Baler question

[Nicky]

We had a hail storm about 10 days ago that really did a number on our alfalfa so we cut early to get it off so we can water up the second crop. We had a really good dew this morning (unusual for us) and Mike started to bale the raked hay. The monitor (the baler is a Vermeer 605 Super M) read dry, which was strange and the bales were shaped odd and spongy. He tested with the bale probe and it was very wet. Normally wet bales are hard. The rake is picking up all the damaged stems and alot of the leaves that were laying on the ground. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[gcreekrch]

Wait.


Or find a bale wrapper.

 

[Nicky]

lol, the question was more about why the monitor wasn't reading correctly and the bales were misshapen. It's working fine this morning.

 

[Silver]

My first rule of baler monitor moisture readings is: don't trust them!
Maybe it's because they are reading mostly hay from the outer edge of the swath, I don't know. I rely on the probe and use the monitor as a guide. Strangely enough, our 605N tends to give a reasonably accurate final reading for the completed bale, even though the moisture readings while making the bale appear to be generally inaccurate, normally reading drier than it really is. Go figure.