Krone reveals VariPack round balers

Krone Australia has announced the arrival of its VariPack balers Down Under, which the company said is suitable for the baling of dry material such as straw, hay and haylage.

The range complements Krone’s current baler offerings which include the Comprima and Fortima series.

The VariPack is Krone’s first baler range with all belts in the bale chamber as opposed to combinations of belts, slat elevators and chains in the other line-ups.

Krone Senior Product Manager, Lars Pasedag, said the VariPacks will provide farmers with higher work rates and better bale presentation due to a straight forward design with only three drive chains and an efficient net system.

"The bales produced are the highest density in the market,” he said.

“The density can be adjusted from the cabin and is created from the combination of the rotor and W-arrangement of pickup tines feeding material into every corner of the bale chamber. This system produces consistent, well-presented bales ideal for storage.

"Hydraulic cylinders with stroke end cushioning gives the VariPack's bale chamber a 4 - 5-second opening, increasing productivity by maximising efficiency.”

The range-topping VariPack Plus models offer a range of premium features including a central lubrication system, load sensing baler automation to open and shut the bale chamber door automatically and double belt drive for better performance in all conditions.

The VariPack Plus incorporates a cutting system that can be selected in groups of 0, 13, 13, or 26. The ability to use the same number of blades in two different groups keeps the blades sharp through a long work day, Krone said.

An ergonomic Easyslide net roll replacement system allows farmers to easily and quickly replace net rolls without breaking their backs.

The VariPack Plus models include V165XC and V190XC with 26 knives as standard. VariPack non-cutters comprise of V165 and V190 or the standard V165XC and V190XC with 17 knives.

“We’ve actually been testing the machines in Australian conditions for a few years and that's been a very successful journey for us,” Pasedag said.

“Based on that, we've sold the first VariPack last year in 2019 for the 2019 season.

“And for 2020 now, we're ready to show these machines to the market and officially launch them as we have a few machines coming to our shores.”

Pricing for Krone's VariPack round balers starts from $77,500 plus GST while the VariPack Plus models is priced from $111,500 plus GST.