John Deere 338 Twine/Wire Baler
Description
- Full-width feeding pickup
- 540-rpm PTO power shaft
- Deep-flighted auger feeding
- Hydraulic bale tension available
Models
Accurate knotters
Small square baler knotter system
Knotters driven by shaft and gears provide a positive drive for dependable and accurate functioning.
The timing of knotters and needles is easy:
- Remove one bolt and match the gears
- Timing slot enables easy positioning of the plunger
The tucker finger holds the twine over the billhooks during the tying cycle:
- Eliminates twine finger
- Reduces the chance of twine damage
- Notch controls the twine position over the billhook for improved knotter function
- Ball-joint-style pull links ensure accurate adjustment
The twine knife is made of surgical-quality steel and can be easily unbolted for sharpening or replacement.
The adjustable edge on the wiper arm allows an easy, accurate adjustment to the billhook.
The positive meshing of knotter gears is easily maintained with spring pins and washers on the needle lift shaft.
The large-diameter needle-lift shaft increases strength for reliable operation.
The split-design knotter frame enables easy removal, without disassembly of the entire mechanism.
A coil-type tension spring on the twine holder enables easy adjustment and improved performance.
The twine disk timing is easily accomplished without removing the pinion gear.
Making adjustments is easy when changing from multi-twine billhooks to sisal-twine billhooks.
The billhook cam track is a separate hardened part that can be replaced independently from the knotter frame, which reduces repair costs.
Quiet, dependable operation
The plungerhead runs on three precision roller bearings located in the high-load area:
- Provides quiet operation
- Minimum wear
The compression charge is on the downstroke of the pitman arm to help eliminate slapping of the plungerhead.
The pitman is offset to the right (knife side) where the load is heavier to further minimize wear.
A lubrication fitting on the pitman arm provides easy access for lubrication to the wrist pin.
A safety stop is positioned to stop the plungerhead at the crank to eliminate possible damage to the plungerhead face.
Deep-flighted auger feeding
Pickup and deep-flighted auger
The deep-flighted auger continuously moves hay away from the pickup to the pre-compression chamber:
- Adds to the overall capacity
- Produces higher-quality hay
- Allows minimal crop contact with pickup teeth, which minimizes leaf loss
The free-floating auger raises or lowers to match and maintain control of incoming crop.
Hay turns in the tapered auger housing, which enables the feeder forks to fold each charge as it enters the bale case to produce uniform bales. The crop is pre-compressed for better bale uniformity.
The auger system has few moving parts for less wear and less chance of untimely breakdowns.
Adjustable hay compressor
Small square baler pickup with hay compressor
The adjustable hay compressor mounts to and floats with the pickup and helps to maintain the same relationship to the pickup teeth at all operating heights.
The hay compressor also controls hay for continuous positive delivery to the auger.
The hay compressor is adjustable to nine positions to maintain positive control of hay in either large and heavy or light and fluffy windrows.
It can easily be removed with two spring pins for access to the auger or feed opening.
Uniform bales
Feeder forks
Hay is uniformly distributed into the bale case, which produces easy-to-handle bales and bales that stack well.
Feeder forks can be adjusted to five positions to match the feeding requirement to the hay conditions.
Forks are spring loaded for protection and are timed independently of knotters.
Hydraulic bale tension available
Hydraulic bale tensioner shown on 348 Baler
The hydraulic bale tension permits easy adjustment of bale density to meet crop variations and desired bale weight:
- Hydraulic cylinders replace springs that would typically control the density of the bale
- Exerts constant and uniform pressure on each bale
- Easy to use
- One knob controls the tension applied to the bale
- By increasing the tension, the bale weight also increases
Full-width feeding pickup
Square baler pickup
The pickup teeth and narrow, flanged strippers extend to the flare on both sides of the pickup. This enables full, usable pickup width for feeding wide windrows.
Closely-spaced pickup teeth gather all of the hay in wide, heavy windrows.
