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Jackrabbit

Posted 2/22/2012 13:45 (#2244668)
Subject: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

East Central SD

I wrap baleage and am looking for a new or used baler. I am thinking about getting one that has the cutting (or slicing) option. The only one in this area is a Krone Fortima and owner likes it. I see JD makes a 854. The Krone is a chain baler and JD is a belt baler. Obviously chain would be better in wet hay in theory but I've never had any problems baling wet hay with my JD 566. I'm nervous purchasing one because of lack of local info on any of these balers and resale here could be disastrous if I'm not happy. If anyone has any info at all on any round baler (regardless of make) with the cutting option I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

Scott

Krone

Posted 2/22/2012 14:55 (#2244765 - in reply to #2244668)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Memphis, TN

Scott, send us a PM if we can answer any specific questions you may have......
Thanks

plowmaster

Posted 2/22/2012 16:36 (#2244870 - in reply to #2244765)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Sucker brook, NY

im wondering if you can answer them on this forum so we can ALL learn

Krone

Posted 2/22/2012 17:44 (#2244974 - in reply to #2244870)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Memphis, TN

We seem to sell more balers with choppers every year. Probably the main the advantages are a slightly denser bale and a more palatable bale to livestock with less feeding waste as opposed to a non chopped bale. The question is whether or not the advantages offset the additional cost using a chopper baler. They are higher in initial cost and require more maintenance (as well as power). Just about everyone has a system where you can drop the knives and use it as a conventional baler. With our machine the cutter is not available as an add on, you have to buy a chopper model.

IAhaymakr

Posted 2/22/2012 15:06 (#2244777 - in reply to #2244668)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Northwest iowa

I have a Krone. Not a lot of experience yet but what we have done so far has worked really well (about 800 bales). My dealer is Fabers in Inwood Iowa. They do a great job with service...nothing to complain about the machine yet either.

deeredriver

Posted 2/22/2012 16:14 (#2244853 - in reply to #2244668)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Alma NE

Claas rotocut

RodInNS

Posted 2/22/2012 17:17 (#2244918 - in reply to #2244668)
Subject: RE: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Never used a rotocut myself... but as far as baling silage is concerned, there is only one baler. Claas. I don't want belts and I don't want chains. Steel rollers for that job.
Say what one likes for baling hay but silage is another animal entirely.

Rod

IAhaymakr

Posted 2/22/2012 20:36 (#2245373 - in reply to #2244918)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Northwest iowa

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a roller baler usually considered a soft core baler? I don't want any part of my silage bales to be soft. What do you dislike about the chains so much? Mine sure works good in everything from dry hay to wet hay to cornstalks. I am curious about that Claas baler as well. There is one with the rotor cut system in my neighbor hood that has been a real problem child. Could be a lack of service (likely situation considering the dealer), or maybe just not set up and adjusted correctly. I think they tried to trade it for something different but would have been smacked really hard on trade-in value.

RodInNS

Posted 2/23/2012 00:33 (#2245942 - in reply to #2245373)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Too many moving, wearing noisy parts on a chainer. The NH848 was the standard chainer around here. They're OK... but under constant strain baling silage the chains tend to wear/break.... and make for a bad day.
Claas rollant's are a soft core baler. Exactly what difference that makes I've yet to decipher. If one goes about forming a square shouldered bale properly they're just as hard as any other bale. The newer models also have the top three rollers on a hinge that reduces the chamber size when starting the bale. IIRC, the actual core in those bales is about 1' across.
I don't know what problems occour with the RC250... but the 44S that we're running has shat out more than 30K bales, probably 2/3 of that silage. Pickup bearings are a somewhat common ailment... followed by a couple other high strain bearings. Probably changed 5 rollers or so now; all from rock damage. A few sets of drive chains... and some welding on the pickup. Otherwise just nominal pickup maintenance. This one is 25 years old this year and needing some work... but I would still not seriously consider any other baler for what I'm doing.

How this baler would work in corn stalks... I have no idea. The only real problem we ever had baling anything was in barley straw. That was a major challenge to get a bale started or maintain turning it.

Rod

Krone

Posted 2/23/2012 11:50 (#2246591 - in reply to #2245942)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Memphis, TN

If I am in violation of the posting policy, my apologies and hopefully one of the moderators will delete this response.
If anyone is considering a modern bar and chain baler, they should not be influenced by their, or a neighbor's, past experience with a vintage chain baler. Comparing a modern bar and chain roller with an older design where the only thing in common is the fact that they both use bar and chains, is comparable to comparing a 70's vintage closed throat baler with a modern belt baler because they both use belts. The technology on both designs has improved greatly in the past few years.

RodInNS

Posted 2/23/2012 21:00 (#2247462 - in reply to #2246591)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Well... they sure had a piece of road to cover. Krone included.... because I've seen some of their old ones too.

Rod

Tractorman3588

Posted 2/23/2012 10:56 (#2246526 - in reply to #2244668)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Wisconsin

The JD baler is supposed to have good capacity, but questions on build quality (the ones with the cutter, from a local custom baler around here). I have a NH BR7060 with bale slice, does make it more dense, but doesn't pull apart near as easy as a roto cut baler. If I have good windrows I can make a good amount of bales in an hour (45-50 on smaller fields) Have heard from a local guy with a BR7060 with roto cut that they weren't happy with the speed in heavy 1st crop hay. Otherwise they loved it, was super reliable, and made tons of silage bales with it.

I'm interested in a Kuhn Round baler, have heard good things about them, and the price seems better than a JD. No personal experience.

Krone

Posted 2/23/2012 12:49 (#2246686 - in reply to #2246526)
Subject: Re: Round Silage Balers with cutting option

Memphis, TN

I am ignoring the posting rules much like some of our politicians are ignoring our constitution. My opinion is that if you are looking at a chopper or a haylage baler, you should consider a European designed or built baler. Simply because they are more experienced than we are in North America in that type of production. We are currently going through here what they went through years ago. It used to be in North America that if you wanted/needed more tonnage it was more cost efficient to put more acreage into production. Now with the increased value of acreage due to grain prices, urban sprawl etc. it is more profitable to increase tonnage per acre. That means different farming methods. Most of the European balers are designed to do the type of farming we are heading toward. They are designed to do haylage or chop instead of being converted dry hay units. My experience is that although they are different (even a bit quirky) from what most of us are used to, it takes very little windshield time to get used to them and they perform great.

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