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im4racin 
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Joined: 12 Jun 2017
Location: Garrison ND
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 Topic: 303 vs 303 bale chief question
Posted: 31 Jul 2022 at 10:21pm |
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What's the difference between the two?
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DrAllis
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 6:21am |
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Probably like the difference between a 185 "crop hustler" and a newer one that isn't. Nothing different but the age ?? One doesn't have a bale thrower on it and the other not ??
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WF owner
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Location: Bombay NY
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 6:22am |
My family has had many AC balers over the years (200, 302, 303. 442. 443 and 444). I had never heard of a "Bale Chief" until you posted this.
We had a Model 20 engine powered bale thrower, too (had a 8 hp. Briggs & Stratton engine).
But, to answer your question, I have no idea in the difference in the Bale Chief and the regular 303.
I just found this AC video from 1963. It brought back a lot of memories!
Edited by WF owner - 01 Aug 2022 at 6:23am
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im4racin
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 6:52am |
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So we're there a list of options that were available for 303s? The reason I ask is I have sn 451 and 477. There are many major differences between the two and I know of a few in the 4 digit sn that more closely resemble the 451 I have.
477 has a 4 bar pickup with the jack mounted right behind the flywheel and a riveted sn tag on the front face behind the flywheel too. The rest have a jack mounted on the pole and stamped sn on rh side of frame ahead of the 5 bar pickup.
Edited by im4racin - 01 Aug 2022 at 6:56am
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DrAllis
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 7:42am |
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4-bar pickup would have been STANDARD equipment with 5-bar being an OPTION. I think most square balers were like that. Some hand a long tongue or short tongue. Wire tire/twine tie. Long or short bale chute. Yeah, I'd imagine probably 10 or 12 "options" available and has nothing to do with the serial number.
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WF owner
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 7:48am |
I know there were options (as stated in the video) like bale thrower, bale chute, 1/4 turn chute, wagon hitch and pickup gauge wheel.
I could be wrong on this (it's been a long time!!!), but another option might have been the longer hitch (pole) with PTO carrier (as opposed to the short pole that had a long PTO shaft right from the flywheel). It seems like our 302 had the short pole, so that may have been the difference in the 302 and 303.
Another option (from AC) that we had was a dual wheel (for the chamber side). I vaguely remember one baler had a toolbox like the ones on the WD and D series, but that may have been something that was added by either the dealer or Dad.
They were a very good baler with a lot more capacity than JD.
The bale throwers weren't so great (in my opinion). The early ones had 6 rubber rolls and the later ones had the flat belts, but the belts weren't really long enough (compared to NH) and didn't throw as well in hay. We baled some green oats one year and had a hard time getting them to throw at all. Baling straw, you had to slow the thrower way down to keep the bales from being thrown over the back of the wagon.
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im4racin
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 9:15am |
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so what about the sn tag on the front as opposed to stamped in the side? I think one of the others has a tag too. What drove those changes?
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wade89
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 11:30am |
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I know some of the 302s and 303s have bale chamber springs on top with big long cranks sticking up. The 3 I have are the newer style springs along side the chamber with 45 degree handles on top. I’ve noticed that the hoops in between the pickup teeth are painted cream on the older 2 that also have stamped serial numbers, but only galvanized on the newest/nicest one with a riveted serial number tag.
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Tracy Martin TN
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Posted: 01 Aug 2022 at 8:01pm |
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The 302 was a 2 piece driveline and the 303 was a 3 piece drive line. The drive clutch for the pickup was changed on them at some point from one side to the other.The jacks were different on early and late models. Dual wheels, wagon hitch, no chute , short chute , long chute, salt injector and bale throwers were options IIRR,Only weak point was the splined shaft on gear box that runs gathering hands. JMHO Thanks Tracy
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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!
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AC720Man
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Posted: 02 Aug 2022 at 9:15pm |
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Interesting thread, I was assisting my former AC owner/dealer in going through all his manuals that he is taking to a show this weekend to sell. I ran across a manual on a Chief baler. He said he sold 1 but didn’t remember what the differences were. He is now 82 years young and still pulls a HOT class water injection 301 turbo 185. The man is amazing. That tractor does very well in the 6500 lb class along with his WD45 turbo diesel that is in a different class.
Edited by AC720Man - 02 Aug 2022 at 9:20pm
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1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD
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