THE new generation of Loop Master knotters on New Holland's BigBaler Plus range is claimed to have 15% more strength with the same twine than the previous version.

This means bales, especially in straw and dry crops, can be made more dense without the fear of knot failure. The new system also eliminates twine offcuts to contaminate bales or in the field.

New Holland said it had been pioneering double-knot technology for more than 30 years and this experience led to the latest improvement – the new patented Loop Master knotter. This will now be introduced on all BigBaler models.

The main aim is to have zero twine offcuts left on the bales or in the field and New Holland said the loop-knotting process eliminated those stray strands left loose on the bale. In one season, with a 10,000 bale-target, NH estimated that up to 6km-worth of twine offcuts would be eliminated.

The new knotter also makes a stronger knot which can lead to more efficient baling, by reducing the twine cost for customers.

Felix Ramuenke, large square baler specialist at New Holland, said: “The new LoopMaster knotter substantially reduces the risk of twine snapping or knots untying, that can cause a lot of trouble to the operator – at the same time it maintains the most appreciated features of our industry-leading double-knot system, higher bale density with lower knotting strain and unparalleled packaging performance.

"Furthermore our customers and the environment benefit from the elimination of twine offcuts left on the bale or across the field."