Round Baler Soft Core?

[SuperDog]

Im going to be in the market for a round baler this spring. (tired of stacking small bales) I was told I should look for one that makes a soft core.... can anyone explain why I would want a soft core? What are the pros and cons?

Thanks Much
Mike

[ace admirer]

i think you have heard wrong...its tight centers you want,,,,usually its just a mater of slowing down ground speed while keeping up pto speed.

[agmantoo]

Round balers come in two designs, fixed and variable chambers. Fixed chamber balers cost more but are touted to have less expense to maintain. Variable chamber bales cost less but are touted to have more expense to maintain. Fixed chamber balers are normally chain and bar design and variable chamber balers are normally belt design. It is more a matter of personal preference in what one chooses. I have worked on both but my choice is a fixed chamber design. Either will work.

[farminghandyman]

If the core is to tight and the hay has any moisture on it (and you want some dew or wetness or an older round bailer will not hardly bale) the core will mold,

and if it is too tight one can have trouble with making a bale as well, (or it did on my old NH 850 bailer) until I set the core tension blocks to the lighter position there was now way in H*!! that I was going to get any thing but alfalfa to bale, and I do not not have alfalfa, I have or have had wheat hay or millet hay sweet Cain, or try to bale straw for bedding, and the straight stocked hays are not easily to bale, and on the old NH 850 if it gets to dry the bale will slip in the chamber and then you have a mess, as many times one could not dump it and you could not turn it, (my solution was to go into the corral and raise the tail gate and let the cows eat it out, it was the easiest way I found),
and if you get a round bailer, If you do slug it shut it off,

and then dig it out, do not I repeat

do not try to help it feed the stuck hay into the chamber unless you want to be arm less, there a very dangerous machine, it can grab one so fast there is now way to escape it.

I think the newer balers are much better, but a small baler will (or mine did) bale just about any thing and in nearly any moisture range or conditions, (now tyeing the knot was a different story), but the round balers are or can be temperamental, and have there own set of frustrations,

[Ross]

I've owned three. A Vicon rp1210 which is a soft core fixed chamber belt baler that liked dry hay only. Next was a Krone kr125 soft core chain baler. Nice machine it'd bale green fresh cut to dusty dry with no changes or slowdowns. I have a NH 849 chain baler now which is a much bigger baler and hard core. It'll do anything too. Preference? A chain baler, they're just tougher and more versatile. Hard core over soft?? Who cares both work just fine. Yeah soft core breathes a bit better, you're still not making damp hay into good hay without acid. The hard core feeds out a bit better and transports better, but if you have trouble moving or feeding softcores the machine likely isn't set up right. Soft core balers are often cheaper if that matters. Not that my 849 was expensive.

[ace admirer]

i've got an 849, and it has bailed a BUNCH of hay over the decades.

[Ross]

I was lookign for a NH 848 baler when I found the 849. It was a second baler on a huge dairy farm and hadn't done anything like a contemporary machine might have. Price was right and its been great. Not sure I'll ever have a smaller round baler again (the 849 is a 5.5x5.5 baler) its just faster and makes better bales.

[rambler]

Chain & bar balers are real hard on alfalfa, lose a lot of leaves. Otherwise they are real good, make good grass hay, and good cornstalk bales.

Hard core with the spinning drum were never real popular 'here', seems they had their problems.

Soft core balers might breathe more, but they also settle more, & do not hold up well stored outdoors.

A good tight big heavy bale works the best 'here'.

Old round balers had a closed throat, be aware of them - they only do very dry hay, & do not feed well.

Open throat models do much better.

Baling cornstalks or tougher stuff can be a real challenge.

--->Paul

[de Molay]

The soft core balers allow you to put up tougher hay, and it will finish curing in the bale as opposed to moulding. I have a NH 855 and it will bale anything even straw with snow on it.