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Baler Repair Saved Him $1,000
"By making replacement bands for the pickup on my Owatonna Manufacturing Company baler, I saved myself more than $1,000, and I have a much stronger pickup now," says Roger Gutschmidt, Gackle, N. Dak. "The original bands were badly bent. They were made out of real flimsy metal and seemed to bend just from hitting mole p
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Baler Repair Saved Him $1,000 BALERS Balers 33-1-27 "By making replacement bands for the pickup on my Owatonna Manufacturing Company baler, I saved myself more than $1,000, and I have a much stronger pickup now," says Roger Gutschmidt, Gackle, N. Dak. "The original bands were badly bent. They were made out of real flimsy metal and seemed to bend just from hitting mole piles or bumps. New ones cost over $50 each and I needed 19 of them."
OMC was bought out by Gehl, and Gutschmidt says Gehl 1710 balers use the same pickup bands as OMC 595 and 596 balers. Instead of buying replacement bands from the manufacturer, Gutschmidt bought some 2 by 1/2 by 1/8-in. channel iron at a local steel distributor for $72.
"By making a bending jig that fits into my vise, I bent the channel iron into the proper shape to fit my baler. It worked like a dream," he says. "I cut the pieces to the right length (51 in.), and in about 30 seconds, I had it shaped. I bent all 19 of them cold (no heat from an acetylene torch). Then, all I had to do was drill the mounting holes and I had 19 sturdy bands that are three times as strong as the weak and flimsy ones that were on there before."
Intstead of paying $1,026 for 19 baler bands at the implement dealership, Gutschmidt's cost was only $72.
"They fit on like a glove," he points out. "I actually had to pat myself on the back, and say ęGood job Rog'".
Gutschmidt says there are a lot of balers of all brands on the market that have light-weight and weak bands.
"I'm sure everyone who uses a round baler agrees they're made too light and flimsy. I have a friend who has a Case-IH baler and he tends to bend his bands easily, too. But replacements for his are only $9 each, versus the $54 each that mine would have cost."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gutschmidt Manufacturing LLC, Roger Gutschmidt, 6651 Hwy. 56, Gackle, N. Dak. 58442 (ph 701 698-2310; shopdoc @drtel.net).
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