Quick answer: If your net wrap is only covering one side of the bale, gathering to the center, or tripping a "check mesh / not wrapped" alarm, the cause is almost always net feed and tracking — not the net itself. The top fixes, in order: confirm the net is routed correctly, clean and slick the net pan so the roll spins freely, check the spreader/drive tire and its grooves, clear mesh buildup off the rollers, and make sure the roll width matches your baler (a too-narrow roll on an edge-to-edge machine wanders and triggers sensors). A wide net designed to pull over the bale edges gives the most consistent full-width coverage.
"Why is my net wrap only catching one side?" shows up every haying season. The bale comes out with net bunched toward the middle, bare shoulders on one or both ends, or the monitor throws a check mesh / not wrapped warning even though there's clearly net on the bale. It's frustrating because it feels random — some bales are fine, the next one isn't. The good news: it's almost always a mechanical tracking issue you can fix in the field, and rarely a defect in the net.
First, route and pan: the two fixes that solve most cases
Before anything else, confirm the net is threaded exactly the way the manual shows, and that the pan the net sits in lets the roll spin freely. A veteran operator summed up both in one reply on a Hesston 956 "check mesh" thread:
"Make sure your net is routed correctly. If the pan the net sits in is rusty and the net does not spin freely that will happen until it shines up. WD-40 on the pan will help."
— Kelly, SW Ohio · AgTalk thread 1123571
That's the single most common root cause: a rusty or gummed-up net pan drags one edge of the roll, so the net feeds unevenly and pulls to one side. A rusty pan grabs the net, the roll can't pay out straight, and you get partial-width coverage until the pan polishes up. Slicking the pan (and keeping it clean) lets the roll float and feed full width again. If you run a John Deere and the pan is the culprit, we have a dedicated walkthrough: John Deere net wrap pan rust fix.
The drive tire and its grooves
Many balers start the net with a small rubber tire or roller that lifts against the net as the tailgate moves. If that tire is worn smooth, it slips and the net doesn't get pulled across evenly. From the same thread:
"The little plastic tire that raises up with the door needs some diagonal grooves cut in it if it's worn smooth. Worn belts, mesh buildup on the rollers on the tailgate all contribute to poor running. Crap on that pan beneath the belts can mess with it too."
— WCWI, Central Saskatchewan · AgTalk thread 1123571
Three things to inspect there:
- Drive/spreader tire — if it's worn slick, cut shallow diagonal grooves to restore grip, or replace it.
- Mesh buildup on the tailgate rollers — old net strands wind onto the rollers and throw off tracking. Peel them off.
- Debris under the belts and on the pan — chaff and crud beneath the belts changes how the net feeds.
Roll width and "edge-to-edge" tracking
Here's the part that confuses people: some net is meant to run narrower than the bale, and some is meant to run edge to edge and pull over the shoulders. If you put the wrong width on, or the roll floats sideways, you get a gap on one end. From a thread specifically about off-center net:
"I just run edge to edge and the roll floats from side to side. One end usually has a gap on the bale."
— Gearclash · AgTalk thread 1231329
A too-narrow roll on a machine set up for edge-to-edge can also trip the "not wrapped" sensor even when the bale is actually wrapped:
"Tried a roll that was wound narrower than usual and the JD 569 kept giving the 'not wrapped' alarm even though the bale came out wrapped. Went back to a full-width roll and the alarm stopped."
— Blackberryboy · AgTalk thread 1231329
And operators running newer JD machines noted Deere offers fixes for true edge-to-edge wrapping — an end-plug kit and a wider sensor paddle so the monitor reads the net correctly at the bale edge:
"There's a plastic end-plug kit and a wider sensor paddle update for running edge-to-edge net — without it the sensor can miss the net at the very edge."
— paraphrasing MiradaAcres / centralmnangus · AgTalk thread 1231329
Bottom line on width: match the roll width to how your baler is set up. For most balers, a full-width net designed to pull over the bale edges gives the most consistent shoulder-to-shoulder coverage and the fewest false sensor trips. XES 64″ and 67″ net is wound to full labeled width for exactly this reason — see net wrap sizes guide and 48″ vs 51″ net wrap.
Diagnostic checklist: net only on one side
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Net bunches to center, bare ends | Roll not feeding straight / wrong width | Confirm routing; match roll width to baler |
| One end gapped, other end fine | Roll floating sideways in cradle | Center the roll; check end stops |
| Inconsistent, worse over time | Rusty/gummed net pan | Clean and slick the pan (WD-40) |
| Net slips, slow to start | Worn drive/spreader tire | Cut diagonal grooves or replace tire |
| "Check mesh / not wrapped" alarm, bale is wrapped | Sensor not reading edge net | Clear roller buildup; JD sensor-paddle/end-plug kit |
| Strands winding on rollers | Mesh buildup on tailgate rollers | Peel off old net; clean rollers |
When it's the net vs. the baler
The fastest way to tell whether the net or the machine is at fault is the same swap-and-test dealer techs use: load a fresh full-width roll of a different brand and run five bales. If full-width coverage returns, the original roll's width or wind was the issue; if the net still tracks to one side, the problem is in the pan, tire, rollers, or routing. We walk through that test in bad net wrap vs. baler issue. For tearing and shredding (a different failure mode), see net wrap tearing when baling, and for bales that won't hold their shape, see round bales not holding shape.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my net wrap only wrapping one side of the bale?
Usually the net isn't feeding straight. Check that it's routed exactly per the manual, that the net pan is clean and lets the roll spin freely, and that the roll width matches your baler. A rusty pan or a roll floating sideways in the cradle is the most common reason one end gets covered and the other is bare.
What does a "check mesh" or "not wrapped" alarm mean if the bale is wrapped?
The sensor that confirms net feed isn't seeing the net — often because the net is tracking off to one edge, mesh has built up on the rollers, or the roll is wound narrower than the sensor expects. Clean the rollers, confirm full-width net, and on newer John Deere balers consider the edge-to-edge sensor-paddle and end-plug update kits.
Will WD-40 on the net pan really help?
Yes, for a pan that's rusty or gummed up. A sticky pan drags one edge of the roll so the net can't pay out evenly. Cleaning and slicking the pan lets the roll float and feed full width again. On John Deere balers, see our dedicated net wrap pan rust fix guide.
Does net width affect one-sided wrapping?
It can. A roll wound narrower than your baler expects can wander, leave a gap on one end, and even trip a "not wrapped" sensor on a wrapped bale. Match the roll to your baler width and use a full-width net designed to pull over the bale edges for the most consistent coverage.
Related guides
Shop full-width XES net wrap →
Featured photo: Net Wrapped Hay Bales by Michael Trolove, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
