Do You Smell Smoke? | Baler Bearing FAIL

Well I gotta say I try to make these videos in a way that they're pretty much self explanatory. Any way for those of you that haven't seen my videos before, they're about the day in and day out life on a crop and cattle farm in southwest Wisconsin. I try to avoid doing to much editing in my videos and keep them as close to the original raw footage as I can because lets be honest farming isn't edited as I live it.
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[@waterskiingfool]

Good thing you caught it before a fire

[@g.n.g4851]

Oh man! We had a bearing go on the baler and the first sign of trouble was black smoke and a burning bale! Luckily the winds were calm and we got the bale out before the whole thing went up! A couple old yellow Igloo water coolers helped save the day. I'm glad you didn't suffer any major damage and were able to get back at it. Thank you for letting us be a part of y'all's adventures and stay safe!

[@dwaynemurphy814]

You're a true farmer, can fix anything. Good you caught it in time.

[@8tomtoms8]

I hate sealed bearings on farm machinery. You could easily get to that bearing with a grease gun and assuming you greased it once in a while, it would last almost forever. I love how the manufactures crow about their "no maintenance, sealed for life" bearings. I guess they mean the balers life until it catches on fire. Great video Travis!!

[@lukestrawwalker]

Yeah I hate sealed bearings too... just crap waiting to go out. We had an old Caldwell hipper that used a pair of sealed bearings similar to those typically used in the riveted flanges on disk gangs, back to back, only these were without the riveted flanges and were pressed into a cast iron housing. They were all sealed bearings, and back when that thing was made in the 70's sealed bearings were all the rage... Of course back then they were GOOD AMERICAN ball bearings, not the cheap Chinese bearings you get nowdays. Anyway, as the bearings went out over the years the replacements just kept getting lower and lower in quality, no matter WHERE you bought them-- dealer, bearing supply house, whatever, they've just "cheaped out" on the bearings so what they make now is junk compared to the ones "back in the day". I finally got SO sick and tired of having to torch out races and replaced the sealed bearings that I drilled and tapped all the housings for grease zerks and then as the bearings went out I popped the seal off one side of the bearing and then installed that side toward the center, so both bearings ran back-to-back with the unsealed sides to the center of the housing, which acted as a grease chamber or annulus. The remaining seal on the outside of each bearing kept out dirt, moisture, and kept in the grease. It became readily apparent WHY these sealed bearings don't hold up anymore... When I popped off the inner seal ring you'll find that the bearing is the regular assembly of balls in a PLASTIC ball retainer ring now, instead of the riveted steel ball cage ring of years past, but what's worse is, the bearing will have ONE LITTLE DOLLOP of grease about 1/2-3/4 the amount of toothpaste you'd typically put on your toothbrush, that is squirted into the bearing before the seal is pressed on... and usually it's NOT EVEN IN THE PATH OF THE BALLS, just to one side of it on the outer race up against the seal. That's NOWHERE NEAR enough grease to keep a ball bearing lubricated, especially under heavy loads, and of course will do NOTHING to help prevent the intrusion of moisture or dirt and keep the balls and races lubricated. Once that little speck of grease dries out, the bearing essentially runs dry, and anything that gets past the seal into it rusts the balls and races and grit eats at the balls and races and then the whole thing self destructs. Once it gets hot, it cooks out that little dab of grease and quickly goes dry and then it's REALLY gonna get hot and fall apart... ANY time I can possibly replace a sealed bearing with a greasable one, I DO... Later! OL J R :)

[@jeremysmits9784]

A water filled fire extinguisher might be something that you should look into investing in. You fill it up with water and pressurize it with a air compressor. You could use it on the baler in the summer and the combine during harvest. Just don’t let them freeze

[@keithwest2575]

Travis, it is apparent that this was not the first time you had swapped that bearing or the chain out. Thanks for sharing the video. Have a good one and be safe in the process. Take care.

[@jerrymcneil4150]

Travis I love to watch your videos you're so entertaining and I learn lots you're very talented at what you do keep up the good work Travis I'm looking forward to all the videos to come!

[@jamesmdavis1523]

I like the new style

[@jasonstockbridge1489]

Great video Travis. Glad the rain missed you that day.

[@jankotze1959]

Good repair video

[@danfinley3690]

Great job with the torch nice glad to see you up and running

[@BigBones2109]

I'm a truck driver so when I hear "make up time" I know exactly what you mean! LoL 😁

[@geraldwilson727]

Adam Bonin that's no joke been driving truck for many years and it always seems like you're always going as fast as possible to sit and wait

[@BigBones2109]

@@geraldwilson727 you said brother!

