Farm machinery giant Claas has expanded its offering with the launch of new balers.
Four new Variant variable chamber balers have been launched featuring improved crop flow through the baler, a new roto-cut system, faster bale tying and ejection and improvements to the net feed system.
The Variant 460RF and 465RC models can create bale sizes of between 0.9 metres and 1.55 metres, while bales up to 1.8 metres in size can be created using the Variant 480RF and 485RC models.
Standard on all models is a 2.35m wide pick-up, but this is now fitted with a dual roller crop press with four height settings.
Also standard on all models is the pro hydraulic drop down floor, which allows blockages to be quickly and easily cleared from the cab.
The new Variant 480/460RF is fitted with the same roto feed rotor system as before. However the Variant 485/465RC models feature a new roto cut system.
Feed into the baler is via a new design of star rotor for an improved feed, especially in wetter crops, into the roto cut unit, which is fitted with 14 knives that achieve 6,000 cuts a minute. On all four Variant 400 models, the bale chamber has been strengthened and the tailgate has been redesigned so that it opens and closes faster.
Another new standard feature on all Variant 400 models is the redesigned net spreading system. This incorporates a stainless steel plate over which the net is fed into the bale chamber. This has the benefit that net coverage across the full width of the bale is improved and also allows dust and dirt to fall away easily, resulting in more reliable netting.
A new option is the availability of an extra wide netting trough, that allows 1.3-metre wide netting to be used, so that the net is applied over the shoulder of the bale which provides better weather proofing, especially when bales are stored outside.