458 | Round Baler 8 Series Round Balers | Hay and Forage Equipment

BaleTrak™ Pro monitor-controller with automatic electric tie option

BaleTrak Pro monitor-controller

The 458 Standard Round Baler features the BaleTrak Pro monitor-controller with the automatic electric tie option.

This feature allows the operator to both monitor and control important baler functions for productivity and convenience right from the tractor seat.

Preset factory settings allow the operator to just turn one switch on and go bale; it's just that easy.

BaleTrak Pro provides the following monitoring functions:

On/off key—turns the monitor on or off
Twine/net key—selects between twine or net wrap
Baler symbol—gate closed, ready to bale
Small bale symbol—near-full bale
Bale with twine symbol—stop forward travel, wrapping started, maintain PTO speed
Baler with bale-ejecting symbol—open the gate and eject the bale
Numerical display—shows bale diameter increasing in inches
Battery symbol—low-voltage indication
Stop sign symbol alarm—stop baling immediately, investigate/correct
Baler with gate-open symbol—gate open, ejecting bale
Numerical display—bale counter, daily/lifetime totals
Error code display—displays the error code number for diagnosing the electrical system

BaleTrak Pro provides the following CONTROLLING functions:

Set bale size
Set twine spacing
Set the number of twine end wraps
Manually extend twine arms
Manually retract twine arms
Set the distance of twine from the bale ends
Manual twine actuator movement with electronic bypass
Onboard diagnostics

Features of BaleTrak Pro monitor-controller are as follows:

Simple to operate; just turn on and bale
Factory settings are preprogrammed but can be changed by the operator, if desired
Added flexibility; the operator can adjust the baler for different crop conditions
Increases productivity; the operator stays on the tractor
Single self-contained processor box mounts on the tractor

Override switch

BaleTrak Pro has a manual twine arm override switch (A), which is included with the monitor's wiring:

Allows the operator to manually wrap twine on bale if the BaleTrak Pro monitor-controller malfunctions
Connects to the tractor three-terminal convenience outlet

Mechanical bale-shape indicators allow operator to make square-shoulder, dense bales easily

Bale-shape and diameter indicators

The 458 Standard Round Baler, equipped with hydraulic double twine or automatic electric tie, uses visual/mechanical indicators to monitor bale forming, bale size, and the position of the twine arms:

Allows the operator to build uniform bales
Easily visible
- Can be viewed through a rearview mirror mounted on the right-hand side of the tractor
Bale-shape indicators (A) raise or lower to show the driving pattern required for uniform bale formation
Bale-size indicator (B) lowers on scale to show bale growth; a red line warns of oversize bales.
Twine arm indicator helps the operator maintain uniform twine spacing for easier bale handling.

Audible alarm for hydraulic double-twine option

Bale-diameter adjustment and alarm switch

An audible alarm for near-full, full (silent), and oversized bale is included with the hydraulic double-twine option:

Audible alert

The alarm that comes with the hydraulic option can be mounted in the cab or on the tractor fender if an open station tractor.

Alarm sounds to notify the operator to even-up the bale prior to reaching the desired size.
Alarm goes silent when the bale reaches the desired size.
- If the operator continues to feed hay into bale, an alarm will sound again to warn of an oversized bale.

The audible level of the alarm can be adjusted.

Alarm with automatic electric tie option

BaleTrak Pro controller-monitor

The BaleTrak™ Pro controller-monitor is included with the automatic electric tie option. The monitor will sound an alarm for near-full, full, and oversized bales.

Monitor beeps once to notify the operator to even-up the bale prior to reaching the desired size.
Monitor beeps twice when the bale reaches the desired size.
- If the operator continues to feed hay into bale, the monitor will sound continuously to warn of an oversized bale.

The audible level of the monitor can be adjusted.

Staggered belt rolls with extra service life belt splices

Staggered belts

John Deere's 7-in.-wide diamond-tread design ensures fast bale starts and grips the bale to prevent slippage and reduce chaffing. The treads are self-cleaning to reduce carryover.

The belts are staggered to reduce the loss of fine material and are closely spaced to contain the hay for fast, easy starts.

The belts enclose 91 percent of the bale width to reduce the loss of fine material and retain hay quality.

The staggered belt roll design enables any loose hay under or behind the belts to be returned to the pickup and into the baler.

This design helps to prevent buildup at the front of the baler, which could cause hay loss and belt or splice damage.

Three-ply belts

The 448 and 458 Standard use three-ply belts. The belts are constructed of three-ply nylon-polyester combination:

They have the strength to handle heavy shock loads and help to maintain consistent belt length.
Polyester is used for increased strength and reduced belt stretch.

Extra-service-life belt splices

Extra-service-life splices

The 448 and 458 Standard use extra-service-life rectangular wire belt splices:

Flat surface reduces wear on the splice as the belt travels around the rolls.
Strong hook shape increases the splice life as the belt flexes.

The material thickness and bend radius resist the opening of hook points and reduce metal fatigue.

Vertical forming chamber

Bale-starting diagram

As the hay enters the forming chamber from the pickup, belts turn the hay immediately to form a tight, dense core.

Incoming hay then feeds between the bale and the lower-gate roll. Hay is tightly compressed into smooth, dense layers as it enters the bale.

Chaffing is greatly reduced to prevent loss and retain hay quality in the bale.

Full-sized bale in bale chamber

The idler arm rises with bale growth, forcing oil from the hydraulic cylinder through a pressure-relief valve:

Maintains uniform bale density throughout the bale-forming process

Regular pickup offers large feed opening and low-profile, mid-mounted pickup

Large feed opening

Mounted in front of the baler wheels and directly below the bale chamber, the pickup hugs the ground for clean crop retrieval. Hay movement is minimized.

V-belt driven
448, 458 Standard, and 458 pickups are 45.9 in. wide
558 and 568 pickups are 61.4 in. wide
Large reel shaft and reel bearings

The small-diameter, low-profile pickup is mounted close to the baler wheels for good ground gauging and clean crop retrieval:

Handles large, heavy windrows of hay and high-moisture crops
Feeds hay directly to the forming chamber to reduce crop loss
Low-profile pickup minimizes hay lift to reduce chaffing to retain hay quality

Side flares prevent hay from blowing off the pickup ends and reduce hay loss.

The closely spaced pickup teeth extend to the baler side sheets to help build straight-edged bales.

Standard on regular and MegaTooth™ pickups, compressor rods are contoured to control hay over the pickup radius for positive feeding. The compressor rack can be adjusted upward or downward to match the volume of material in windrow and can be easily removed to match crop conditions.

The adjusting crank positions the pickup to the desired operating height to match crop or field conditions.

An optional hydraulic pickup lift cylinder is available as an attachment.

Makes raising for transport or clearing obstructions easy
Crank handle serves as a down stop
Adapts to regular, MegaTooth, and MegaWide™ Plus pickups

458 StandardBalers