[@kaylajason8917]

We have a 2.5 gallon stored pressure water extinguisher on our baler and tractor just for emergencies like this, glad all went good and your safe. Look into one as it just uses water and use your compressor to pressurize it and your good to go, we got ours from fire supply depot.

[@Adam_Poirier]

Hopefully no one is appalled you used the torch and cut the race off man that’s the way to go, if you have the skills to not damage the shaft,which you just showed us you do have that skill!

[@OldDunollieman]

Good work Travis, I like your can do attitude.

[@OldTimerDave]

Thanks again Travis for continually showing all the different things that go with farming.... You literally have to be a jack of all trades to make things work..... be safe, be careful, see ya in the next one

[@SuperScooby70]

The smell of smoke or hot plastic (like hot wiring) will put an operator instantly on their toes! There is no worse instant panic inducing smell when around equipment. Glad your sniffer works well Travis! Great video on the fix as well.

[@OSUOiler]

That's the truth! Makes me nervous as heck any time I get either of those smells!

[@dewainwoodard4840]

Great video Travis thanks for sharing have a great day stay safe out there

[@jbmbanter]

You're right about the length of videos. After 10 maybe 15 minutes of the same stuff on the same video I get bored and usually move along. :)

[@thomasmarti5856]

Thanks for the update,glad the issue was resolved without flames !

[@ihus9950]

Great video Travis, glad for you it was just that bearing and it didn't take out the shaft. And no rain, looks like a win win situation. Take care Bud 👍

[@hvlineman5227]

You shoulda done this, you should get that, blah blah blah.... Break out the torch and get’r done I like it👍. Camera was in a good position imo I could see everything just fine. Nice work my man.

[@garywaxler7866]

We use a torch a lot to get things apart. A torch is a farmers best friend.

[@danlowery3235]

Very nice work with the torch! If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all, so the song goes! Nice recovery.

[@joebuchanan7669]

Keep up the good work. Good luck with the weather.

[@jamessperl8776]

Never worry about a quick placement of the camera. It’s just nice to be able to see what you are doing.

[@deborahcole4621]

Great video! Glad your bailer didn't burn!!!

[@mikebonge7206]

A can a pop. I have not heard that word since we moved from Nebraska. 30 years ago. LOL Always waiting on parts Great job

[@ernestdougherty3162]

Another great video your good at what you do keep up the good work be safe

[@SteveHolsten]

Glad you got her going again, Travis.

[@stanleyjones4180]

thanks for the video travis

[@codyisley]

A water fire extinguisher is the best insurance you can have on a round baler, other than actual insurance.

[@rickyarger1169]

Ahhh...the old cut the race without nicking the shaft trick

[@lonelyfarmer3486]

We had a new Holland 664 the we had alotnof bearing problems out of when it was new. We cought it on fire and we had to empty all the coolers on it to put it out and we went to a shot that braced them and we have rolled 9000 bales after that and have never had a problem

[@CurrentChoices]

great job and explanations!

[@benjaminstern2562]

You gotta like fixes that go pretty smooth! Too many end up consuming you physically n mentally. Keep up the great videos!

[@brianrutherford3229]

I could see just fine a you were doing.been in that mindset myself many times during a breakdown during harvest.just get it up and running again

[@mouscj3]

Great Job an Great Video on your bearing repair... I'm guessing that since you didn't mention anything about replacing the bearing on the other end of the shaft, that it was replaced previously and was much newer and not the same age as your bad bearing... Otherwise me personally i would have gone ahead and replaced both bearings to prevent another possible failure or fire... Then keep the working used bearing as a spare backup... And from reading the great comments below, it mite seem to be a Great Idea to carry jugs of water in the twine boxes since y'all only use Netwrap...Just hafta remember to empty the jugs before winter hits your area...And then refill them with water in the Spring/Summer before the first Baling job of the year... Looking forward to more Great Videos... Thanx for being a Farmer and... Thanx for sharing...

[@redneckokie9348]

Balers around here carry a water fire extinguisher

[@GosselinFarmsEdGosselin]

If it won't slide off, HOT WRENCH it!!! You won't hear me complain! At least you are at the shop, with water.... And not in the field!! I've got everything on the service truck except for water, but we do have a 300 gallon fire trailer for that kind of thing 😎. I know it's a pain, I don't always take my own advice either, but... We try to keep some bearings on hand. Never the ones we need, but still have bearings for most things... Lost the chain??? When we had the round baler, it would eat chains!!! JD used #60 on the 430, we upgraded to #60 heavy... Still had to replace all the chains every other year. Get r done! Burned up a field mower and part of the tractor.... Ironically on my wife's birthday (8-19-86) three years before I met her.... Second and third degree burns on my back, but saved enough to have everything back in the field a week later!!! Keep them lubed and if they aren't the heavy chain, switch to it, you'll like it better!!

