US REPORT ▶▶▶
Prototype self-propelled round baler raises output
There are already self-propelled sprayers, mowers and foragers, so why not a round baler? Future Farming gets the low-down on a new development from US maker Vermeer
BY JAMES ANDREWS R
ound baling has plenty going for it, but the endless pauses, shunting back and forth and yanking of levers (prodding of buttons, if you’re lucky)
can make it a tedious process for the driver. But in a bid to iron out the job’s wrinkles,
Iowa-based firm Vermeer has come up with a prototype self-propelled round baler that promises to take many of those tasks out of the driver’s hands. That means everything from stopping and
starting the machine to turning it sideways on hillsides and releasing the bale is performed automatically. The maker has also worked hard to give the
driver a smoother ride over rough terrain and created a tight enough turning circle so it can
swing directly into the next windrow. The ZR5 concept was unveiled in September
2017 at the annual Husker Harvest Days event at Grand Island, Nebraska – an area that produces a huge amount of round-bale hay and alfalfa to help feed the so-called Beef State’s six million-plus head of cattle. Here farmers and contractors will often run sizable fleets of tractor and round baler combinations and they struggle to find decent labour to operate them. Therefore, the fact that the machine can
potentially do the job of two such combinations should go down fairly well. Sadly, it’s not a continuous baler (not yet
anyway), but Vermeer says it still offers considerably higher output and better driver comfort than the best tractor-pulled machines. It’s also being billed as one of the biggest
developments by the firm since its founder Gary Vermeer invented what is thought to be the first round baler back in 1971.
So how does it work? Starting at the front end, Vermeer has fitted the machine with castor wheels – clearly inspired by the zero-turn mower market – that allows it to spin around on a sixpence. In field mode these castors are unlocked,
which transfers steering duties to the hydrostatically driven rear wheels. These turn the machine by varying their speed and direction.
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▶ FUTURE FARMING | 09 November 2017
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