BYPY Transmissions urges farmers to consider the health of its PTO shafts before using their baler for the new season
As baling season ramps up for farmers around Australia, the last thing they can afford is costly downtime due to poor maintenance.
Baler servicing is a common practice for farmers ahead of the time when their machines receive a heavy workout, but Ashley Male from BYPY Transmissions says this standard servicing may not cover all potential problems.
“Farmers should really be having a good inspection of their PTO shafts,” he says.
“A lot of them have had their balers serviced but this doesn’t necessarily mean the shafts have been checked thoroughly, although they need to be.
“Any minor wear can exacerbate quickly and can cause vibrations and shudders through the drivetrain of the baler and through the back end of the tractor.
“Nipping the problem in the bud early can save damage further down the drivetrain.”
In addition to balers themselves, machines such as silage wagons and pick-up wagons also have PTO shafts which Male says may require attention.
BYPY Transmissions specialises in the Italian-made Bondioli & Pavesi product, of which it is the Australian distributor, but is able to help new and existing customers regardless of brand.
BYPY is based in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong but is willing and able to help customers around the country – firstly by accepting PTO shafts being sent to their Melbourne warehouse.
“We can service, repair or replace any manufacturer’s and supplier’s shafts,” Male says.
“We’re happy to field and answer any questions that they may have about their shafts and whatnot and are happy to lead them through any remedies or rectifications.”
Keeping safe
Male says a lot of clutches on agricultural equipment including balers can rust up and form a solid connection instead of acting as a clutch if they have been left out in the open during winter, potentially causing significant problems.
While that advice applies to farm machinery on a broader scale, there is also baler-specific maintenance advice which BYPY Transmissions urges farmers to consider.
“Balers predominantly have a wide-angle joint on one end of the shaft and that wide-angle assembly can wear rather quickly if not maintained correctly with regular greasing and an adequate amount of greasing,” Male says.
“We recommend that customers don’t use power grease guns on the CV assemblies because they deliver the grease too quickly and don’t actually get the grease into the assembly.
“Due to no fault of the owner or operator, they are doing what they believe is the right thing but not necessarily achieving what they’re trying to achieve.”
Instead, Male recommends farmers not neglect regular greasing and maintenance checks as part of their daily routine, with some specific tips for the greasing of their PTO shafts.
“Manual greasing and overgreasing is actually recommended, rather than the opposite,” he says.
“You can’t really damage them by overgreasing, but pneumatic and power grease guns aren’t necessarily the best option for greasing them.
“Overgreasing is actually a friend of these wide-angle joints, if I can put it that way,” he says.
“We strongly recommend daily greasing as part of each day’s pre-operational checks, and regular greasing and checking is not something which should get pushed under the carpet.”
Trusted name
One of the products which BYPY recommends is the Bondioli & Pavesi extra heavy-duty baler shafts, which is designed for use on large, high-density balers.
The SH series is the extra heavy-duty option, built specifically for the needs of Australian farmers working their machines in demanding conditions.
Made from premium quality materials, it is easy to grease and built to withstand long working hours under harsh conditions – ensuring it will last longer, reduce downtime and lower overall operating costs.
This shaft is designed with a double centering disk system for increased grease distribution and greater overall reliability from the wide-angle joint.
It can be fitted with a heavy-duty overrun clutch which BYPY says has proven to be the longest lasting overrun clutch on the market.
The SH wide-angle joint is capable of temporary driveshaft angles of up to 75 degrees for tight corners, while the recommended maximum continuous working angle is 25 degrees.
“They are near indestructible, they have done thousands of bales without issues,” one Victorian hay contractor who is also a BYPY customer says.
Male says BYPY Transmissions is ready to go for the new season, with good stock availability of PTO shafts to suit silage and baling requirements of farmers across Australia.
This includes brand new shafts, a full range of spare parts to repair existing Bondioli & Pavesi shafts, plus access to the market to get parts for all brands of PTO shafts.
BYPY Transmissions is located at 16 Dingley Avenue, Dandenong and can be contacted via www.bypy.com.au or 03 9794 5889.