551M

Round baler models

Model
Bale size
Available pickups

451E
1.2 x 1.5 m
(4 x 5 ft)
Regular

451M
1.2 x 1.5 m
(4 x 5 ft)
MegaWide™ Plus hydraulic pickup optional

451R
1.2 x 1.5 m
(4 x 5 ft)
High-Capacity, High Capacity with Precutter

461M
1.2 x 1.8 m
(4 x 6 ft)
MegaWide Plus hydraulic pickup in base

461R
1.2 x 1.8 m
(4 x 6 ft)
High-Capacity, High Capacity with Precutter

551M
1.5 x 1.5 m
(5 x 5 ft)
MegaWide Plus hydraulic pickup optional

561M
1.5 x 1.8 m
(5 x 6 ft)
MegaWide Plus hydraulic pickup in base

561R
1.5 x 1.8 m
(5 x 6 ft)
High-Capacity, High Capacity with Precutter

Round baler model specification

Baler option
Applicable models

E = Economy

• Dry hay only

451E

M = Standard

• Dry hay
• Silage

451M, 461M,
551M*, and 561M

R = Premium

• Dry hay silage
• Precutter

451R, 461R, and 561R

A MegaWide pickup is base equipment on 451E, 451M, 461M, 551M, and 561M Round Balers.

Hydraulic pickup is in base configuration on 451R, 461M, 461R, 561M, 561R.

Hydraulic pickup is an option on 451E (dealer installed), 451M (factory installed), 551M (factory installed)

MegaWide pickups make baling easier, especially in wide or windblown windrows, and increases productivity; more hay volume means more bales per hour.

• Flare-to-flare width of 1.8 m (5.9 ft) on balers with a 1.2 m (4-ft) wide bale chamber
• MegaWide pickup makes it easier to produce better-shaped bales and improves crop pickup in wide, windblown, or scattered windrows
• Mega teeth, located at the ends of the pickup, pull crop around the flares when baling wide or windblown windrows
• MegaTough pickup teeth provide greater strength and durability
• Exclusive square design handles high-impact loads without yielding
• Sturdy toothbar design
• Self-adjusting roller baffle
• Spiral rotor-feed system improves feeding in all crop conditions
• Chain driven for positive feeding
• Cut-out clutch protected
• Semi-pneumatic gauge wheels

Mega and MegaTough pickup teeth are base equipment:

• Mega 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

The 1.2-m (4-ft) balers use a full-length, reinforced toothbar design.

The 1.5-m (5-ft) balers use a heavy, C-channel construction. The pickup toothbars are divided into two half-sections that mount to a center spider for increased strength and even crop feeding.

Available only on the MegaWide Plus pickup, the patented roller baffle is self-adjusting and produces smoother crop flow across the pickup. The roller also improves crop pickup in small windrows and prevents roll ahead of crop.

When combined with the MegaWide Plus pickup, this feeding system allows increased ground speed with less chance of plugging for increased productivity in all field conditions.

• Self-adjusting
• Smooths crop for even flow across pickup
• Allows for faster ground speed with less chance of plugging
• Increases operator productivity

The MegaWide Plus pickup uses a rotor-feeding assembly, which mounts behind the pickup for smooth and even crop flow into the bale chamber.

• Augers and rotor teeth are driven on the same shaft, eliminating the need for additional drives.
• The rotor is fixed to the baler frame, allowing positive and even feeding into the bale chamber.
• Large-diameter converging augers have high crop-flow capacity, and auger scrolls help to force crop into the chamber.
• Spiral design enhances feeding in uneven windrows and reduces loading on the rotor.

Rotor strippers allow crop to be lifted from the rotor teeth into the chamber without cutting or wrapping the crop.

The MegaWide Plus pickups and spiral rotor are chain-driven for positive bale starts with cutout clutch protection. The pickup is being driven off the drive roll and bypasses the starter roll. This will allow for reduced wear and breakage of the starter roll chain.

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 mean no flat tires
• Adjustable to meet pickup tooth-to-stubble height requirements

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

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
• Hydraulic pickup lift comes standard on premium machines

A silage-configuration baler allows the producer to put up silage hay. A silage configuration machine does not offer a precutter. There are three major components to a silage configuration baler: a staggered roller-auger kit (1), a starter roll-scraper knife, and a screen (2). The powered auger sits above the staggered roll on the baler to help keep wet hay from traveling up the belts and reduce buildup on the roll. The screen is bolted on the front of the baler as a safety feature. The knife/scraper is mounted in front of the starter roll to help prevent wrapping of wet crop on the starter roll.

The silage kit is offered as a bundle for field installation if the baler is not ordered as a silage-configuration machine from the factory. Attachment BE32442 is for 1.22-m (4-ft) wide machines and BE32443 is for1.52-m (5-ft) wide machines.

