THE New Holland roadshow hit WA last week.
Led by the company’s national product manager Tony Peters, the focus was on the new BigBaler 1290 Plus, released earlier this year.
The bonus was the presence of hay/harvest specialist Sune Nielsen, who took mostly 1290 model owners on a walk-round of the 1290 Plus to discuss the new features and also provide trouble-shooting advice.
According to Mr Peters, improvements to the new model have been aimed at enhancing consistent bale density and high capacity, meaning fewer bales per hectare, less time to collect the bales, and fewer bales to transport - all of which translates into lower costs per bale.
The 1290 Plus features an 80cm (32in) longer baler chamber over the previous 1290 model which delivers up to 10pc higher density in perfectly formed bales for stacking and transport, maintaining this high bale quality through the day.
And the double knot system is designed to guarantee high bale density with lower knotting strain, reducing the risk of twine snapping, even in hot conditions.
Pivotal to the performance of the 1290 Plus is IntelliCruise technology that automatically regulates tractor ground speed to maximise baling capacity and uniform bale density, aligned with SmartFill feed flow indicators that tell the operator in real time which direction they should drive over the swath for even bale formation.
Additionally, the 1290 Plus is fully ISOBUS-compatible, incorporating a IntelliView IV monitor in the tractor cab, which provides operators an at-a-glance intuitive fingertip control of all key operating parameters when baling at top capacity and speed.
When equipped with New Holland’s PLM GPS data logging, yield mapping is achievable and with the micro-processor in the baler, it means data is easily transferred if you use another tractor.
In CropCutter models, high quality chrome-pinned chains provide more wear resistant against sand and dust, and extend the chain life significantly. Each knife is spring-protected to avoid breakage from foreign objects and optional hard-faced knives are available for greater durability.
A heavy duty rotor also is standard and designed for extreme abrasive conditions to prevent premature rotor wear in such harsh conditions and allows four times longer rotor life.
In the pre-compression chamber, a shear bolt on the stuffer mechanism protects the stuffer from damage in case of obstruction or overload, while the crop-holding fingers have been reinforced and ensure perfect flake or ‘biscuit’ formation with seven fingers.
The bale ejection system has been revised to make it easy to set and control bale length, with a passive teeth system replaced with an active teeth system on Full Bale-Eject – before the bale ejection moves backwards, all teeth are first pushed in the bale to maximise best performance and full grip in all conditions.
According to Mr Peters, New Holland is assessing standard inclusions in the 1290 Plus such as a moisture sensor and scales.