Krone Rundballenpresse / Round baler

A round baler such as the Vario Pack1800 MC picks up swathed forage using a tine pick-up, feeds it into a bale chamber, and there shapes it into a round bale using rollers, belts or chains. On a fixed-chamber baler, the chamber always has the same diameter; on a variable-chamber baler, the bale grows from the inside outward up to the set size. A cutting rotor ahead of the chamber shortens the stalks, which increases bale density and makes later feeding easier; at the end of the pressing cycle, the machine ties the bale with net or twine.

A round baler's size depends on the tractor power needed for the pick-up, bale chamber and, where fitted, the cutting rotor. On the road, the trailed implement is subject to the general rules on width, lighting and marking.

On a used machine, what counts is the condition of the belts or rollers in the bale chamber for wear and cracking, the tension and wear of the chains, the sharpness and completeness of the cutting rotor's knives, and the condition of the pick-up tines. The net or twine binding unit and the bale-chamber bearings should also be checked.