New in Hay and Forage

By Dan Miller
Progressive Farmer Senior Editor
and
Karen McMahon
Progressive Farmer Contributing Editor

Growers ready to invest in Vermeer’s ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler will now have a chance to purchase one. The company is substantially increasing production. The zero-turn, self-propelled baler features a cab with independent suspension, automated baling options and a 200-hp Cummins engine. It hits 35 mph on the road. List price is $253,000 to $259,000.

Vermeer also introduced the BPX9010 bale processor to handle hay or cornstalk bales of any condition, including older, wet and muddy bales that have sat along a fenceline. List price is $27,000 to $32,000, depending on options.

POTTINGER’S NEW AUGER

The Pottinger NOVACAT 352 Cross Flow mower features an auger system that moves the crop to the left behind the tractor and places it on the windrow of the front mower with minimal dirt contamination. No raking needed. The 11-foot 6-inch mower is ideal for growers who do not need a lot of crop conditioning. Retail price is $33,210.

DION IMPROVES HARVESTER

The pull-behind forage harvester market has greatly declined. But, Dion’s new Scorpion 350 pull-behind, hydraulically driven, ISOBUS-compatible forage harvester may change things. The harvester’s updating is so advanced, it earned an AE50 award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Hydraulic drive allows infinite adjustment on length of cut. The machine’s ISOBUS controls allow it to be plugged into any ISOBUS-compatible tractor. If the tractor is older, retrofit ISOBUS kits are available.

Corn heads are available in three and four rows. Hay-pickup heads come in 7- and 9-foot widths. An optional 19-foot Stinger spout allows sideloading just like a self-propelled harvester.

Retail price for the Scorpion 350 is $139,500 with a four-row head and large pickup head.

AGRIREPEL TARGETS PESTS

Protect your hay bales, bunkers and silage/grain bags from birds, rodents and raccoons for up to two years. Agrirepel plastic contains an organic additive made from more than 600 different essential oils. Agrirepel reports its products are nontoxic, nonhazardous and environmentally safe. The cost is estimated at less than
a dollar per bale or per silage-bag foot.

KUHN BUILDS BIGGEST MERGER

The MM1300 merger offers 42 feet of continuous pickup, making it the largest merger on the market. Kuhn North America ratcheted up the width on the merger to help improve the efficiency of expensive forage harvesters that pick up the crop. The merger picks up and moves the crop on a belt to make a well-formed windrow. It is ISOBUS-compatible.
Retail price is $180,000.

KUHNS NEW ACCUMULATOR

Kuhns Manufacturing has completely redesigned its bale accumulator line. The new accumulator gates are made of aluminum to improve hillside performance, and the automatic mechanical dumping system is simplified. The accumulator is available with a grabber to remove bales from the ground and place them on wagons or trailers. Prices begins at $5,600.

DANUSER WINDER, UNROLLER

Danuser’s new Python Wire Winder and its companion, the Python Wire Unroller, simplify the job of putting up and taking down wire fencing for cattle. The winder rolls up old wire with an auger system connected to a skid steer or tractor. The rolls of old wire are easily reused with the Wire Unroller, which also accepts rolls of new wire. The unroller fits on a 2-inch receiver hitch. A wire-tensioning system on the unroller allows stretching and holding wire. Cost of the Winder and Unroller is $295.

McHALE MOWER CUTS 30 FEET

The McHale Pro Glide mowers with 3D ground-tracking technology now can be configured to mow a 30-foot width of crop in one pass. Two mowers are mounted on the rear, and one mower is mounted on the front of a tractor with a front PTO. To ensure an even cut in all field conditions, Pro Glide mowers move three different ways for ground tracking: 12 degrees left to right; 17 degrees up and down on either side; and 12 degrees forward and back. Each mower may be purchased separately. Retail price of a front or a single rear mount is $25,000. Mowers for the butterfly setup retail for $95,000.

CASE BOLSTERS RB5 BALERS

From wet silage to dry hay to straw and stalks, the new Case IH RB565 Premium HD round baler provides producers the flexibility to bale a full range of crops. The RB565 Premium HD round baler is equipped with components to efficiently handle wet hay making it an all-purpose multicrop baler. This new baler expands the RB5 series lineup, taking high-efficiency hay production to the next level. “More and more producers are baling wet hay due to shorter production windows and added feed value,” says Brian Spencer, Case IH hay and forage marketing manager. To accommodate those customers wanting to produce baleage in a 5 x 6 bale, Case added the proven design of its 4-foot silage baler to its 5-foot baler.

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