How To: Make the most of your baling

With the hay and silage season just around the corner, it is time to dust off the balers and tow them out of the shed ready for action. But if you haven’t done the right checks and servicing after you last used them, chances are you might run into some issues this season.

According to Lely Australia, post-season baler checks are the key to a trouble-free operation the following spring.

The company recently held round baler information days in the major hay production areas of Wagga, Wodonga, Leongatha, Shepparton, and in Tasmania at Longford and Scotsdale.

A customer day on the Lely Welger Tornado baler is scheduled for Trafalgar (Vic) on September 7.

Grease and store your baler properly

Lely Australia Regional manager for Tasmania, Eastern Victoria and Southern NSW, Brendan Prentice, recommended greasing the baler before it is stored under cover for winter.

“When bearings are at operating temperature, that is the best time to grease the baler – the bearings will take the grease and keep out moisture,’’ Prentice said.

“Store the baler through winter with the tail gate open, the baler belts relaxed, lock the tail gate using the tail gate locking tap, and keep the pick-up raised so it doesn’t collect mice and rubbish.

“When you do get it out of the shed, visually check the net break, also if the rollers are clean and turning freely, and adjust the tensions on the chains.

“Give it a good clean with a garden blower – don’t use water – and blow it down spotlessly clean.’’

Prentice also advised testing the monitor and high amperage lead before the winter pause.

During the winter months:

Rake it right

“Once the pasture is cut, the next most important player is the hay rake,’’ Prentice said.

Prentice recommended the optimum cutting height for irrigated fertilized dairy pastures at 10-11 inches (25-27cm).

“If it’s been a wet year and laying on wet ground, you may need to ted it followed by raking and baling,” he said.

“A moisture content of 17 per cent is a good number for hay.

“The whole dairy and livestock industry is really changing so people are looking for more production through high quality fodder.’’

Give demo days a go

Prentice said both growers and contractors benefit from the networking opportunities at baler days with dealers, service technicians and each other.

They are given a pocket manual with hints and tips on baler operation.

“It gives basic net settings, how to thread the net, where all the grease points are and other useful information,’’ Prentice said.

“We run a refresher course on the electronic controllers so when the operator hops into the baler for the first time this year, they are instantly productive,’’ he added.

“Hay balers are machines used for just 10 to 12 weeks every year – we try to make that get up and go time a little easier.’’

Lely Welger RP160 V baler range

The Lely team showcased the Welger RP 160 V Classic at Weisners Wodonga on August 15, gathering farmer feedback.

“We had record sales last year of over 100 retail units of the RP 160 V – 45 of those machines were the Classic model,’’ Prentice said.

“The Classic is our entry level model and it runs a 2.25m five-tyne bar high capacity camless pick-up positioned under the feed housing, enabling it to handle big windrows and crops.

“The machine has the reliable Lely Welger net system.

“There are funnelling points above the net system – all loose material goes back into the pick-up for recirculation to reduce the risk of chaff build up affecting net wrap performance.

“The hydraulic system has been boosted, giving good, solid dense bales in silage, hay or straw."

The Classic has a sturdy and safe work platform equipped with a safety rail and foldable ladder for loading the net.

“If the operator needs to connect or disconnect the baler, it is on the same side as the tractor door, saving a lot of leg work going around to the other side of the machine," Prentice said.

“The baler is built on a chassis with all bearings being double-row and encased inside so they don’t sit on the side walls.’’

Prentice said grower feedback on ease of maintenance had been positive.

The Classic has won fans with the lift-up side doors and more centralised greasing points.

A feature on the RP160 V Master and Extra Cut is the Hydroflexcontrol which increases the amount of space for crop flow, helping to prevent blockages.

The front part of the Hydroflex floor can flex up and down via a spring-based suspension unit preventing potential blockages occurring due to excessive, uneven or high moisture crops.

“If there is a blockage behind the pick-up or in the rotor area, the operator activates a hydraulic lever in the tractor, the floor will drop down and open the baler throat to allow the blockage to be accelerated up into the baler,” Prentice said.

“On the front of the floor, there is a suspension and cantilever system allowing the floor under normal operation to minimally open and close.’’

The new addition to the Classic is the Lely E-LINK control unit, which displays all baler processors on a colour screen in-cab.

The E-LINK Pro terminal on the RP 160 V Master and Extra Cut has ISOBUS compatibility so most tractors can be connected.

Prentice said the monitor also acts as a diagnostic tool for service technicians.

The touch screen displays data including bale size, number and density, net wrap, soft core and knife selection.

According to Prentice, the horsepower requirement for the Classic is 95 to 105hp.

Revolutionary continuous baler coming soon

Prentice flagged the Lely Welger CB-Concept continuous baler is expected to land on Australian shores by mid-2018.

The machine wraps and discharges a bale while simultaneously starting the next one.

He said the new model had been validated in Europe with great success and would revolutionise hay, silage and straw baling in Australia.

“It produces and discharges the bale while the operator keeps driving,’’ Prentice explained.

“It is the only true continuous baler as it doesn’t have a pre-charge chamber but a revolving chamber.”

For details on the Lely baler days, contact 1300 946 306.