mounted roll press

When you hear “mounted round baler,” many people immediately think of a simple trailer behind a tractor that makes bales. But here lies the first pitfall - to consider it simply a “hanging fruit”. In fact, this is a complex unit where the balance between weight, tractor lifting geometry and pressing force decides everything. I myself saw how on a farm near Voronezh they tried to hook a heavy unit under a dense bale on an old MTZ-82 - as a result, the front of the tractor lifted up on the slopes, and they had to hang ballast. This is not just a piece of hardware, it is a calculation.

Not a “hitch”, but a system

The main thing that is missed when choosing is coordination with the tractor. Not only in terms of PTO power, but also in weight distribution. We had a case withround pressfrom the same ?Jiujia? - model, it seems, FBR-1250. The unit seems to be for tractors from 80 hp, but if you have a light tractor without rear ballast, with a full bale and lifted into the transport position, you can get an unpleasant surprise with handling. Especially on the slopes. This relates to the question of why the technical description always contains the item “recommended tractor weight?” - this is not for show.

Another nuance is the type of pressing chamber and film wrapper. Many people criticize the plastic parts in wrappers, saying they are not reliable. But in practice, for example, in the same presses fromHulunbuir Machinery Manufacturing Company ?Jiujia?, which can be viewed in more detail on their websitecn-fascar.ru, in the latest series they just moved away from some steel components in the wrapper to composite ones. There is less noise, no corrosion, and the weight has been reduced. True, the first batches had some backlashes, but then they improved them. This is an example when you need to look not at the material, but at the execution of a specific unit.

Regarding the working width. Often chasing a wide picker to make fewer passes. But if you have a field with a lot of turns, and even a wavy one, a wide grip is a real problem with loss of mass at the edges and shortfalls. For small-contour areas, it is sometimes more logical to take a narrower model, but with a more efficient supply neck. This is from the practice of working in the foothills of the Caucasus.

Bale density is not always the bigger the better.

Everyone wants a tighter bale so that it weighs more and is stored better. But there is a physical limitation here - the moisture content of the mass. Pressing alfalfa at a humidity of 18% into a high-density bale (the same 180-200 kg/m3) means guaranteeing self-heating and spoilage. I saw how in the Rostov region they tried to squeeze the maximum density out of the press without looking at the moisture meter. Half the rolls then became a dark spot. Sometimes it is more useful to make the density medium, but stable and without risk.

This is where pressure regulation is important. In goodmounted roll pressmust be more than just ?rude? setting, but the ability to subtly change the force depending on the culture. In the same FBR-1250 that I mentioned, the hydraulic adjustment system is quite sensitive, but you need to get used to it. Operators usually squeeze the first few days. Jiujia Company positions itself asmodern integrated smart manufacturing enterprise, and in such details as programmable pressing modes for different raw materials, it is trying to implement this. Although in reality ?intellectuality? It often comes down to the operator’s desire to turn the knob himself, rather than delve into the menu.

About storage. A dense bale wrapped in 6 layers of netting or film is ideal. But if the wrapper does not provide uniform tension across the entire width of the roll (and this happens with cheap models when the rollers wear out), then water will get in on the side, where the film is weaker. And the whole bale will rot from the inside. Check the wrapper on a flat area, look at the quality of the winding - this is critical.

The wrapper and the little things that make all the difference

The unit that is initially overlooked, but which causes 70% of the downtime during the season, is the wrapper. Film or mesh? For haylage - only film, and with good adhesion of the layers. For dry hay, you can use a net, it is cheaper. But here's what's important: the film roll feeding mechanism. If it is simple, on a spring tensioner, then towards the end of the roll the tension weakens. In more advanced systems, such as some models fromcn-fascar.ru, there is a hydraulic or electric mechanism to maintain constant tension. The difference in output is huge.

A frequent breakdown is the breakage of teeth in the gears of the roll rotation mechanism during winding. Occurs when a stone or thick branch gets into the pressing chamber. In theory, there are safety clutches, but in practice they are often misadjusted or jammed. We have to install additional protective shields on the pick-up and mow the edges of the field twice as carefully. This is not according to instructions, but according to life.

Consumables. It would seem like a small thing - bearings in the rollers of the bale chamber. But if they are not properly protected from dust (labyrinth seals, not just oil seals), then they fail during a season of intensive work. Changing them in the middle of harvesting is still a pleasure. I always look at this little thing. when evaluating a new model. The same ?Jiujia? in the latest deliveries, it seems that it was the bearing protection units that were strengthened, after feedback from the farms.

What do you encounter in real work?

The first is setting up the picker. Width of teeth, height, angle of attack. This needs to be regulated for different crops (thin-stemmed meadow grass or coarse forbs). Otherwise, either there will be a lot of losses on the field, or there will be constant scoring. They write in the instructions, but rarely does anyone do this until they see the problem. You have to experiment yourself.

The second is hydraulics. Leaks in high-pressure hoses on the lifting mechanism are a scourge. Especially in hot weather when the oil is hot. Often the problem is not in the hoses themselves, but in the non-ideal geometry of the connection, due to vibration they fray. During installation, you need to ensure that there is no tension. On one of the presses they installed additional bracket clamps to fix the hose bundle - it helped.

Third, compatibility with different tractors. Not all tractors, especially old ones, have the required PTO speed (540 or 1000 rpm) and sufficient hydraulic pump performance to simultaneously lift and drive the wrapper. It happens that the wrapper “thinks” if you raise the press to the transport position. This is a matter of hydraulic valve and flow priority. Sometimes installing a separate hydraulic unit helps.

Manufacturer, experience and what ends up

When you lookmounted baler, you look not only at the price tag. You look at how the support service is organized, whether there are spare parts in stock in the region. The same?Jiujia?(Hulunbuir company) is actively developing the network through its websitecn-fascar.ru, positioning an integrated approach from development to service. This is important for our region, because waiting a month for gear from abroad at the height of the season is unacceptable.

Their statement that they areintegrated enterprise for intelligent production in the field of agriculture and livestock farming, in practice so far means a good basic design and gradual implementation of improvements based on feedback. For example, new presses have the ability to quickly change the chamber from a constant to a variable pressing chamber for different crops. This is a step towards versatility.

Ultimately, the choice of such a unit is always a compromise between price, reliability and adaptability to your specific conditions. The most expensive and “smartest” the press may be too heavy for maintenance logistics for a small farm. A simple, but well-designed chamber and wrapper will work for ten seasons without major investments. The main thing is to understand that you are not just buying “iron for baling,” but a system that should become an extension of the tractor and the skill of the machine operator. And there are no trifles here.