With an 800mm wide and 700mm high bale section, the unit has a longer bale chamber and heavier plunger/packer that allows it to produce densities of up to 210kg/m3, dependent on crop, versus a more typical 165kg/m3 density achieved with conventional large square balers.
Field output increases are also raised by the fitting of a 16% larger throat area in the VFS pre-packing chamber.
To deal with the 25% increase in density, Krone has developed a narrow knotter – which means that on the 870 machine five strings now take the place of the more normal four.
The company says the extra cost of a fifth string is easily outweighed by increased bale density, as evidenced by truckers’ reporting much higher load weights on trucks.
And the 700mm high bale allows bales to be loaded four deep on trucks without exceeding the 4m maximum load height regulation, so reducing cost per tonne for trucking.
The 5-string system also gives the user greater bale security when bales are being handled, re-handled or moved.
The MultiBale designation means the machine can produce a conventional format large square bale from 1m to 2.7m long, and it can also uniquely make between two and nine separate ‘mini bales’ which can be between 0.3m and 1.35m long.
With the machine running in this configuration the small bales are tied by knotters number 2 and 4, with the complete package held together by the remaining three twines.
The format thereby allows maximum weight capacity for trucking and the bonus of being able to break the large packages down into easily handled small bales – useful for feeding out to individual pens or stables.
One machine has been sold and a second retained as a demonstrator following displays in Wairarapa and Taranaki.
