Baling days with the Krone BiG Pack 1270 5th Generation

After the harvest comes a new task: collecting cereal straw… it’s baling time. On this occasion, we visited our friend Fernando Martín at his farm in Valverde de Campos (Valladolid), where we had the chance to see the new Krone BiG Pack 1270 5th Generation big baler in action, working alongside his John Deere 6250R. It was a fantastic afternoon. Here, we will tell you what we saw.

We arrived early in the afternoon while Fernando and Nacho were preparing the baler, oiling it and replacing the rope. There we were able to see the new Krone, and they explained its main features to us, as you can see in this video. Once the setup was complete, we headed to one of the fields where oats were being harvested and where we were able to see the new Krone BiG Pack 1270 5th Generation in full operation.

It was quite a show. The working conditions were far from ideal, mainly due to the temperature and the large amount of oat straw, which is always more challenging to handle. Even so, as you can see in the video, the big baler did an extraordinary job, working at a speed of about 8 km/h and producing bales weighing around 350 kg (240 cm).

Below are the main features of the new Krone BiG Pack 1270 5th Generation:

• Krone VFS: Larger and variable baling chamber (configurable from the display). 
• VariCut: Different knife banks are available with 26 or 51 knives. 
• PowerClean: Continuous cleaning of knotters using two hydraulic turbines
• ISOBUS-compatible: Full integration with all ISOBUS systems
• Active Pick-up: The Active Pick-up without eccentric. 
• New rope containers: Compatible with 15 kg reels. The side panels open and close hydraulically.
• KRONE's new double knot technology: that trims the ends of the twine. 
• Larger flywheel: smoother operation and reduced load peaks in the train drive. 
• Auto lubricator: as standard equipment.
• Tandem axle with guided rear wheels: When reversing or at high speeds, the steering axle straightens automatically and is locked hydraulically. 
• 80 ball hitch.
• Moisture sensor in the baling chamber and weighing system: in the bale chute.

From here, we wish Fernando the best of luck with his new big baler so that he can make those 70,000 bales with virtually no maintenance... Keep us posted on how it performs!

Versión en español.

Finishing cereal campaign. Baling days

As we mentioned in our previous post, we have closed a historic year with exceptional results, achieving yields we had never seen before. At the end of the season, the only task remaining is the baling of cereal straw (barley, wheat, triticale) and pulse vegetables (yeros and lentils).

This work is normally carried out in our village by service companies from Murcia and some from Albacete. For many years now, for example, the Rosado Brothers (Bullas - Murcia) have been welcome here for baling the remains of the harvest. This year, other companies such as El Parra from Bullas, Murcia, and Soria Brothers from Pozo Cañada, Albacete, are also performing this task. Therefore, over the next few weeks we will inspect the plots to ensure the straw has been baledand so we will be able to complete this season and start the next one, that is to say, to begin preparation, including ploughing the stubble for future sowing.

Regarding straw yields, this year has been particularly interesting due to the exceptional height of the cereal crops, resulting in a high number of bales. Typically, the amount of straw generated is about half the amount of grain produced. For example, if a field yields 3,000 kg/ha of grain, it will likely produce around 1,500 kg/ha of straw. Bales usually weigh around 350kg. The working speed of the baler varies a lot depending on the amount of straw, but it can be around 7 km/h. As you can see in the video, this year we are using a JCB Fastrac 4220 iCON tractor paired with a Fendt 1270N baler, capable of producing approximately 15,000 bales.

In conclusion, this season's impressive straw yield highlights the efficiency and productivity of our baling process, ensuring a strong start to the next agricultural cycle.

Versión en español.

Arcusin squared. Ending the harvesting campaign

With the aim of finishing the 2020 campaign and especially the harvesting season, because this is the beginning of the soil preparation for the 2020 sowing, the last task that we have left to show you is the picking-up of the bales that were generated from the baling work that we commented on previous post.

As we mentioned, three companies dedicated to baling are in charge of working in the area of our village (La Alberca de Záncara - Cuenca). The village's area has about 10,000 hectares and must be picked up in a short period of time because we have the habit of starting to harrow the stubble in August in order to destroy the remains of straw during the hot days in which this task is easier than in the days of September when the weather begins to be cool and wet. Practically all the bales are picked up with the self-loading trailers, although on sometimes there are trucks that go to the field to be loaded there... however this option is negligible compared to the work done by the self-loading trailers.

The baling companies that work in our village count on three Arcusin trailers and one Plegamatic; which are too few machines to collect all the bales in a few weeks. On this occasion, we visited the “Rosado Bros.” company who this year bought another Arcusin AutoStack FSX trailer (they already had one) as you can see in our video and photos. It is very simple and above all fast working with these trailers (the trailer is completely robotized). They have several places to leave the bales so that they do not have to travel many kilometres. The trailer is loaded very quickly, in about 6 minutes you can have it loaded with the 27 bales (90x80cm) or with the 18 bales (90x120cm), so if the unloading is done in an area close to the working field, it is left without bales in very few minutes.

If we talk about the two Arcusin trailers which appear in the photos, one of the main differences that can be seen between the new trailer and the old one is the way the bales are held when they are downloaded. The old trailer (attached to the Fendt 817) had clamps at the rear that held (like a press) the bales in the first row and this new trailer (attached to the John Deere 6150 R), the bales are supported instead of clamped. The old system, sometimes causes breaks in the strings and with this change the problem has been eliminated... you can see it in the video in the download section.

Versión en español.