Kverneland has updated its round baler product range with the introduction of a new fixed-chamber round baler, the 6500F. Kverneland said its fixed-chamber round baler was designed for use in heavy, wet silage conditions. It had planned to use this year’s Ploughing for its first public Irish appearance, had the event not been cancelled.

The baler is fitted with the new XL+ 2.3m wide pickup reel. An extra pickup tine has been added on either side which in turn increases the working width by 10cm compared with previous models. The new five-tine bar reel runs on a cam track system. Tine length has also been increased by 10mm, while the gap between the strippers has been reduced for improved performance in wet crops.

Rotor

The baler’s intake capacity has also been increased thanks to a larger-diameter rotor. Kverneland has also revised the existing drop floor system. The new drop floor has a more rounded profile under the rotor. It has a parallelogram-type action. This gives clearance under the rear when lowered, and under the front of the rotor as well. The baler is available with either a 15- or 25-knife chopping system.

The 6500F has the same heavy-duty bale chamber rollers and driveline components as the company’s FastBale non-stop baler wrapper. The bale chamber is home to 18 rollers, increased from 17 in the previous models. It has two rollers in the bottom of the bale chamber for extra support for heavy silage bales.

It has a one-piece main input gearbox and split driveline. The bale chamber and rotor are driven off 1.25in pitch drive chains. The chamber rollers all run on 50mm diameter bearings, with double row roller-type bearings used on all main load points.

A new hydraulic density system has been used to ensure consistent preset bale density. The baler is equipped as standard with automatic chain lubrication and bearing greasing systems. One of the few carry-over items from the previous generation of balers is the netting system. The system places the tail of net directly into the bale chamber, without reliance on traditional feed rollers or gravity.

The 6500F has a list prices of €38,000 plus VAT.