[@pattoohill5307]

I have replaced the same a few years ago. I usually carry a couple 2 1/2 jugs of water in the twine box. I used 1 once to put out a hot bearing on my 566.

[@johncolasanto605]

Great job... you might want to check out the AFFF ( water foam extinguishers) they work alot faster than the chem extinguishers... would have to be put in a warm area come cool weather is the only downfall.. keep up the great work!!!

[@clinthochrein888]

I’ve herd of stories of round bailers catching on fire or almost. Some of them were able to Quick disconnect the bailer from the tractor an seeing the round bailer burn up right before their eyes.

[@tapertrain1614]

We carry gallons of water in the twine boxes. The vinegar bottles work best, they are heavier plastic.

[@dennis2376]

Be safe out there. Your story reminds me of when I was working the bush and they gave us very small fire extinguisher if a fire broke out. No way we would use it, running was the consensus of the crew.

[@donham512]

my dad was very good at making that "hot" wrench work without damaging the shafts, he cut lots of bearings and nuts on our farm equipment ... broken equipment during harvest is the most stressful part of farming ...

[@matthofer5463]

Air hammer alert

[@rrch129]

Torch is much easier and faster than an air hammer

[@1995jug]

Cutting torch is your friend, I use mine for everything including brazing, I worked maintenance at a chemical plant for 43 years so I am well versed on cutting torch.

[@genechronister7085]

Nice vid!

[@roni8049]

The dairy farm where I work just lost their baler to a fire. Some hay got caught between a belt and the roller, got hot, and the fire just took right off.

[@emeryerickson]

Have you guys ever thought about buying a New Holland baler? We love ours

[@nickkercheval2704]

I would have used the hot wrench as you did

[@KevinBC96]

You need to get a water can Type A fire extinguisher. Literally the only thing it uses is water and compressed air. That way if you do have to use it, all it takes to refill it is just add water back to the correct level, then add compressed air using your standard shop air compressor and a tire chuck.

[@Blazer02LS]

Just be sure to put them indoors in the winter, or fully empty them out. They don't like to freeze!

[@pushpushlambert8079]

FYI a water mist extinguisher are really good ... They are mtce free, reusable . You refill them yourself . Heck even a $10 hand held chem sprayer is great . 👍🏻🇨🇦

[@redneckokie9348]

Travis that what I do hit twice if it does not move give the touch

[@speed5763]

The shorter the chain the more rounds it makes . . .I oil the 2 short chains every two hours-------long chain 8 hours when they're still warm

[@doclull1989]

Hey Travis!!

[@miltonhamptonii5441]

Good job driver.

[@patrickquilter9378]

newer jd 569 balers have liquid filled fire extinguishers, might be worth looing into getting one

[@lukestrawwalker]

Hot bearings and fires in the hay field are never any fun. I've had a couple times stuff got real hot. Really gotta cool the metal down or it just keeps reigniting stuff, extinguisher or no. Worst was I had a bottom door roller bearing go and the guy I was baling for luckily just got home from work and drove out in the field and noticed little smoldering spots here and there behind the baler, and so he drove up beside me honking to let me know. I kicked the bale out right quick and the hay around the roller burst into flame, but the bale didn't catch luckily, just the loose stuff in the bottom of the door area, so I popped it in road gear and hooked it back to his house, and turned the garden hose on it. I left the baler run because the roller end was nearly red hot, and I figured that stopping the belts so the rubber was against the hot roller in ONE SPOT would probably catch the rubber on fire, and then good luck getting THAT put out! Everything was okay after that, took the baler home and worked on it in the shop and was running by the next morning, came back and finished the job. He ran his pickup out there and ran over any smoldering spots to make sure they were out... Neighbor near us didn't get so lucky. His Vermeer baler caught fire and he opened the back door and kicked the bale out, but all the loose chaff and hay in there was still burning and he jumped in there trying to kick it out. Ended up with a lot of bad second and third degree burns and was in the hospital for a couple months and long rehab after that... He'd have actually been WAY cheaper and better off to just let the baler burn, even if it took the tractor with it, compared to the doctor and hospital and rehab bills, not to mention all the pain and suffering... Later! OL J R :)

[@brandonthomas1298]

We carry 2 1/2 gallon jugs on the tractor with us for situations like that when it happens in the middle of the field

[@ollie-lk5dx]

Get a water filled fire extinguisher they're refillable can pressurize with compressed air, Or mount 15 20 gallon sprayer with wand on tractor, remember better to have and not need than need and not have, neighbors lost tractor and baler in baler fire

[@rogerwilson9892]

Travis could and was able make out what you were doing yeah time wasn't your friend it sound like trying to beat the rain and would have cut or had someone to cut it as well nice video.

