough visual inspection of all parts, including areas you wouldn’t necessarily check during day-to-day baler maintenance. Note the problems that need to be fixed, and deal with them before you need to bale again. That takes the pressure off when you’re next out in the field and lets you take advantage of weather windows without getting slowed down.
Need more help or advice for your baling season? Reach out to the experts at Tama Assist to talk you through your toughest baling challenges.
Helping you get the most out of every bale