Baler |
Number of teeth |
328 |
104 |
338 |
156 |
348 |
156 |
Narrow-channel strippers positioned closely together help preserve leaves and short material to add more quality to the bale.
The pickup is 188-cm (74-in.) wide on flare and offset 25.4 cm (10 in.) to the right of the bale case.
- The full width of the pickup can be utilized without the tractor tires operating on the windrow.
The belt drives used to power the pickup are virtually trouble-free and eliminate the need for slip clutches.
Specifications
- Auger - Diameter: 41 cm<br/>16 in.
- Auger - Length: 154.9 cm<br/>61 in.
- Bale Chute - Long chute: Optional
- Bale Chute - Short chute: Optional
- Bale Chute - Side bale drop chute: Optional
- Bale Chute - Wagon hitch: Optional
- Bale Ejector - Available: Optional
- Bale size - Height x width: 36 x 46 cm<br/>14 x 18 in.
- Bale size - Length: 30.5 to 127 cm<br/>12 to 50 in.
- Baler dimensions - Height: 170.2 cm<br/>67 in.
- Baler dimensions - Length w/ long tongue: 576.5 cm<br/>227 in.
- Baler dimensions - Weight empty: 1272 kg<br/>2805 lb
- Baler dimensions - Width: 274.3 cm<br/>108 in.
- Density Control System - Adjustable Bale Density: Mechanical crank
- Density Control System - Adjustable Hydraulic Bale Density: Optional
- Drive mechanism - Driveline: Equal angle 3 joint category 4
- Drive mechanism - Feeder forks: Gear and shaft
- Drive mechanism - Knotters: Gear and shaft
- Drive mechanism - Pickup: Belt
- Drive mechanism - Plunger: Gear and shaft
- Drivetrain protection - Knotters: Shear bolt
- Drivetrain protection - Needles: Shear bolt/plunger head stop
- Drivetrain protection - Pickup: Belt slip
- Key Specs - Adjustable Hydraulic Bale Density: Optional
- Key Specs - Bale size: Height x width<br/>36x46 cm<br/>14x18 in.<br/>Length<br/>30.5 to 127 cm<br/>12 to 50 in.<br/>
- Key Specs - Minimum PTO: 26 kW<br/>35 PTO hp
- Key Specs - Pickup width: 187.9 cm<br/>74 in.
- Key Specs - Plunger - Strokes/minute: 80 spm
- Pickup - Lift control: Crank (hydraulic optional)
- Pickup - Pickup diameter: 49.5 cm<br/>19.5 in.
- Pickup - Pickup width: 187.9 cm<br/>74 in.
- Pickup - Tooth bars/teeth: 6 bars, 156 teeth
- Plunger - Strokes/minute: 80 spm
- Tires - Gauge Wheels: 1 optional
- Tires - LH Standard tire size: 11L-14, 6 ply
- Tires - Pickup Gauge Wheels Tires Size: 16.5x6.50-8
- Tires - RH Standard tire size: 26x12.0-12, 4 ply
- Tractor requirements - Minimum PTO: 26 kW<br/>35 PTO hp
- Tractor requirements - PTO speed: 540 rpm
- Typing mechanism - Central lube system: Optional
- Typing mechanism - No. of knotters: 2
- Typing mechanism - Twine capacity: 8
- Typing mechanism - Twine type: Plastic or sisal
- Typing mechanism - Wire ball capacity: 4
Features
- Height (Maximum): 67in. (1.7m)
- PTO Speed: 540rpm
- PTO (minimum): 35hp
- Bale Length: 12 to 50in. (31 to 127cm)
- Bale Cross Section: 14x18in. (36x46cm)
- Length (without tongue and bale chute): 134in. (3.4m)
Copy Set
Accurate knotters
Small square baler knotter system
Knotters driven by shaft and gears provide a positive drive for dependable and accurate functioning.
