Case IH has unveiled its new LB4 large square baler model for 2021 with the new addition boasting greater benefits for farmers
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The LB436 HD baler is an exciting new addition to the Case IH baler range
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Case IH’s new LB436 HD baler is capable of making bales with up to 15 per cent greater density than the current LB434 XL model, which produces bales at the same 120cm x 90cm size.
The LB436 HD also features new designs plus new and improved components, including a new main gearbox and mid-ship gearbox with gearshift overload protection for high power transfer and driveline safety.
A new and innovative twine knotter system, TwinePRO, is carried over to boost productivity while eliminating field litter and bale contamination.
TwinePRO also prevents animal feed contamination by eliminating twine offcuts that find their way into the field and forage. The system also provides increased tensile strength to reduce twine breakage.
The LB436 HD is compatible with IsoBus Class 3 meaning farmers can control the machine from an IsoBus terminal in the tractor can. However, the baler can also be controlled through the tractor’s actions such as increasing forward speed in light areas of swaths to boost work rates of the baler.
The LB436 HD baler is available in Australia and New Zealand now where it has already undergone trials in the region, however it has been available in the European market for just over a year where it has been recognised with several high-profile awards including Agritechnica’s Machine of the Year 2020 in the hay and forage category.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) also named the LB436 HD as one of 50 nominees at the 2020 AE50 Awards in recognition of its innovative designs in the agricultural sector.
Case IH Australia and New Zealand hay and harvest product manager Tim Slater says the benefits of the LB436 HD baler will make it efficient in Australia while also lowering overheads given its ability to bale hay more densely.
“More material in each bale obviously equates to fewer bales per hectare which reduces handling requirements and transport costs overall,” Slater says.
“To be able to offer these kinds of efficiencies to our customers in Australia and New Zealand is very satisfying and we know they’ll like what they see.
“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 truckloads which at the end of the day creates the productivity enhancements Case IH is always seeking to bring its customers.
“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 Case IH LB436 HD baler includes a pre-compression chamber with shearbolt protection and a plunger capable of performing at 48 strokes/minute. The plunger stroke is longer than the old LB434 XL baler meaning the crop can be moved further inside the bale chamber and prevents interference with the previous slice when feeding.
Other features of the LB436 HD include a 2.3m pick-up which includes a mechanically-driven top-assist roller plus roller wind guard and Case IH’s Rotor Cutter chopping system, including 29 knives, which can be alternatively adjusted to use any number of knives at one time.
Low friction and flat surfaces on the baler’s polypropylene pick-up tine guards – another new addition to the LB436 – allow for an improved crop flow and smother feeding.
The baler is built around a heavy-duty frame which has been strengthened by a manoeuvrable drawbar and new axle arrangement meaning farmers are afforded a smoother and visible ride.
Case IH has also made small additions to the design of the balers to make servicing more efficient including new LED service and work light package.
More flywheel inertia has also been generated thanks to a new two-speed gearbox in the baler’s driveline.
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