Case IH baler delivers for Vic farmer

When Scott Somers was in the market for a new baler, turning to his local Case IH dealer was the logical choice.

The fifth-generation farmer, who farms south of Warracknabeal in Victoria, has placed his trust in Case IH products for years, and so his first port of call was the team at his local dealer, O'Connors. They recommended the Case IH LB434S XL baler, which was released in Australia mid last year, and it proved a natural fit for Scott's operation.

A case for Case IH
"Eighty per cent of our machinery is Case IH so it made sense to consider the Case IH Large Square Baler for compatibility, plus we have a great relationship with O'Connors," said Scott.

"They offered me a good deal and I knew I would be well supported from an aftersales perspective."

Hay is a big deal for the Somers family, comprising approximately 30 per cent of their 4000-hectare mixed farming operation. Scott's summer program can include as many as 12,000 bales. Much of it is destined for the export market, so he was looking for a large square baler that could produce high density bales, without compromising on consistency, productivity and reliability.

"Early on, before we had rain on our hay, we were averaging around 750kg a bale," said Scott, who pulled the baler with a Case IH 235 Magnum.

"After rain we came back to a more average program and saw bale weights between 670-700kg in oaten hay. It was up around 700kg in perfect conditions and back to 670kg as the day deteriorated. Achieving that was really good."

New and improved
According to O'Connors Warracknabeal's Geoff Leith, the greater weights and densities can be attributed to some new features introduced as part of the LB434S series.

"The bale chamber is now 31 per cent longer, having been extended by 80cm. When you combine that with automatic feed rate control you can expect not just better bale shape and greater density, but also more consistent density across the day as conditions change," explained Geoff.

For Scott, greater density directly impacts the bottom line via freight costs.

"By gaining weight in the bales and not changing the size I can ensure trucks are loaded to full weight, which helps us get our freight rate right," he said.

"We got very square corners so the truckies loved how the bales stacked and I also received multiple calls from end users to comment on how well the bales were presented. That's the first time I've had that and it's a nice feeling."

Back for more
In fact, Scott is so impressed he's looking to buy a second LB434S.

"A lot of farmers might do 1000-2000 bales, with contractors doing their baling," he said.

"At $18 a bale they're looking at costs of between $20,000-$30,000. I think you'll find that a farmer who does a bit more hay than the average Joe could buy this machine. It's cost effective and gives them more control than using a contractor.

"There comes a point in your farming life where you have to make a decision. Am I better owning a machine or using a contractor? It comes down to manpower and knowledge, but I can certainly vouch that any machine bought from O'Connors will be well supported from a knowledge perspective."

The Case IH LB434 XL series is available to producers in two models: the LB434S XL (Standard) and LB434R XL (Rotor Cut). For more information contact your local Case IH dealer.

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