Following the recent introduction of the latest RV 5000 series variable chamber balers, feedback from the field has been overwhelmingly positive. The new models feature a wide range of improvements and have gone onto to perform impressively in the hands of some serious professional operators.
Among the key changes to be found on this latest generation of variable chamber balers is the development of the all-new net wrap system, plus a new software package for easier selection of bale density.
Called PowerBind, the latest net system uses fewer components and completely eliminates the need for feed rollers. Net is fed directly into the bale chamber using the PowerBind injection arm, which maintains net tension and delivers repeatable accuracy with consistent net injection at all times.
When the bale is 90 per cent complete, the PowerBind injection arm moves forward in preparation to inject the net. When the bale is fully formed the injection arm is then ideally placed to quickly feed the tail of net directly into the bale chamber. This adds to reliability and productivity and has been engineered to avoid interference from external factors such as wind and crop.
As a result, PowerBind provides one of the fastest net wrap processes available, which means less time spent tying and more time spent baling.
Intelligent Density 3D is the latest software package for in-cab bale density control on machines equipped with a proportional density valve. It affords three pre-configured bale densities with pre-binding programs accessed from the control box menu, with specific settings tailored for straw, hay or silage. This makes any speedy change-over from different crop types much easier.
Further upgrades to specification include centralised grease points at four locations around the baler on RV5200 series models, simplifying maintenance requirements.
With greater durability in mind, steel hydraulic piping is used to provide tidy lines, reverting to short flexible hoses only where necessary. Common to all models is the use of heavy-duty 1.25in drive chains which are kept lubed from a continuously driven oil pump.
Double-skinned ABS injection moulded side panels boost overall quality and appearance, with gull-wing opening creating generous access. Other key improvements include the use of LED rear lights that offer increased reliability.
A recurring theme when talking to users of the latest generation of variable chamber balers is the truly exceptional bale quality achieved. We hear repeated reports of contractors receiving requests from customers to "come with the Vicon baler, please".
DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Edward Ewan Contractors
Located in Stonehaven, just south of Aberdeen in the UK, contractor Edward Ewan and his son Gary, produce around 50,000 hay, straw and silage bales each season. Having taken delivery of their new RV5216 baler early in 2014 it notched up an impressive 21,000 bales in its first season.
Of those, around 10,000 were silage bales.
"The new RV baler has performed faultlessly and done everything we have asked of it,” says Gary Ewan. “Even in wetter crops, the baler has continued to roll grass and produce some impressively dense bales without blocking or wrapping material inside the bale chamber."
Gary Ewan clocked up over 21000 bales on his RV5216 in his first season |
"It can certainly pack crop in," he adds. "And with the new PowerBind net system, its performance and reliability have been great." He says output is more impressive than his previous model, helped partly by short net cycles and improved hydraulic performance. In wheat straw, following a New Holland combine with 25ft header, the hourly bale count has been a consistent 128 bales/hour. Pulled by an isobus-ready New Holland T6080, the baler is plug and play with control screens appearing on the tractor’s terminal. This allows the Ewans to install the Focus II control box in non-iso tractors to boost operational flexibility. |
8th June 2015