Also offered is a high-moisture kit. This kit does not include the same components that are on the silage-configuration balers. It offers the starter roll-scraper knife but does not include the staggered roll-auger kit. Attachment BE23828 is for 1.22-m (4-ft) machines and BE23829 is for 1.52-m (5-ft) machines.

Base equipment on: 451M Silage, 551M Silage, 461M Silage, 561M Silage, 451R Precutter, 461M, 461R Precutter, 561M and 561R Precutter

Auxiliary take-up rolls prevent belt crossover and flipping in wet conditions. This roll is base equipment on all silage and precutter configuration balers.

Integrated-sensor measurements for weight and moisture provide bale characteristics (moisture/weight). This technology enables producers to document bale moisture and weight and take data into Operations Center for post-harvest analysis. This allows better management decisions around water and nutrients, plus document that information to get higher prices for their bales, as well as possibly reduce their input costs.

Connecting linkage is attached to the net-wrap handles and the net-wrap is moved with the lift mechanism via remote tether. Net-hood lighting illuminate’s net-wrap components.

Integrated Preservative System allows producers to bale sooner and with less worry about bales molding. Comparable hardware to John Deere’s Exact Apply system Tank, pump, sensors, controller (hardware/software), and a distribution system.

The G5e External Speaker is an optional attachment for G5e displays only.

• Provides increased volume levels for all G5e display notifications
• Assist baling operations in situations with high in-cab noise or for operators with hearing impairments
• Installed externally on harness for easy access
• Omits sound separate from G5e display speaker to increase volume up to 16 percent
• Manually adjust volume by turning front dial left or right

The external speaker device provides increased volume levels for all G5e display notifications. It will omit a sound separate from the G5e display to assist baling operations in situations with high in-cab noise or for operators with hearing impairments. It is installed externally on the harness and can have volume levels changed by manually turning the front dial left or right. Adding the external speaker increases G5e notification volume by 16 percent. The external speaker is optional and is available as an attachment.

The 1 Series Round Balers came standard with an adjustable hitch and this feature will continue to be in base with the 1 Series Round Balers. This feature allows the hitch height to be adjusted to optimize crop-feeding performance. Due to the wide array of tractor tire sizes and drawbar heights, hitch adjustment may be necessary to get the proper feed opening of the baler. The adjustable hitch eliminates the need for the 51-mm (2-in.) thick tractor drawbar kit (AE57344) because it has a wider opening.

Benefits of the adjustable hitch:

• Ability to match baler to numerous tire sizes
• Allows for drawbar height to fall within 330 mm to 559 mm (13 in. to 22 in.) from the top of the drawbar to the ground
• Eliminates narrow feed opening on the baler which can cause plugging
• Allows pickup head to follow terrain without missing crop

All eight bolts must be used when adjusting the hitch. There are four different positions as shown below:

Also standard on all 1 Series Round Balers, except the 451E, is the drawbar shield. This helps to eliminate hay from getting caught on the hitch of the baler. The drawbar shield is designed to allow the operator to remove or attach the flap without having to unhook the baler from the tractor.

As the hay enters the forming chamber from the pickup, belts immediately turn the hay 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.

The idler arm rises with bale growth, forcing oil from the hydraulic cylinder through a pressure-relief valve to maintain uniform bale density throughout the bale-forming process.

John Deere's 178-mm (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 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.

Every baler in the 1 Series Family uses DiamondTough belts. Belts are constructed using a patented triple-weave process of nylon and polyester materials.

They have the strength to handle heavy shock loads and help maintain consistent belt length.

The DiamondTough belts are more puncture and tear resistant than other belts on the market and provide improved belt life and reliability.

Plate-type fasteners

All of the 1 Series Balers use the plate-type fasteners.

This closed-loop design uses a plate fastener with pre-assembled rivets that lock the fasteners into the belt, providing a powerful vice-type grip on the belt.

• The plates and rivets are manufactured from high-tensile stainless steel.
• Strong belt splices mean less maintenance and more productivity.
• The loop area is cold forged, making it extremely wear resistant in the coupling area, resulting in a very long cycle life.
• The spring steel pin is notched and locks into the splice connection without having to bend the pin or use external retainers.

Overview

John Deere’s Baler Automation is a factory-integrated solution that automates key baling functions—Gate, Speed, and Weave—so operators can focus on productivity, not precision in steering or timing. Each automation mode is designed to reduce fatigue, improve bale consistency, and increase throughput across a wide range of field conditions and operator experience levels. These modes can be used independently or together, depending on tractor configuration and customer needs.

