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Large rectangular baler
Another type of baler in common use produces large rectangular bales, each bound with a half dozen or so strings of twine which are then knotted. Such bales are highly compacted and generally weigh somewhat more than round bales.
Rectangular bale handling and transport
Rectangular bales are easier to transport than round bales since there is little risk of the bale rolling off the back of a flatbed trailer. The rectangular shape also saves space and allows a complete solid slab of hay to be stacked up for transport.
They are well-suited for large scale livestock feedlot operations where the farmer does not produce any of their own livestock forage, and instead purchases all of it from someone else whose exclusive task is growing and baling hay.
Due to the huge rectangular shape, a large fork lift is more appropriate for lifting and moving the bales. |
Large rectangular baler
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Small square baler
A type of baler which is less common today in some places but which is still prevalent in many countries such as New Zealand and Australia to the exclusion of large bales produces small rectangular or 'square' bales. Each bale is about 15 in x 18 in x 38 in (38 x 46 x 96 cm). The bales are wrapped with two, three, or sometimes four strands of twine and knotted. The bales are light enough for a person to handle, about 45 lb (20 kg) to 60 lb (25 kg).
To form the bale, the hay in the windrow is lifted by tines in the baler's 'pickup'. The hay is then dragged or augered into a chamber that runs the length of one side of the baler. A combination plunger and knife moves back and forth in the front end of this chamber. The knife, positioned just ahead of the plunger, cuts off the hay at the spot where it enters the chamber from the pickup. The plunger rams the hay rearwards, compressing it into the bales. A measuring device measures the amount of hay that is being compressed and, at the appropriate length it triggers the mechanism (the knotter) that wraps the twine around the bale and ties it off. As the next bale is formed the tied one is driven out the rear of the baling chamber onto the ground or onto a special wagon hooked to the end of the baler. This process continues as long as there is material to be baled. |
A small square baler |
This form of bale is no longer much used in large-scale commercial agriculture because of the costs involved in handling many small bales. However, it enjoys some popularity in small-scale, low-mechanization agriculture. Besides using simpler machinery and being easy to handle, these small bales can also be used for insulation and building materials in straw-bale construction. Square bales will also generally weather better than round bales because a more much dense stack can be put up. Convenience is also a major factor in farmers deciding to continue putting up square bales, as they make feeding in confined areas (stables, barns, etc.) much easier.
Many of these older balers are still to be found on farms today, particularly in dry areas where bales can be left outside for long periods.
The automatic-baler for small square bales took on most of its present form in 1940. It was first manufactured by the New Holland Ag and it used a small petrol engine to provide operating power. It is based on a 1937 invention for a twine-tie baler with automatic pickup
Wire balers
Bales prior to 1937 were manually wire-tied with two baling wires. Even earlier, the baler was a stationary implement, driven by power take-off (PTO) and belt, with the hay being brought to the baler and fed in by hand. The biggest change to this type of baler since 1940 is being powered by the tractor through its PTO, instead of by a built-in internal combustion engine. . |
