The large belts that form the bale in your round baler are essential in making a good bale. When your belts get worn they tend to break more often and make lighter bales. When your belts start to wander more than normal it may be time to place them. You may also notice odd shaped or lighter bales. If you have laced belts they may also start coming apart quite often. It is essential to know when and how to replace your belts when the time comes.

Normally belts will last anywhere from 5,000 to 25,000 bales, and more is not unheard of. There are a lot of factors that contribute to life of your belts, the age of your baler, maintenance, the operator, type of baler, e.t.c. Endless belts will generally last longer then laced belts, as they don’t have a connection, which is often the place where a belt will rip. Although they last longer, endless belts are much harder to replace. They require disassembling the machine to install them, whereas laced belts can easily be replaced on the home with two people in a couple hours or less. That being said you can always replace endless belts with laced belts when the time comes, all you have to do is cut the old belts and place the new belts in their place and lace them together.

When you replace laced belts, or repair broken belts, the best way to do it is with new clips. If you use a vise, it is easy to replace the clips on your belts. Just do a quick google search for kits and you’ll find an easy to use kit, and I recommend anybody who owns a round baler to own one, as they come in handy on a Sunday with hay on the ground and rain in the forecast.

Whatever kind of baler you own, if it has belts, you will eventually need to replace them. Belt’s, like anything rubber, is prone to premature wear. It’s always best to have a spare just in case. If you have any questions about replacing the belts on your baler, contact us, we’ll be glad to give you advice, free advice of course.