The art of round baling took a massive leap forward with the unveiling of the Kverneland FastBale – a revolutionary non-stop round baler wrapper combination that cleverly integrates a pre-chamber with a main chamber and a wrapper.
Product manager at Kverneland Group Ireland, John Doyle, anticipates that the FastBale will be a game changer this summer, especially with shorter windows for contractors.
Doyle said: “As we face increasingly narrow timeframes for crucial farming tasks, such as baling, the FastBale’s non-stop operation and efficiency will prove invaluable.
“I believe this summer will showcase the FastBale’s ability to maximize productivity during these critical periods, ultimately revolutionising the way farmers and contractors approach their work.”
Unveiling the FastBale in the midlands
Gary Roe, a seasoned contractor hailing from Ballacolla, Co. Laois, unveiled the transformative power of the Kverneland FastBale.
“In my experience, I’d recommend a FastBale to farmers and contractors without hesitation,” Gary said, his statement resonating with the challenges and demands of modern farming.
“The efficiency, the quality of the bale it makes, compactness, and how well it travels the land – this year, it truly showed up,” he added, underlining the machine’s performance that surpassed expectations.
Non-stop baling
Reflecting on his first year with the FastBale, Gary expressed his profound satisfaction with its efficiency and compactness.
He said: “From a point of efficiency and compactness as well, we find that it’s a lot easier on the driver – emphasising the seamless workflow facilitated by this innovative equipment.
“You’re constantly moving, you’re not racing around the field,” he explained, highlighting the machine’s ability to streamline operations and enhance productivity.”
Kverneland FastBale represents two world firsts – it is currently the world’s only non-stop fixed chamber baler and secondly, it is the world’s only non-stop fixed chamber baler-wrapper combination.
High-quality bales
Gary commended the FastBale for its ability to produce high-quality bales consistently.
“It’s making a very good bale as well,” he said, attributing this achievement to the pre-chamber’s unique design that ensures the formation of a hard centre bale.
“The pre-chamber makes like a hard centre bale, so that’s given us the good compact bale out the back, which the farmer seems to be happy with and like,” Gary added, illustrating the machine’s ability to meet the demands of both contractors and farmers alike.
FastBale features two bale chambers – a full-sized main chamber and a pre-chamber which is about two-thirds of the size of the main chamber.
Baling starts in the conventional manner with the main chamber producing the first bale. However, once the bale is fully formed, instead of having to stop to apply the net, FastBale diverts the crop flow to the pre-chamber.
This allows the net/film to be applied to the bale in the main chamber and for the bale to be ejected onto the wrapper.
When the pre-chamber is full, the incoming crop flow, together with the pre-compressed crop are both then transferred into the main bale chamber. Here the bale is formed to its final size and density.
“Output-wise, we’re very happy with, especially with silage,” he added, highlighting the FastBale’s ability to keep pace with other equipment in the field.
Gary’s decision to invest in the FastBale was confirmed by a demonstration from the experts at Kverneland Group Ireland.
“If it was ever a demo sold a machine, it was the day that the lads from Kverneland came up displaying the demo to us,” he said.
Smart wrapping concept
In addition to its performance, Gary highlights the FastBale’s film on film feature, which has garnered praise from farmers for its effectiveness and efficiency.
“Film on film is also a very good thing,” he said. Some of the benefits of this technique include improved silage quality, easier handling and feeding out of bales and simpler recycling of plastic waste.
Conventional baler-wrappers have to stop to apply net to the bale, which takes at least five seconds, plus more time to open/close the tailgate.
Wrapping with net replacement film needs more wraps due to the ‘tail’ which has to be formed at beginning and end of cycle.
This results in the binding cycle taking over 10 seconds – so at least five seconds extra spent stationary for every bale made.
FastBale continues baling during binding so all of this time is saved.
Massive intake rotor with a huge appetite
Huge 800mm diameter intake rotor equipped with 50 Hardox tines, gives unrivalled intake capacity.
Close mounting of the pick-up to the rotor eliminates any dead areas when working in short crops while the 25-knife SuperCut chopping system features group selection giving a choice six, 12, 13, 25 knives to match all conditions, all backed up with the security of a drop floor in case of blockage.
2.2m wide pick-up
The FastBale’s pick-up is equipped with five tine bars, with each bar supported by two intermediate bearings, while a cam track at both ends reduces cam loadings by 50%, giving assured long term durability.
A unique internal drive system keeps overall width to a minimum, with the result that pick-up guide wheels do not need to be removed or folded for transport, reducing unproductive time between jobs.
A contractors perspective
As a contractor striving to meet the demands of farmers, Gary sees the FastBale as a valuable asset that enables him to deliver exceptional service while ensuring operational efficiency.
“So, from a contractor’s point of view, that’s great, as you’re trying to meet the demands from the farmer as a contractor,” he said, underscoring the FastBale’s role as a game-changer in the world of agricultural machinery.”
Supporting Irish farmers and contractors
Conor Vaughan of Kverneland Group Ireland, emphasises the company’s dedication to assisting Irish farmers and contractors with their agricultural needs through the 0% finance offer covering 100% of the VAT inclusive selling price.
“Our aim at Kverneland Group Ireland is to empower Irish farmers and contractors by providing accessible financial solutions.
“This initiative reflects our commitment to supporting the agricultural community in Ireland, ensuring they have access to cutting-edge equipment without the financial burden,” he said.
Click here for more info on the finance packages.
Contact Kverneland:
- John Doyle, product manager Harvest: 00353 87 101 3053
- Greg Tennyson, area south: 00353 87 700 9689
- Allan Hetherington, area north: 0044 7826 544 630
