Hay equipment: Ten of the best large balers on the market
Check out prices and features of large round balers from leading manufacturers, including Krone, Claas and Fendt.
IF YOU need to crank out large round bales and you’re looking for the machine to do it, you’ve got quite the decision ahead of you.
Are you looking for just 1.5m bales, or L-A-R-G-E 1.8m or bigger? Are you baling just dry material, such as hay and straw, or silage as well? Are you a contractor who needs heavy-duty performance and a long list of labour-saving toys?
The good news is there’s a machine out there to answer these and pretty much any other question you can think of. Not just within the wider market, but often within an individual brand’s portfolio – good news if you’re a head-case for Case IH, mad for McHale or crazy for Claas.
Here are 10 machines for you to gaze upon and ponder. Prices may vary from those published here depending on final specification or dealer and may not include pre-delivery, freight and assembly.
KRONE VARIPACK V190 XC PLUS
From $129,500 (+GST)
Krone’s VariPack balers are something new for the brand, featuring an all-belt design for bale formation rather than the belt, slat-elevator, chain combination used in other Krone machines.
These balers are designed for baling dry material and Krone makes big noises about their speed, the density of the bales they churn out and the OH&S-friendliness of their net-roll replacement system, which asks the user to slide them into the roll holder instead of lifting them.
The range includes 1.65-1.9m models, choppers (look for XC in the name) and XC Plus models, which swap a 17-knife chopper for a 26-knife unit that can be fully operated from the cab.
Plus models also have contractor-friendly features such as a central lubrication system and baler-automation system that automatically opens and shuts the bale-chamber door in just four to five seconds.
Manufactured: Germany
Type: Variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.8-1.9m
Pick-up: Camless with 5 tine rows, press roller
Pick-up width: 2.15m
Tine spacing: 55mm
Chopper: 26-knife
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor
Wrapping: net (net and twine opt)
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x W x H: 4.9 x 2.75 x 3.05 (m)
Weight: 4755kg
Power requirement: 100hp (74kw)
Tyres: 600/50 r22.5
Details: kroneaustralia.com.au
CLAAS VARIANT 460 RF
From $72,500 (+GST)
The base 460 RF featured here is the start of Claas’s extensive Variant range and the biggest-selling model in Australia – a no-nonsense feeder machine built to make high-density 1.55m bales and deliver easy operation and long service.
It’s also claimed to deliver on core compaction and bale weight with its unique forced-start system, which turns the belts and rotor in opposite directions, allowing the immediate start of the baling process that’s necessary to produce a compact core.
If you need a chopper or heavy-duty build, make your Variant a 460 RC or 465 RC Pro respectively. There’s also the 480 RF, 480 RC and 485 RC Pro for those who need to crank out 1.8m bales.
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.9-1.55m
Pick-up: cammed with 16 double tines, short
Crop guard (crop press roller opt)
Pick-up width: 2.1m (2.35m opt)
Tine spacing: 61mm
Overload protection: cutout clutch (dropfloor opt)
Wrapping: net (dual-twine, covered net,
xw net opt)
Net rolls: 2
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x w x h: 4.68 x 2.49-2.67 x 2.79-2.83 (m)
Weight: 3400kg
Power requirement: 102hp (75kw)
Tyres: 380/55 r17 (480/55 r17 opt)
Details: claasharvestcentre.com
FENDT ROTANA 180 V XTRA
From $90,200 (+GST)
This machine from Fendt’s new Rotana range serves up the overload protection of a dropfloor without knives – a handy point of difference for hay contractors.
It also uses a chamber sensor to measure uniformity of bale density and, via an in-cab indicator, tell the operator how best to follow the swath – left or right – to achieve optimum bale density.
Other output-boosting features include a wide 2.4m camless pick-up and labour-saving net-roll replacement system, which automatically brings the roll into its ideal position once inserted.
A 1.6m model, the 160V, is also available. If you must have knives, you can option a 13, 17 or 25-knife cutter and turn your Xtra into an XtraCut.
