The 2020 newcomers for John Deere were three new large square balers in the L600 range.

The L624 (bales of 70cm high by 120cm wide), L633 (90 by 80cm) and L634 (90 by 120cm) replaced the L1500 series, while the single tie knotter 1424 and 1424C large square balers are no longer available.

All feature increased performance and operational safety, as well as lower operating costs, said John Deere. Designed to improve productivity by up to 15%, including a bale weight up to 5% heavier, they are all fully ISOBUS compatible, allowing operators to adjust and control various settings from the cab.

A newly designed pre-cutter is part of the inventory and features a knife group selection of 0, 11, 12, or 23 knives is also now controlled from the cab – previously operators had to leave the cab to make any changes.

The balers' moisture sensors now have a wider measurement range of 9-40%, instead of 11-34% on the previous models.

Baler components have been strengthened and optimised. The L624 and L634 models use a 468kg flywheel – 64% heavier than on previous machines. All models, though, feature an even, shear-bolt free drive system, while hydraulic chamber pressure has been increased by 17% from 180 to 210 bar.

Both the existing rotor options, RotoFlow HC and MaxiCut HC with 23 knives, will continue to be offered on the new range. Rotor diameter on the heavy-duty RotoFlow has been increased by 25%. Available on the L624 and L634 models, this unit further improves crop intake and lowers the risk of blockages.

The new balers also feature a 13 per cent larger roller baffle, and all rotor machines are optionally available with wear resistant Hardox steel tines.

They come as standard with 2.3m wide pickups, with 10mm finger rake steel tines and hydraulic load sensing and all models produce bales measuring from 60 up to 300cm long. The balers also feature new optimised software updates and can be customised to allow them to be tailored to meet different customer needs.