New Holland BigBaler 1290 HD ups the ante

After sweeping up multiple prestigious awards overseas including the coveted Machine of the Year award in 2019 and an AE50 award in 2021, New Holland’s BigBaler 1290 HD (High Density) square baler is now ready for work Down Under.

According to New Holland, its new BigBaler 1290 HD can produce bales that are 22 per cent higher in density compared to conventional large square balers for better transport and bale handling.

The reason for that, the company says, is a bale chamber measuring 4.05m in length, which according to New Holland is the longest in its segment. Combined with a plunger stroke of 748mm and high plunger force, the new generation balers are capable of producing significantly denser bales.

A heavy-duty density ring features three top-mounted double-acting cylinders and two left and right. The double-acting cylinders are controlled by two hydraulic pumps and ensure full density within the first bales, when starting up with an empty bale chamber.

The BigBaler 1290 HD has been equipped with a range of patented technology such as the award-winning driveline concept, SmartShift™, that delivers a smooth baler engagement with a 79 per cent increase in torque, according to New Holland.

As the operator engages the baler at a tractor PTO speed of 850 rpm, the SmartShift™ gearbox automatically shifts from first to second gear, accelerating to a maximum flywheel speed of 1440rpm at full tractor PTO speed. This process has been designed to protect the tractor and baler drivelines, New Holland explained.

Another patented component of the BigBaler 1290 HD model is the MaxiSweep™ pick-up with a width of 2.35m to collect the widest swath left behind by combines. The CropCutter™ system, inherited from the BigBaler Plus baler models, features 29 knives for controlled cutting and superior fine cutting quality.

But perhaps the most significant feature of the BigBaler 1290 HD baler is the LoopMaster™ knotting technology, which has been designed to ensure twines don’t snap and bales stay secure, and also to eliminate twine offcuts which are often left out in the fields.

The innovative tech itself has been awarded the Gold Medal in the Sustainable Farming Solutions category of the 2021 Edison Awards.

“The knotter secures the twine around the bale – if the knot is weak or breaks then the bale is compromised and time, twine and crop are all wasted,” explains New Holland Product Segment Manager for Fodder Conservation Hay & Forage, Sune Nielsen.

“The Loop Master knotting system uses a new type of secure double knot, which is stronger and produces more robust bales. 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.”

By eliminating twine offcuts, which could go up to 6km or 46kg in a 10,000-bale season, the system helps to promote environmental sustainability and prevents unwanted twine from ending up in livestock feed, waterways or in the soil.

“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, thanks to the higher strength which allows the farmer to use lower grade twine,” Nielsen says.

The new, extra-large twine box accommodates 36 XL twine spools and is already compatible with future XXL spools weighing up to 15kg, New Holland says.

All 36 twine spools can be connected simultaneously, so that it is possible to bale as many as 1400 bales without reloading.

The baler’s hydraulic axles allow the twine box to be lowered closer to the ground, therefore making it very easy and safe for operators to load twine into the box. The twine box unit has been fitted with a hydraulic system, which means it can swing fully out for easy loading and cleaning.

Already, the New Holland BigBaler 1290 HD has won itself some fans in Australia, including fourth generation farmer, Simon May, who runs a 2056-hectare farm in Balaklava, South Australia.

May says he has boosted output on his farm ‘by at least two to three times’ after completing his first baling season with his new BigBaler 1290 High Density baler.

“We went from a large ‘four by four by eight’ square baler to the New Holland 1290 BigBaler and there really is no comparison in terms of weight and throughput,” he says.

“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.

“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 processer 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.”

For more information about New Holland’s BigBaler 1290HD baler, speak to your local New Holland dealer, or visit New Holland Agriculture’s website.

For more field days content and new machinery releases, visit farmmachinerysales's Virtual Field Days 2021 page.