Small baler for Dexta

[Bensdexta]

Seeing as it's haymaking time of the year - my daughter just made 160 bales off her yard just over the hill from TSG, any views on suitable balers for a Dexta?

Thanks TSG for the pic - will a Dex handle an IH 440?


Others on my list include NH 68, 268 and 370

And IH B47

Any views appreciated

Happy Christmas

[Brian]

NH 68 and 268 are getting on in years but were brilliant balers, nice simple knotter. I still have a few spares hidden in my workshop. Another of a little later era would be the Claas Markant 40, again with a very simple and straight forward knotter.

370 is also a very good baler.

Of the earlier balers, Jones, later A-C and Bamford have worn well over the years and have a very similar knotter to the NH.

[Bensdexta]

Will a Dexta cope with any/all of these, or does it 'depend.....' ?

[Brian]

It all depends on the conditions. A Dexta could cope with them all around here with the flat-ish land. You would need to keep the radiator clean though.

In the village, Mr Eric Wright, from J.J.Wrights, used a Dexta and NH68 baler to bale his hay and straw on about 30 acres, for many years. He later moved to a 3000 on the same baler. He did grow some good crops of hay and straw.

He also had a Lister "Take-Put" that he carted it all home on.

[The Swanndri Guy]

Ben, yes you can run the IH 440 on the back of a Super Dexta, as we did in the same paddock as in the picture, back in the 1980's, you just have to go slow and use the live drive.The Dexta on the other hand might just be too underpowered for a 440, but should run a IH B47 ( I've got one of them too, I like the narrow pickup, but I've got to sort ot the knotters)but you have to remember these balers are over 40 years old. So my suggestion, as Brian has said, look for a Claas Markant, even if they produce a mutant bale compared to the IH baler. TSG.

[BlueThroughAndThrough]

Hi Ben, my first baler(which I learned to use, hitched to a non-live Dexta)! was a Jones Blue Super Star baler. The Jones company was based in Corwen , Clwyd, North Wales and as such would have local "provenance" to you!
They were very robust, and compact balers, with either a long or short drawbar, depending on the original spec. mine was a short drawbar model, and suited the Dexta so well, it was possible with practice to change gear when baling, without using
the clutch!Another plus was that it was the same colour (nearly) as the tractor, and looked very smart.
Nowadays I have an International 445T baler, which just about copes with a 40 foot swath of straw, something neither the Jones or the Dexta would have been happy with!
Jones Balers were taken over by Allis-Chalmers, and then passed Bamfords, who made and sold the same baler for years afterwards with very few modifications, except the colour!
One further point, whatever brand you choose, you should be aware that even a fairly small baler will be close in weight to a Dexta, and always be aware, that your handbrake may not be enough to hold the baler still if you need to dismount for any reason, especially if the P.T.O. is running

[Brian]

This may give you some ideas too.

[Bensdexta]

Thanks all.

Hi Brian,
Is this available in a bit higher res, as it's a struggle to read and it looks interesting?
Happy New Year

[Brian]

Think there must be a problem as I see it quite large Ben on my screen. Just lately pictures seem to appear very large so that they are not all visible. I have been reducing the size when I post.

Let me know if there are problems with pictures in other posts please.

Have sent it to you as an e-mail.

[Roadless63]

We still use a NH268 well 2 actually but in general they are pretty reliable. Had 1 day of knotter trouble this year but I suspect part of that was down to less than ideal conditions which always throws up any weakness in the system.
I guess they've done 2500 -3000 bales this year behind the majors. Some of this is on fairly steep ground with a cooks flat 8 sledge behind, not sure I'd fancy towing that with a Dexta! As Brian said, on the flat and just dropping out singles I would think it would handle it no problem.
There are a lot of dangers associated with baling so if you haven't done any before get as many tips as you can. I never wear boots with laces and never be tempted to kick loose straw into the pick up reel, always have a pitchfork handy for that. Look out for loose string, we often go round to re-bale broken bales in sheds over winter "stationary" baling, loose string is your enemy here if it gets hooked on a pickup tine. Also as has been mentioned the rocking motion can unlatch handbrakes etc when parked on a slope. It always pays to turn off the whole lot and leave it safe before dismounting for any reason. On a NH (and probably other makes too) check that the needle safety latch is not seized, this comes into its own if for any reason the timing get out and stops the plunger destroying the needles. Use the correct shear bolts and keep slip clutches adjusted. Watch out when carrying out maintenance or clearing blockages in case the plunger arm is just on top dead centre and can suddenly set the ram off into the chamber.
Im sure the list goes on but you get the general idea, same with any farm machinery I guess.