In one reasonably short season, the RV has punched out 12,800 bales since it arrived on farm in June 2012 – and every one has been perfect.
“The RV makes a lovely shaped bale, with net always spread right out to the edges,” says Paul Fisher.
Around 6,000 bales were made in grass and hay, at 1.22m diameter, while the remainder were larger 1.37m bales for straw. And the firm has also baled linseed straw with equally impressive results.
“We’ve never had a baler that makes such neat looking bales,” he says. “Swath size and shape has been extremely variable, and we’ve had to bale in some badly combined crops because of the difficult harvest, but the RV has never put out a bad bale.”
It is a view echoed by operator Dan Palmer, who uses the RV4216 behind a Case Puma 155. And shod on 550/45 R22.5 tyres, the baler has been kept from sinking in what would otherwise have been ground conditions far too soft to travel.
Mr Palmer likes the baler’s low loading height for net, and says working in short straw isn’t a problem for the baler’s intake.
“The short, stubby augers work very well with the RV’s pickup,” he says. “Big swaths or small, they make no difference, as every bale comes out the same.”
Mr Palmer also runs his Puma 155 in economy pto mode which cuts engine revs.
“We’ve made baling a very successful and economical task,” he says. “And I have made 100 bales in an hour following a combine with a 30ft header.”
“It’s just as impressive in silage, where I can make 70 bales an hour quite easily with this new RV baler.”
“There is no doubt that the RV4216 has proved to be one of the best balers we’ve ever had,” adds Paul Fisher. “In one of the worst seasons ever, we’ve been able to make such fantastic bales.”
L to R: Paul Fisher, Trevor Fisher and operator Dan Palmer.