Re-styled New Holland balers promise to deliver much improved bale quality over the models they replace.

An upgrade of its Roll-Belt variable chamber balers will also increase productivity through greater 'uptime' brought on by reduced maintenance and smoother operation.

The secret lies with New Holland's IntelliBale system, which will raise the bar on performance and efficiency, according to New Holland.

“We have been innovators in the Roll-Belt baler segment for 25 years, introducing pioneering firsts that have changed the way variable chambers operate today,” said Simon Nichol, head of hay and forage for NH.

“This is such a successful baler range that there are more than 235,000 of them at work in fields around the world. This latest generation redefines round baling with its outstanding capacity, bale density, easy servicing and ease of use.”

Improved working in silage coming from tidying up the operation of the intake and roll area, reducing the risk of material build up which can lead to belt slippage or stalling in difficult conditions. This eliminates the need to stop and clean crop from the roll and scraper, increasing the baler’s uptime.

In addition, the single looped nose roll with scraper in the tailgate has been replaced in the new models with a smooth front roll and spiral looped rear roll. The latter prevents crop from wrapping at the nose, while a gap in the tailgate side sheet allows crop to be expelled from this area.

The IntelliBale system can be specified on ISOBUS class 3 compatible T6 AutoCommand tractors, as well as T7 AutoCommand and full powershift models. This automates main tractor control functions and enables the baler to control the tractor’s forward motion.

For instance, it brings the tractor to a stop when the pre-set bale diameter has been reached, wraps the bale, raises and closes the tailgate when the bale has been ejected, then gives the operator the signal to continue baling.

New Holland also said this produces a much more uniform bale size and its consistent cycle times increase baler productivity.

Throwing down the gauntlet to other manufacturers with 'best in class' bale density, NH's latest BigBaler 1290 Plus produces bales with 10% more density.

It features an 80cm longer baler chamber over the old model and its double knot system is designed to guarantee high bale density with lower knotting strain, reducing the risk of twine snap.

'Smart baling' features, such as IntelliCruise technology that automatically regulates tractor ground speed to maximize baling capacity and uniform bale density, or SmartFill feed flow indicators are available.

Productivity-boosting features include the MaxiSweep pick-up design to cope with big windrows as seen on the self-propelled forage harvester pick up.

Bigger diameter packer shafts and drive chain are better able to handle the high loads of PackerCutter models and the slip clutch has been reinforced.

In CropCutter models 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 is available for more abrasive conditions.

The knotting system and bale ejection have been revised to make it easy to set and control bale length, while better knotter cleaning reduces crop accumulation in the knotter area.