Local farmers and contractors wanting to pack more material into every hay and straw bale will welcome the benefits of the latest addition to the top of the Case IH LB4 large square baler range for 2021.
Boasting new designs and components throughout, the LB436 HD baler is capable of creating bales with up to 15 per cent greater density than the current LB434 XL model, which produces the same 120cm x 90cm bale size and will remain in the Case IH hay range.
Features unique to the LB436 HD include a new main gearbox and mid-ship gearbox with gearshift overload protection for high power transfer and driveline safety. In addition, the innovative new twine knotter system, TwinePRO™ is carried over to boost productivity while eliminating field litter and bale contamination.
The LB436 HD is fully ISOBUS Class 3 compatible, meaning not only can it be controlled from an ISOBUS terminal in the tractor cab, but the baler can also control the tractor's actions, such as increasing forward speed in light areas of swaths, to automatically boost work rates.
For Tim Slater, Case IH Australia and New Zealand Hay and Harvest Product Manager, the key benefits are the baler's simplicity and its ability to produce higher density bales.
"More material in each bale obviously equates to fewer bales per hectare which reduces handling requirements and transport costs overall. To be able to offer these kind of efficiencies to our customers in Australia and New Zealand is very satisfying and we know they'll like what they see," Tim said.
The LB436 HD baler has been put through its paces in Australian paddocks in recent months and Tim said it was a good fit for Australian and New Zealand operations, with local trials producing bales up to 15 per cent greater in density than previously possible.
"To be able to show, in Australian conditions, just what this baler is capable of in terms of bale density and shape is very exciting. Getting more weight into bales optimises truck loads which at the end of the day creates the productivity enhancements Case IH is always seeking to bring its customers," Tim said.
"And, the LB436 HD's design is perfectly suited to the straw market, which has grown in Australia in recent years, with its ability for quick, clean crop gathering in even the most challenging of conditions."
The baler's many outstanding features have also been recognised with a number of high-profile awards since its European launch 12 months ago. Agritechnica awarded it "Machine of the Year 2020" in the hay and forage category and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) picked it for one of its prestigious 2020 AE50 Awards, which honour 50 of the year's most innovative designs in engineering products and systems for the food and agricultural industries. Both organisations recognised the LB436 HD's innovative new driveline and capacity for higher density, high quality bales thanks to the newly-designed bale chamber.
"More material in each bale obviously equates to fewer bales per hectare which reduces handling requirements and transport costs overall. To be able to offer these kind of efficiencies to our customers in Australia and New Zealand is very satisfying and we know they'll like what they see" - Tim Slater, Case IH