Friday, 17 December 2021 08:55

Extra baler should lift output, if the weather gods allow

Written by  Mark Daniel
The addition of another McHale Fusion Plus fixed chamber baler/wrapper combination will lift Hilltop Harvesting’s output this season. The addition of another McHale Fusion Plus fixed chamber baler/wrapper combination will lift Hilltop Harvesting’s output this season.

Contracting over a vast area from its Mangawhai base, Hilltop Harvesting’s beat covers Whangarei to the north, Silverdale to the south and everything in between.

Specialising in crop establishment and harvesting, high quality silage is produced in clamps or chopped round bales.

Having previously used a variable chamber baler and standalone wrapper system, Hilltop changed course in November 2020 with the arrival of a McHale Fusion Plus fixed chamber baler/wrapper combination.

After successfully producing around 14,500 bales last season, they have bought a second unit. Hilltop owner Wayne Preston says this should take their capacity up to 30,000 bales a year as the business develops.

Having already experienced a wet spring, he predicts that crops are likely to be thick and heavy this year.

“If the weather gods could see their way to giving us ten fine days, both machines will certainly be able to cover a lot of ground,” Preston says.

Powered by 155hp tractors, the Fusion Plus has the potential to put out a bale every minute.

“However, there is always a compromise between output and quality,” Preston explains. “We like to produce tightly packed bales weighing around 750kg, so in practice, we typically deliver around 35 to 40 bales per hour.”

Firm, well-shaped bales ensure that air is excluded from the bale, resulting in better fermentation, and bales that hold their shape in the stack, which results in few, if any, effluent issues.

“The McHale certainly has an appetite, so our favoured method is to mow with our triple set up, bring the three swathes together with an 8m rake and offer the baler a wide, flat-topped row that results in a final product with great shape and high density throughout,” Preston says.

Despite weighing around 5.8 tonnes, or around 7.0 tonnes with a bale in the chamber and one on the wrapper, the unit is well balanced, easily towed on its oversize wheel equipment and importantly, safety stopped with the standard brakes, he says.

The baler is equipped with a “film on film” wrapping system: After the bale is produced, film is applied instead of net wrap, before the wrapper element applies the final layers.

“Film on film has many advantages. Not least, it excludes more air from the bale resulting in a better end product,” Preston explains. “If there are any rips in the film after baling, we only see minimal spoilage around the puncture site and, of course, there is only one waste product to get rid of.”

He says the Fusion baler is such an easy machine to use, which is great for Hilltop Contracting as they use seasonal workers.

“We only need to spend around 10 minutes to get somebody started, then they’re away baling,” Preston adds.

He says the other key part of the package is the support delivered by Power Farming Northland.

More like this

Pro feeding robots to cut, load silage

While feeding dairy animals in New Zealand is largely centred around feed trailers, mixer wagons or baleage, one wonders whether there is a place for robotic feeders, particularly in South Island locations, where cows are housed during winter or full time.

Fliegl offers effluent solutions

Founded in Germany as recently as 1977, today, the Fliegl Group employs more than 1100 workers, offering an expansive range of transport solutions, from their base in Bavaria.

LDV unveils all-new Terron 9 Elite ute

As if there wasn’t enough choice in the New Zealand ute market, LDV New Zealand is expanding its offering, by showcasing the all-new Terron 9 Elite at Fieldays.

Featured

Big return on a small investment

Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.

Editorial: Sensible move

OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Overbearing?

OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…

Foot-in-mouth

OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter