New Holland BigBaler doubles output for hay producer Simon May

South Australian grain grower Simon May can pump out denser bales more quickly, and do it in a larger baling window, thanks to New Holland’s latest technology.

South Australian farmer Simon May with New Holland's BigBaler 1290 High Density model, with Loop Master Knotter technology.

South Australian grain grower Simon May has made great gains during the most recent hay baling season by using New Holland’s new BigBaler 1290 High Density, which boosts output speed and produces bales up to 22 per cent denser than conventional balers.

Simon runs a 2056ha operation at Balaklava, north of Adelaide, and upgraded from a 4x4x8 large square baler to the new 1290, which is also equipped with new Loop Master Knotter technology.

“Where we were averaging maybe 30 bales an hour, we are now able to produce 75 to 80 bales an hour of the same weight,” said the fourth-generation farmer.

“With the new high-density baler, we were also getting the maximum tare weight out of the trucks leaving the field, where previously we’d rarely get the full weight.

“It increases efficiency and saves time and trips to the processor as we’re handling fewer bales for the same tonnage out of the field.

“It also opens up a larger window for baling, as conditions don’t have to be perfect and we can still produce decent bales in sub-optimal conditions.”

The BigBaler High Density range was on show at April’s AFIA Fodder Festival at Elmore, as part of a display called “The Future of Big Square Baling”.

New Holland fodder and
hay product segment manager Sune
Nielsen said the new Loop Master Knotter technology used a stronger type of double knot to produce more robust bales and decrease wasted twine.

“The second knot is a loop style, which is 37 per cent stronger compared to a standard knot. This results in up to 26 per cent increase in overall tensile strength for reduced breakages,” he said. “When you look at the bigger picture, on a yearly production basis, this innovative technology has the potential to reduce plastic twine use by approximately 450 tonnes across a global yearly average production.”

The BigBaler 1290 High Density range with Loop Master is available through Australian dealers.

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