The timing of knotters and needles is easy:
- Remove one bolt and match the gears
- Timing slot enables easy positioning of the plunger
The tucker finger holds the twine over the billhooks during the tying cycle:
- Eliminates twine finger
- Reduces the chance of twine damage
- Notch controls the twine position over the billhook for improved knotter function
- Ball-joint-style pull links ensure accurate adjustment
The twine knife is made of surgical-quality steel and can be easily unbolted for sharpening or replacement.
The adjustable edge on the wiper arm allows an easy, accurate adjustment to the billhook.
The positive meshing of knotter gears is easily maintained with spring pins and washers on the needle lift shaft.
The large-diameter needle-lift shaft increases strength for reliable operation.
The split-design knotter frame enables easy removal, without disassembly of the entire mechanism.
A coil-type tension spring on the twine holder enables easy adjustment and improved performance.
The twine disk timing is easily accomplished without removing the pinion gear.
Making adjustments is easy when changing from multi-twine billhooks to sisal-twine billhooks.
The billhook cam track is a separate hardened part that can be replaced independently from the knotter frame, which reduces repair costs.
Quiet, dependable operation
The plungerhead runs on three precision roller bearings located in the high-load area:
- Provides quiet operation
- Minimum wear
The compression charge is on the downstroke of the pitman arm to help eliminate slapping of the plungerhead.
The pitman is offset to the right (knife side) where the load is heavier to further minimize wear.
A lubrication fitting on the pitman arm provides easy access for lubrication to the wrist pin.
A safety stop is positioned to stop the plungerhead at the crank to eliminate possible damage to the plungerhead face.
Deep-flighted auger feeding
Pickup and deep-flighted auger
The deep-flighted auger continuously moves hay away from the pickup to the pre-compression chamber:
- Adds to the overall capacity
- Produces higher-quality hay
- Allows minimal crop contact with pickup teeth, which minimizes leaf loss
The free-floating auger raises or lowers to match and maintain control of incoming crop.
Hay turns in the tapered auger housing, which enables the feeder forks to fold each charge as it enters the bale case to produce uniform bales. The crop is pre-compressed for better bale uniformity.
The auger system has few moving parts for less wear and less chance of untimely breakdowns.
Adjustable hay compressor
Small square baler pickup with hay compressor
The adjustable hay compressor mounts to and floats with the pickup and helps to maintain the same relationship to the pickup teeth at all operating heights.
The hay compressor also controls hay for continuous positive delivery to the auger.
The hay compressor is adjustable to nine positions to maintain positive control of hay in either large and heavy or light and fluffy windrows.
It can easily be removed with two spring pins for access to the auger or feed opening.
Uniform bales
Feeder forks
Hay is uniformly distributed into the bale case, which produces easy-to-handle bales and bales that stack well.
Feeder forks can be adjusted to five positions to match the feeding requirement to the hay conditions.
Forks are spring loaded for protection and are timed independently of knotters.
Hydraulic bale tension available
Hydraulic bale tensioner shown on 348 Baler
The hydraulic bale tension permits easy adjustment of bale density to meet crop variations and desired bale weight:
- Hydraulic cylinders replace springs that would typically control the density of the bale
- Exerts constant and uniform pressure on each bale
- Easy to use
- One knob controls the tension applied to the bale
- By increasing the tension, the bale weight also increases
Full-width feeding pickup
Square baler pickup
The pickup teeth and narrow, flanged strippers extend to the flare on both sides of the pickup. This enables full, usable pickup width for feeding wide windrows.
Closely-spaced pickup teeth gather all of the hay in wide, heavy windrows.
Baler |
Number of teeth |
328 |
104 |
338 |
156 |
348 |
156 |
Narrow-channel strippers positioned closely together help preserve leaves and short material to add more quality to the bale.
The pickup is 188-cm (74-in.) wide on flare and offset 25.4 cm (10 in.) to the right of the bale case.
- The full width of the pickup can be utilized without the tractor tires operating on the windrow.
The belt drives used to power the pickup are virtually trouble-free and eliminate the need for slip clutches.