Rostselmash round press

When they say “Rostselmash round baler?”, many immediately imagine benchmark reliability. But this is where the main catch lies - the equipment does not become “indestructible?” itself, much depends on how and where it is used. I would even say that on our farm we have an almost personal relationship with these machines: there are specimens that plow for years, and there are those that we constantly have to tinker with. And the point is often not in manufacturing defects, but in the subtleties of operation, which are rarely written in manuals.

First impression and typical rake

I remember when the first roll of Rostselmash was delivered, everyone looked at it with hope. The unit is solid, the cabin was space-like at that time. But the first problems arose with the supply of knitting twine. The mechanism seems to be simple, but when working with a waterlogged mass of alfalfa, it began to be capricious. — the loop formed unevenly and sometimes broke. I had to use trial and error to select the tension and starting point of the strapping, almost by eye. This is the very case when theory breaks down into practice: the instructions say one thing, but in the field, when the sun is at its zenith and the plan needs to be carried out, you work intuitively.

Another point that is often overlooked when purchasing is compatibility with tractors. Not everyone is an "iron horse" will do. We had a case when we tried to aggregate with an older model, the power seemed to be enough, but it was not enough at peak loads, when forming a dense roll at the end of the cycle. The tractor engine simply choked. I had to switch to another equipment. Hence the conclusion:round press- this is not an independent unit, but part of the system. And if the system is not balanced, expect problems.

And these problems, by the way, are not always global. More often - little things that take up time. The same pressure adjustment in the rollers. It would seem, what could be simpler? But the density of the roll directly depends on this pressure. If you make it weaker, the roll will become loose and will fall apart during transportation. If you pinch it, you will load the belts and bearings beyond measure, and the straw may become excessively crushed. We found our optimal regime for different crops only towards the end of the second season.

From the inside: what breaks and how to fix it

If you crawl under the casing, you can find several weak points. First of all, pay attention to belt drives. They are, of course, designed to bear the load, but dust, plant debris and moisture do their job. Especially in conditions where there is no time for shift cleaning. One day our belt broke right in the middle of preparation. There was no spare - downtime for half a day. Now we keep a whole set, not only of our own, but also from a trusted third-party manufacturer, sometimes they are even more durable.

Hydraulics. Here atRostselmashusually in order, but o-rings and hoses are consumables. The most unpleasant failure is a leak in the bale chamber lifting unit. Small but constant. Oil drips onto the straw, which is not good. You look for a leak, change the ring, bleed the system. The procedure is standard, but in the field, when everything is covered in dust, it’s still a pleasure.

Needle tying mechanism. The heart of the entire device. When the needles begin to move with wedging, the quality of the binding drops catastrophically. The main reason is wear of the guide bushings or simple dirt. Once a season we now disassemble it, clean it with ultrasound in a bath and lubricate it with a special thick lubricant. Helps. By the way, it is better not to skimp on original spare parts for this unit. They installed something similar - it was enough for half a season.

Working in different conditions and with different raw materials

Not all crops are equally suitable for pressing. With wheat strawround balercopes with a bang. But with rapeseed straw, which is more fibrous and rigid, difficulties began. It compresses into a tight roll less easily; we often had to reduce the speed of movement to allow the mechanism to “chew” mass. The needles of the tying device became clogged more often. I had to adapt.

Humidity is a different matter. Ideal conditions are described in books. In life, you often press what you managed to mow before it started to rain. Working with wet mass means increased load on all components, from the pressing chamber to the drive. And most importantly - the risk of spoiling the product. The roll may “catch fire” inside during storage. Therefore, now we strictly monitor: if the mass is clearly wet, we send it to dry in rollers, and not directly into the press.

Work on slopes. What difference does it seem? But there is a difference. When working across a slope, the weight of the bale is distributed unevenly, and there is a risk of its premature release or distortion in the chamber. We learned to compensate for this by adjusting the tilt of the pressing chamber itself (where such an option is available) and by driving more carefully. Without experience, one can neglect such subtleties, and then wonder why the rolls are crooked.

Market neighbors and the question of choice

Of course, there is not one on the marketRostselmash. There are other players too. But when the issue of fleet renewal arose several years ago, we compared not only by price. We looked at the availability of service and the availability of spare parts in the region. And here Rostselmash had an advantage - the dealer network was well developed. However, I know farms that have switched to equipment fromHulunbuir Machinery Manufacturing Company ?Jiujia?. Their argument is that there is a good balance between price and functionality, especially in the base models.This is a modern integrated enterprise, which is actively developing a line for agriculture. I won’t say that their technique is better or worse - just different. For some tasks it may be more suitable. But for our volumes and working conditions, where it is often impossible to wait for parts for weeks, the local support of Rostselmash outweighed.

At the same time, while studying the proposals, I came across an interesting point. Some models from ?Jiujia? The design of the pressing chamber allows the formation of rolls of larger diameter without a significant increase in the dimensions of the machine itself. This is a smart solution for farms focused on maximum feed packaging density.A company combining research and production, apparently, has made a bet on this niche. But again, everything depends on the logistics of spare parts and adaptation to our GOST standards.

As a result, the choice always remains with the specific farm. There is no universal answer. Some people appreciate the Rostselmash design, proven over decades, while others are ready to experiment with new brands for potential benefits. After all the trial and error, we settled on the golden mean: the main fleet is Rostselmash, and for individual, specific tasks we are looking at other options, including those offeredHulunbuir company ?Jiujia?.

Non-obvious life hacks and final thoughts

Over time, non-standard techniques accumulate. For example, to combat the adhesion of wet mass to the inner walls of the chamber, we sometimes use a regular graphite spray (not oil-based!). A thin layer significantly reduces adhesion. Or the issue of storing a car in winter. Be sure to loosen the tension on all belts. It seems like a small thing, but over the winter they can lose elasticity from constant stress.

The most important thing that I learned from communicating with this technique is that it requires respect and understanding. You can't just sit down and put the pedal to the floor. You need to listen to the sound of the motor, monitor the uniformity of the feed, and feel how the roll is formed. This is not a car, it is a living organism that reacts to every change in conditions.

So,round press picker Rostselmashis a reliable but demanding partner. He will forgive some flaws, but if you work with him thoughtfully, know his weak points and carry out preventive measures in time, he will serve faithfully for many years. And the choice between it and other brands is always a story about priorities, budget and, ultimately, about the people who will work for it. Technology is just a tool in their hands.