There’s a great deal of buzz going around about the 9 series round baler from John Deere. With this chatter, come a lot of unanswered questions. Hay and forage growers have no need to worry though because we are here to answer all of your questions.

hay and forage

We will be providing you with information about all aspects of the 9 series round baler, from front to back, including features, monitor options, hitches, tires, wraps, and more. By addressing questions about the many useful features of the 9 series baler, we hope that you will have a more enjoyable haying experience! Now, lets get to the good stuff.

How do you know which wrap to use?

There are a few options that should be considered for wrapping your hay, including twine, net wrap, and B-Wrap. Of course, there is some personal preference involved in making this decision. However, we can offer you some general guidance.

Twine and net wrap has more to do with customer preference. Some enjoy using twine because they plan to store their hay and forage inside a barn while others choose to use net wrap because for storing outside.

B-Wrap is something that a lot of John Deere customers want to learn more about, as it is fairly new on the market. This wrapping solution is best for your high quality crop, like second-cutting alfalfa, or crop that doesn’t typically store as well, like corn stock and straw.

hay and forage

Can you use the 9 series baler for silage?

Yes, there are currently four 9 series models that are dedicated to silage, wetter and heavier crop. (This is typically any hay crop with more than 20% moisture). There is also a special 854 model for silage, which incorporates knives that help crop flow and sizing of material. This tends to be most useful for farmers in the dairy industry because it benefits the highest possible quality feed.

Is the B-Wrap system available for 7 series balers?

Yes, B-Wrap is available for the 7 series, 8 series and 9 series non-premium model balers. John Deere has provided this convenience to make sure that it is available for older models as well as newer ones. By simply going to your dealer and getting the kit installed, you will be able to operate with the B-Wrap system.

With the 7 series model, just make sure that you have a Bale-Trak Pro Monitor so that you can switch between net wrap and B-Wrap. On older models it is important to make sure that you have the right things installed, and remember that this is something any John Deere dealer can help you with throughout the process of switching to B-wrap.

What can be done to prevent hay from blowing over a roller baffle during heavy winds? 

When using a roller baffle with the 9 series baler, hay and forage can sometimes blow over the top of it. However, the roller baffle is adjustable for your convenience. You can adjust the high of the roller baffler so that it is sitting higher on the wind. Keep in mind that you can always take the roller baffle pick up attachment off of your baler, but it is suggested to try lifting it first.

What distinguishes the 9 series premium baler? 

Aspects of the 9 series premium baler’s appearance and functionality distinguish it from other balers. The premium baler has a composite plastic door that goes over the side of it, providing an easy opening for service access and offering a fresh style.

This baler also features larger components and is noticeably tougher. Its robust nature improves the life of the hay and forage machine. Also, the ISO Monitor can be plugged into your tractor offering increased performance and productivity while lowering operator costs.

hay and forage

Is there a greater maintenance interval on the 9 series baler?

In order to help customer spend more time in the field and less time in the shop, the grease interval has been improved from 8 hours to 30 hours. A grease bank was added to make greasing the machine quicker and easier for farmers of all sizes. There’s no need to climb all over the baler just to grease the machine!

Do you have to have a new tractor model to use the premium baler?

This is a common misconception in the hay and forage industry that we are happy to address. For those who don’t have a brand new John Deere tractor, or a John Deere tractor at all, you can still use the premium baler.  The premium baler is extremely flexible and just requires a few additional parts to work with other tractors.

Hopefully you have enjoyed reading part one of our complete guide to making hay and forage work. Stay tuned for the second round of questions and answers! If you enjoyed this post or want to read others, feel free to connect with us on Facebook!

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