New variable round baler

[Matthew Britton]

So, I might be in the market for a new variable chamber round baler. Locally we have new Holland/case, Massey/Fendt, possibly mc Hale and Vicon/kubota. I will want a chopper version I think. The criteria are, tight heavy bales and reliability. Your experiences and opinions please!
thank you
Matthew

 

[Spencer]

Krone Comprima. Be different

 

[Chae1]

McHale everytime for me. I've a 2011 v660 done over 40k bales and still going strong.

Just sit down when you get price. Well north of £30k now for a new one.

 

[KB6930]

Massey / Fendt will cover all your criteria

 

[d williams]

So, I might be in the market for a new variable chamber round baler. Locally we have new Holland/case, Massey/Fendt, possibly mc Hale and Vicon/kubota. I will want a chopper version I think. The criteria are, tight heavy bales and reliability. Your experiences and opinions please!
thank you
Matthew

Don’t rule out Kuhn

 

[6r 185]

I know it wasn’t on your list but we got a John Deere V451r this time very impressed with it, demoed a kuhn 3165 and A McHale v 660, Kuhn didn’t put enough in the bale, wasn’t much in the McHale and John Deere but the John Deere had all the automation on it as well, stops the tractor and automatically opens the back door closes and sets off again ??????

 

[Matthew Britton]

Thank you, Krone is very expensive here and I don’t really like the slat system ( I know all that I read on here says it’s wonderful but it will be me paying for it for the next 7 years!).

McHale is interesting but I believe that here they are even dearer, I could look at getting one in uk from my old dealer but that’s not really fair with the local dealers, also dealer is a way away here.

Massey Fendt is quite interesting, good local dealer for Massey and crap local dealer for Fendt but might help with pricing?. Are they as good as they used to be when they were Welgar?

I will look at Kuhn.

John Deere balers never have excited me, I will look though. Are they better to bale with than they were? My old 6920s autopowerprobably is too ancient for the auto nation to work!

Thank you all for the replies!

 

[ollandroverman]

Krone now have a belt baler too.
I have no idea on price comparison to other makes though.

 

[Matthew Britton]

I didn’t know that. They seem to have a reputation here of being very dear although I have no direct knowledge of that. Krone is sold by the Nee Holland dealer so could price both.

 

[ollandroverman]

 

[Fendt516profi]

think they were suffering with staff shortages

I know it wasn’t on your list but we got a John Deere V451r this time very impressed with it, demoed a kuhn 3165 and A McHale v 660, Kuhn didn’t put enough in the bale, wasn’t much in the McHale and John Deere but the John Deere had all the automation on it as well, stops the tractor and automatically opens the back door closes and sets off again ??????

That sounds like a recipe for a accident

 

[roscoe erf]

That sounds like a recipe for a accident

WELL WHAT HAPPENED HERE

 

[som farmer]

in the good old USA, they now have self propelled balers ! working towards a 'self propelled' unit, which you will be able to 'fit' other uses on. Sounds like an expensive tractor to me, but it would seem that's the way things are going.

 

[daveydiesel1]

What is the price difference between belt balers and roller balers? Which 1 will cost more in upkeep?

 

[Matthew Britton]

I don't really care about the price difference. I bought the roller baler on the advice of a contracting mate before i moved to France. His argument was it would be cheaper to buy and keep going, which whilst sound advice I really don't like it, combine that with the fact that it gets proper dry here in the summer and straw seems to turn into powder just looking at it I want a belt baler again. Plus the fact other than getting a lot more dry stuff packed in (hopefully) roller bales are nowhere near as tidy!

 

[6r 185]

Thank you, Krone is very expensive here and I don’t really like the slat system ( I know all that I read on here says it’s wonderful but it will be me paying for it for the next 7 years!).

McHale is interesting but I believe that here they are even dearer, I could look at getting one in uk from my old dealer but that’s not really fair with the local dealers, also dealer is a way away here.

Massey Fendt is quite interesting, good local dealer for Massey and crap local dealer for Fendt but might help with pricing?. Are they as good as they used to be when they were Welgar?

I will look at Kuhn.

John Deere balers never have excited me, I will look though. Are they better to bale with than they were? My old 6920s autopowerprobably is too ancient for the auto nation to work!

Thank you all for the replies!

We ran a Vicom 2160 before which is now basically a kuhn 3160-65 and the new John Deere Baler will run rings round it,

 

[seedman stains]

He ,s some weights to consider sad man that i am new holland belt new type 150dia 300 kg nice not too tight and unroll well to feed out.
Welger old type roller 250kg roll out well until the centre then a heap.,
Vicon (old type)2160 belt 260 kg (probably could have been tighter) but roll out well.
Contractors new mchale fusion (roller) cereal mix meteil 360kg
Welger dry grass silage 360kg
newer mk1 vicon 140 moha silage 660kg solid right through straw with the same baler 300kg

Decided to weigh a few just to compare after being impressed by ther new holland baler, price new for the new holland end of august just over 30k euros

 

[Matthew Britton]

He ,s some weights to consider sad man that i am new holland belt new type 150dia 300 kg nice not too tight and unroll well to feed out.
Welger old type roller 250kg roll out well until the centre then a heap.,
Vicon (old type)2160 belt 260 kg (probably could have been tighter) but roll out well.
Contractors new mchale fusion (roller) cereal mix meteil 360kg
Welger dry grass silage 360kg
newer mk1 vicon 140 moha silage 660kg solid right through straw with the same baler 300kg

Decided to weigh a few just to compare after being impressed by ther new holland baler, price new for the new holland end of august just over 30k euros

What did you buy? I have just asked Massey man for a price but I think they are a sub agent. They also do Kuhn and vicon. I might get him to price all three to the same spec. Will also do same with new Holland and krone now as they are same dealer. I priced a Massey in uk back in 2018 and they were £31k then so 30€k is quite keen.

 

[seedman stains]

My pockets wernt deep enough for a new one, so had to settle with the second hand vicon

 

[czechmate]

I have a Krone Matthew. I like it a lôt, the slats are no problem except if you have a really small, broken dry swath of straw, you can have half of it leaking out; even then, just do it in the eveniñg. Hay, haylage, silage, proper straw swaths, brilliant.