Why Bales Break

Even farmers who are just beginning to harvest feed know that there is a big difference between harvesting grass and grain. But often when moving to the baling process, this is still not taken into account.

Different crops — different results

Leaves of grass that are baled on straw or haylage are pressed tightly. As a result, the internal pressure in the bale is low with a relatively high weight. Grain crops are dry, with hollow stems. They are light and easier to squeeze than grass. That is why when forming bales from cereals inside, more pressure is formed on the net than when wrapping leaf crops. This is due to the fact that the stems tend to return to their previous state. It is necessary to take this into account at the stage of setting up press-pickers when collecting senage.

 

If you approach the baling of leaf and grain crops the same way, then during storage you can get an unpleasant situation when some of the bales break. This can happen for two reasons. The first is the higher pressure of the grain crop. You will read about the second one below.

Important! Consider not only which crop you are netting, but also the condition of your crop. This affects how many revolutions should be made around the bale when baling.

A mistake that often results in bale damage is not turning the net around the grain bales too much. It is more explosive than leaf crops, so more net is needed to hold it. It has more internal pressure than leaf crops, so more net is needed to hold it.

 

 

Baler settings and technical condition

When pressing round bales, the accuracy of the equipment, that is, the baler, is important. It’s not up to the manufacturing firm. Small inaccuracies can be with absolutely any equipment for baking hay.

You can’t blindly trust the settings you make on the monitor. You should double-check to make the value match what you get after wrapping the bale.

Attention! The first bales with any net only installed in the baler should be additionally checked for compliance with the number of revolutions specified in the program. Adjust even a small variance of half the turnover in the settings.

Inaccuracies in the work of press collectors are the result of many factors:

  • features of the net supply system;
  • poor service;
  • incorrect adjustment for net.
 

It is important that the feed rollers are properly adjusted, the guides are clean, and the cutting device is sharp and precisely mounted. Even the shape and density of the bale affect the net fit density.

 

 If you want to get a really reliable bale that will be stored for more than a year, consider all the factors that were mentioned in this article: the health and condition of the equipment, its accuracy, type and state of the crop. You can not rely only on the number of turns with a net when you press the bale.

Important! Reducing of nets turns to a minimum is the right way to get a spoiled bale. Especially when it comes to baling grain crops. Saving several hryvnias on the net can lead to tangible losses.