Benefits

• Reduced Operator Fatigue and Error
  Gate Automation eliminates the need for manual gate control, reducing repetitive tasks and minimizing the risk of premature gate opening or missed wrap cycles. Operators can stay focused on crop flow and field conditions, even during long baling days.
• Improved Productivity and Throughput
  With automation handling critical timing and steering functions, operators can maintain a steady pace and produce more bales per hour—especially in high-yielding or time-sensitive conditions.
• Labor Flexibility and Training Simplicity
  Automation enables less-experienced operators to achieve professional-grade results with minimal training. This is especially valuable for custom operators, large farms with rotating crews, or operations looking to scale without compromising bale quality.
• Consistent Bale Shape and Density
  Weave Automation ensures uniform crop distribution across the bale chamber by automatically steering the baler side-to-side. This results in tight, square-shouldered bales with consistent density—reducing spoilage, improving stacking, and enhancing feed quality.
• Optimized Bale Uniformity Through Precise Timing
  Speed Automation automatically stops the tractor at the exact moment the bale reaches full size, allowing a precise bale size and enabling bale consistency in bale appearance, shape and weight uniformity.
• Enhanced Feed Value and Storage Efficiency
  Denser, well-shaped bales retain more leaf material, improving nutritional value. Uniform bale size also simplifies transport, stacking, and storage planning.

Additional details

Breakdown of Baler Automation Modes

Gate Automation

• Function: Automatically opens and closes the baler gate after the wrap cycle.
• How It Works: Uses mechanical or electronic selective control valves (MSCVs/E-SCVs) to control gate movement. The baler commands the gate to open and close once the tractor is fully stopped.
• Operator Role:
  • Must start, stop, and drive the tractor manually.
  • Must manually weave if needed.
  • Tractor must be at 0 km/h (0 mph) before gate opens.
• Customer Value:
  • Prevents premature gate opening and bale ejection errors.
  • Opens and closes gate at exact time it’s needed, resulting in faster gate cycles.
  • Improves cycle consistency and reduces re-baling.
  • Reduces operator fatigue and error, especially in long baling days.
• Compatibility:
  • Available on most 6R/7R/8R tractors with E-SCVs.
  • Available on other tractors with MSCV when using the valve (3901 option code).
  • Also compatible with 6030/7030 Premium tractors (MY2010+).
  • Controlled via Gen4/Gen5 display.
  • Can be used independently of Speed Automation.
  • Option Code 3900 enables Gate and Speed Automation when using ESCV’s and does require Tractor Implement Automation (TIA) activation, which is a $0 activation available via Stellar Support. Some late-model tractors may already have TIA enabled.
  • Option Code 3901 enables Gate Automation when using mechanical SCVs and does not require TIA activation. The baler provides automation logic; the tractor simply supplies hydraulic flow. Baler to baler

Speed Automation

• Function: Automatically stops and restarts tractor movement at the start/finish of each bale cycle.
• How It Works: When the bale reaches full size, the baler commands the tractor to slow to a stop. After the gate closes and the “ready-to-bale” icon appears, the operator taps the foot throttle to resume baling.
• Operator Role:
  • Must drive the tractor and weave if needed.
  • Tractor stop/start is automated; operator resumes motion with foot throttle or left-handed reverser on IVT on equipped models.
• Customer Value:
  • Ensures consistent bale size and wrap timing.
  • Reduces operator fatigue and improves throughput.
  • Allows operators to maintain focus on crop flow and field conditions.
  • Contributes to denser bales by ensuring consistent crop feeding and optimal chamber fill timing.
• Compatibility:
  • Requires IVT-equipped 6R/7R/8R tractors.
  • Option Code 3900 enables Gate and Speed Automation when using ESCV’s and does require Tractor Implement Automation (TIA) activation, which is a $0 activation available via Stellar Support. Some late-model tractors may already have TIA enabled.
  • Option Code 3901 enables Gate Automation when using mechanical SCVs and does not require TIA activation. The baler provides automation logic; the tractor simply supplies hydraulic flow.

Weave Automation

• Function: Automatically steers the baler side-to-side to evenly fill the bale chamber.
• How It Works: Uses bale shape sensors and a steerable hitch to monitor chamber fill and adjust baler position. Includes following mode when PTO is off, allowing the baler to follow directly behind the tractor, useful in turns or when repositioning. The system calibrates based on windrow width and bale shape inputs.
• Operator Role:
  • Drives the tractor; Weave Automation handles baler movement.
  • No manual weaving required.
  • Adjusts windrow width and response rate settings as needed.
• Customer Value:
  • Produces tight, square-shouldered bales with consistent density.
  • Reduces crop drive-over, preserving feed quality and reducing ash content.
  • Minimizes manual weaving, reducing fatigue and improving operator comfort.
  • Enables consistent results across operators and shifts.
  • Increases productivity by reducing steering corrections and improving bale formation speed
• Compatibility:
  • Requires an additional E-SCV (3rd) and calibration.
  • Available on select balers as a factory-installed option.
  • Requires AutoTrac Ready tractor (wheel angle sensor supports Following Mode functionality).
  • Does not require TIA activation.