[@greenhorn223]

Great job on the repair. It could of been a major repair if that bearing would of messed up that shaft. Later

[@watchvideos9104]

Should get a Class C C02 Fire Extinguisher , way better at cooling than the multi Class ABC extinguishers

[@rickymccutcheon]

naw i think Travis should install a water extinquisher , its just water and pressure , a second extinguisher is a good policy , no one extinquisher handles all u r needs

[@milesb7165]

Close call! Way to always be observant. Who in the family taught you how to torch?

[@TheRestOfTheStory]

Dad

[@dlmarquart]

Are all bearings on your baler the sealed style

[@rtz549]

Two things happen to those ridiculous so called "sealed bearings" in my experience. Ever see a bearing and it's got dust stuck to it? And you wipe it off and it reappears later? That's the grease from inside bearing. It gets hot or warm, thins out, and then seeps out the edge of the dust seal from spinning. Also those seals can't take water at all. Any water gets in and it rusts then the bearing eats itself. If they would make a bearing with a better seal or a true seal it would change everything.

[@SlipShodBob]

At least it hadn't got to the point that your water didn't put it out or cool it off and had to do what a combine driver over here did and undo his flies as use his hose to put a fire out

[@marckimbrell4645]

Blessed not lucky.

[@Kugerand727]

30 minutes to get back running is pretty remarkable.

[@Kugerand727]

I understand.

[@kirkking6601]

How many bales a year do you put through it counting all crops?

[@renaekatsma3666]

So I don’t know how much a bearing costs but why don’t you keep an extra at the farm so you don’t have to run and get one?? Thanks for the video Travis!

[@Blazer02LS]

If it's like a lot of equipment you would need to have 50 bearings of different sizes with some special ones that cost serious money to try to have the one you need in stock. Much cheaper in the long run to let the parts houses stock them, unless it's a common as dirt type.

[@jamesstangl543]

I do the same thing time is money

[@thr8061]

... at least it did not happen on a Saturday afternoon. Then you would have had to wait until Monday (if not a holiday) to get parts (which is so dang frustrating)

[@TheRestOfTheStory]

......I know a guy....

[@janettebreeden5823]

How can you win the quadtrac

[@jerrypolk6251]

That's what a smoke wrench is for

[@koreylass9529]

Don't lose your bearings putting it together. #dadjoke

[@ozz5350]

👍

[@blaneheinrich5743]

Don't know how old that baler is wouldn't hurt to go through on downtime and change all bearings then you have no worries

[@carterfarms5906]

Uh oh

[@jerrypolk6251]

I'd rather both

[@colewarkentine7103]

How many bales does the baler have on it? Ours started giving trouble at 8,000 bales and by 10,000 bales we almost had to replace it. But new round balets are so expensive.

[@babymoses7969]

its all about how it was taken care of. i have i 567 jd that has 38000 bales and just traded my 568 that had 25000 bales on it and just got a new 560

[@colewarkentine7103]

90% of those bales where heavy silage bales and it was lubed every day before we used it.

[@MatthewHoag77]

Disaster averted. I know you like starting fires, but not that kind! Was the pucker factor especially strong when the baler caught fire? (I suspect it was.) Way to cover the repair process essentially from start to finish.

[@dannysocha8741]

You should get in the habit of cleaning the baler off between each cutting of hay

[@carterfarms5906]

How ya doin

[@markcornell986]

1gallon jug of water is a baler saver...

[@jame3shook]

lucky or good? why not both?

[@kirkking6601]

James Hook Sometimes I have bad lucky.

[@heyhey1956]

Travis, have you seen this Vicon FastBale non-stop baler-wrapper? this machine seems to be a very good idea especially the non-stop principle engineered into this baler! kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnmUnKlvfdJ5aLs

[@joerohrbeck15]

Travis just wondering, couldn't you just put say a gallon jug of water in your twine box there ?

[@ericluitjens4256]

I carry a pump up sprayer full of water in my twine box. This will put out 90% of fires. I also carry a fire extinguisher on the tractor.

[@caseyroberson2621]

We

[@caseyroberson2621]

I all ways can tell if he have a bearing going out if you get out of the tractor and turn your pto off and go to the back of the Bayler and grab the out side belts and you can tell if you have one going out that way that’s best way to tell