MegaWide pickup

MegaWide pickup

The pickup is designed and built by John Deere in Ottumwa, Iowa. The John Deere MegaWide large square balers (LSBs) pickups use a low-profile pickup drum with a large-diameter roller baffle to efficiently pick crop up from the field. The performance of the roller baffle compressing the crop against the pickup tines means more crop in the bale and fewer leaves and crop left in the field.

• 2.2-m (7.2-ft) wide pickup is available on the L331R and L341R Baler
  • Available with standard or premium components
  • Tooth-to-tooth width is 1.92 m (76 in.)
  • Eight staggered tooth bars help prevent overload
  • Standard semi-pneumatic fixed gauge wheels provide smooth ground gauging over uneven terrain and protection to the pickup
• 2.5-m (8.1-ft) wide pickup is available on the L341R Baler
  • Available only with premium components
  • Tooth-to-tooth width is 2.18 m (86 in.)
  • Eight staggered tooth bars help prevent overload
  • Standard semi-pneumatic pivoting gauge wheels reduce sliding and scuffing of the tires in the field when the baler turns
• MegaWide pickup makes it easier to produce better-shaped bales and improves crop pickup in wide, windblown, or scattered windrows
• MegaTough pickup teeth provide greater strength and durability
• Chain driven for positive feeding
• Mechanical cutout clutch protection for added durability

MegaTough pickup teeth

Mega and MegaTough pickup teeth are base equipment:

• Mega pickup teeth, at the ends of the pickup, are heavy-duty for long life and improved crop retrieval
• MegaTough pickup teeth are designed to withstand the harshest baling conditions and provide long service life

Both pickup widths use a heavy, C-channel construction for the toothbar assembly. The pickup toothbars are divided into two half sections that mount to a center spider for increased strength and even crop feeding.

Semi-pneumatic gauge wheels

Semi-pneumatic gauge wheels provide smooth ground gauging over uneven terrain and protection to the pickup.

• Stiffer rubber sidewalls
• No air pressure to maintain, which means no flat tires
• Adjustable to meet pickup tooth-to-stubble height requirements

Converging wheels are available on the 2.2-m (7.2-ft) pickup to increase the overall feeding width to 2.8 m (9.2 ft):

• Rubber-mounted steel tines offer better durability
• Tines are sized to prevent dirt buildup

Pickup float springs

Pickup float springs

The pickup float springs are positioned for excellent flotation.

• Adjustable to meet varying field conditions
• Float springs only support the pickup reel
• Rotor assembly is fixed to the baler frame, eliminating additional weight on the pickup system

Field Analyzer

Bale Documentation technology allows data to be available anytime, anywhere in the John Deere Operations Center

• Evaluate season-to-season data on perennial hay crops allowing you to make decisions based on yield, moisture, bale weight, productivity and fuel usage. This will allow producers to make decisions on when to pull a hay crop out of production and reseed if necessary.
• Work totals allow a producer to easily count bales by field per cutting, to monitor if yield has decreased between cuttings, allowing for changes to the irrigation cycle.
• Due to increased input costs, especially in alfalfa, understanding field performance via yield maps and visualizing data points allows producers to make educated decisions on reseeding.
• Provides accurate weight and moisture data to Operations Center Web and Mobile, allowing operators to monitor bale characteristics as bales are made — creating more consistent, high-quality bales.
• Accurate moisture maps both onboard and offboard allow the operator to understand where there are issues in the field with dry down.
• JDLink™ provides seamless transfer of machine and agronomic data between equipment and Operations Center, which improves monitoring and planning logistics.

Operations Center Mobile yield map

The premium MegaWide pickup is standard for the L331R and L341R Large Square Balers. The premium pickup offers larger components to increase the durability and reliability of the pickup.

Changes to the premium Megawide pickup include:

• Larger cams and cam bearings
• Larger spider gears

Reel cam and cam arms for premium machines

Left-hand spider gears

Right-hand spider gears

The spider gears on the premium pickup have bearings that give the reel increased durability (longer life), as well as offering a more quiet operation of the pickup. The spider gears are also larger in diameter for increased life.

Double-tie knotter system

Knotter grease block

L331R and L341R Large Square Balers (LSBs) come standard with double-tie knotters.

John Deere-designed knotters are designed for performance, reliability, and reduced maintenance requirements. The auto-lube system is integrated into the knotter frames, and two internal grease ports reduce the time spent on pre-baling maintenance.

Integration of the lube system block into the knotter frame reduces the number of grease lines required for each knotter.

The integrated grease block results in a reduction in the amount of grease lines required to grease the knotter system and the number of grease line connection points. Fewer feet of grease lines and fewer connection points mean less maintenance and more time baling.

Knotting system

If service to the knotter stack is required, the knotters are positioned using an adjustment screw instead of shims. This saves time by having the ability to make adjustments at any point of assembly.

Split-frame knotter

The split-knotter frame is directly mounted to the intermittent gear so the frame can be removed without servicing the knotter stack.

Billhook cam

Like the John Deere single-tie knotter, the billhook cam and wiper arm plate are removable and individually serviceable. This allows replacement without replacing large castings or assemblies.

Instances where competitors must adjust the wiper arm to the billhook with a hammer, the John Deere solution allows the setting to be made with two bolts. This provides a more precise and repeatable setting, which results in more consistent knot wipe-offs.

The one series LSBs store twine in single-row twine boxes. The twine is then routed to the sealed gear tensioners. The sealed tensioner gears have been proven to provide more consistent twine tension during knot formation. This increases knotter performance and consistency. Once the correct bale length is achieved, the tie system clutch is activated.