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.23m x 0.7-1.8m
Pick-up: camless with 5 tine rows, press roller with rake
Pick-up width: 2.25-2.4m
Tine spacing: 64mm
Chopper: 13, 17 or 25-knife opt
Overload protection: main cam clutch, overrun clutch on chamber drive, dropfloor
Wrapping: net
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x w x h: 5.5 x 2.8 x 3.5 (m)
Weight: 4250kg
Power requirement: 90hp (66kw)
Tyres: 500/45-22.5 (15/55-17, 19/45-17, 500/55-22.5, 500/60-22.5 or 550/45-22.5 opt)
Details: fendt.com/au
MASSEY FERGUSON MF RB 4160V CLASSIC
From $71,000 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.23m x 0.7-1.6m
Pick-up: camless with 5 tine rows,
Press roller with rake
Pick-up width: 2.25m
Tine spacing: 64mm
Overload protection: main cam clutch, overrun
Clutch on chamber drive
Wrapping: net (net and twine opt)
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor:opt
L x w x h: 5.25 x 2.8 x 2.9 (m)
Weight: 3690kg
Power requirement: 60hp (45kw)
Tyres:19.0/45-17 (15.0/55-17, 500/45-22.5, 500/55-20 or 550/45-22.5 opt)
Details: masseyferguson.com.au
KUHN VB 7190 OPTICUT
From $120,095 (+GST)
Type: Variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.8-1.85m
Pick-up: Cammed with 5 tine rows, press roller
Pick-up width: 2.3m
Tine spacing: 61mm
Chopper: 14-knife
overload protection: Cutout clutch, dropfloor, mechanical driveline clutch
Net rolls: 3
Wrapping: net (net and twine opt)
Bale-moisture sensor: yes
L x w x h: 5.5 x 2.68 x 2.9-3.2 (m)
Weight: 4200-5200kg
Power requirement: 135hp (99kw)
Tyres: 600/50r22.5
Details: kuhn.com.au
VICON RV5216 ROTORFEED PLUS
From $75,990 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.6-1.65m
Pick-up: cammed with 5 tine rows, press roller
Pick-up width: 2.2m
Tine spacing: 60mm
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor
Wrapping: net (twine, net and twine opt)
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x w x h: 4.48 x 2.52 x 2.7 (m)
Weight: 3250kg
Power requirement: 75hp (55kw)
Tyres: 15.0/55-17 (19.9/45-17, 500/50-17 or 500/45-22.5 opt)
Details: vicon-machinery.com.au
NEW HOLLAND ROLL-BELT 150 SUPERFEED
From $69,750 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.9-1.5m
Pick-up: cammed with 5 tine rows, infeed roller
Pick-up width: 2.3m
Tine spacing: 67mm
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor
Wrapping: net (net and twine opt)
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: yes
L x w x h: 4.48 x 2.85 x 2.98 (m)
Weight: 3442kg
Power requirement: 70hp (52kw)
Tyres: 480/45 17 or 500/55 20
Details: agriculture.newholland.com/apac/en-au
CASE IH RB455 ROTOR FEED
From $68,582 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.9-1.5m
Pick-up: dual cam with 5 tine rows,
Roller windguard, assist roller
Pick-up width: 2.05m
Tine spacing: 67mm
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor, manual motor reversing
Wrapping: net (net and twine opt)
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x w x h: 4.7 x 2.82 x 3.06 (m)
Weight: 3420kg
Power requirement: 63kw (85hp)
Tyres: 500/55-20
Details: caseih.com/anz/en-au/home
McHALE V6750
From $99,990 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.23m x 0.6-1.68m
Pick-up: cammed with 5 tine rows, press roller (camless pick-up opt)
Pick-up width: 2.1m
Tine spacing: 70mm
Chopper: 15-knife
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor
Wrapping: net
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: opt
L x w x h: 4.8 x 2.55-2.58 x 2.75 (m)
Weight: 4000kg
Power requirement: 80hp (60kw)
Tyres: 500/50/22.5 (560/45/22.5 opt)
Details: mchale.com.au
POETTINGER IMPRESS 185V PRO
From $127,377 (+GST)
Type: variable chamber
Bale dimensions (w x d): 1.2m x 0.9-1.85m
Pick-up: cammed with 5 tine rows, press roller with rake
Pick-up width: 2.3m
Tine spacing: 63mm
Chopper: 32-knife
Overload protection: cutout clutch, dropfloor
Wrapping system: net
Net rolls: 3
Bale-moisture sensor: n/a
L x w x h: 5.11 x 2.83 x 3.1 (m)
Weight: 5100kg
Power requirement: 100hp (74kw)
Tyres: 500/50-17 (520/50 r17, 500/60 r 22.5, 620/40 r 22.5 or 520/55 r22.5 opt)
Details: poettinger.at/en_au
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