"We can now start mowing later to make the most of sugars."
"Output is good too, making 100 bales/hour without rushing around."
"It has proved to be a practical, and cost-effective solution for the business."
“We’re using less diesel; working more efficiently with one tractor; and making bales that are much heavier than before,” says Michael O’Sullivan.
Supplied by P&D Engineering, the FastBale makes 1,000 bales of silage, 200 hay and 200 straw for Mansfield Farm.
on the IsoMatch Tellus PRO terminal, and I can keep an eye on the wrapper with a camera that shows an image on the dual screen terminal,” adds Michael. “It all just works properly - it’s very impressive.”
“I’ve wanted a Vicon FastBale ever since I saw it working at a Grassland demonstration,” explains Mick McDermott from Mansfield Farm, Iver, Buckinghamshire. “It’s the best way to make the highest quality silage for our livestock.”
Farming over 500 acres, the Buckinghamshire farmer runs a herd of 75
Limousin and Belgian Blue cross cows and calves, and provides contract baling and wrapping services.
“Yes, I could have bought a combination baler-wrapper, but why stop to transfer every bale?” he says. “It’s time you never get back and adds up to a lot of lost productivity every day.”
And operator Michael O’Sullivan, pictured, agrees.
The unique and innovative baling concept with two bale chambers connected in series, made for outstanding bale quality and time saving. The Vicon FastBale non-stop baler-wrapper allows you to simply press on while others are at a standstill.
More throughput means more bales per hour. Nonstop baling saves 18-25 seconds of downtime per bale.
With 13,200 cuts per minute, the 800mm diameter intake rotor offers the highest cutting quality and throughput available.
25 knife SuperCut cutting unit provides a chop length of up to 40mm. Ideal for highly compacted bales and high quality silage.
Michael adds that most of the bales were made without using crop chopping knives, though the farm has experimented with just six knives in the chamber.
“We have something to compare,” he says. “But I don’t think we’ll need to chop our swaths very often. These bales are superb.”
“Baling programs are easy to change
For Mick McDermott, the simplicity of a one-man, non-stop, bale-and-wrap system is a game-changer for round bale silage.
“Choosing Vicon’s FastBale means we’re much more efficient. It buys time, and does a fantastic job,” explains Mick. “And with the wrapper folding up behind, this keeps the machine relatively compact for transport.”
“
We’re working at a consistent forward speed, repeatedly dropping the finished bales out the back. It’s very impressive,” FastBale operator Michael O’SullivanThe Combined net and film binding offers maximum flexibility in daily use when it is necessary to switch between different crops. Innovative wrapping table carries twin satellite arms that rotate around the bale at up to 50rpm. The permanent compression in the main and pre-chamber results in an excellent bale quality and a higher, more even bale density.
Nigel uses clear film to wrap all forage, making it easy to see the quality inside. Bales are stacked on end for simplicity and safety.
and carry on. I never had to leave the cab.”
The swaths of grass left behind the combine provide high-quality forage says Dorset seed producer Nigel Friend from the 540-acre R Shepard Partnership, Lower Farm, Gussage St Michael.
“Our rotation includes single-species grass which is high in sugar, and our experience has proved the only way to bale those swaths successfully is with a fixed chamber baler.”
Nigel uses a heavy-duty Vicon FixBale 500, chosen
for its 18-roller bale chamber which includes 50mm diameter bearings and double-row roller bearings used on all main load points.
“We bale silage, haylage, hay and straw in equal amounts, and it doesn’t matter what you feed in through the wide pickup –the end result is always the same,” he adds. “The 3,000 or so bales we make each season are tightly packed cylindrical shapes.”
Vicon FixBale 500 is the specialist baler for heavy silage conditions. The bale chamber uses 18 ribbed profile rollers which ensure maximum bale density and superb bale rotation in all conditions, while power requirement is also kept to a minimum for more efficient operation.
“Our straw bale weight for example, has increased by over 25%, up from 186kg to 236kg, and every bale is superb and very easy to handle,” he says. “I had a blockage one night when using knives in silage, but the drop-floor meant it was very easy to unblock
Used with a Focus 3 controller, Nigel says density settings are easy to change and the low loading height for rolls of net is also a positive.
“As a seed grower, I do like the overall cleanliness of the baler,” he says. “There’s very few places on the baler where dust and debris can sit, so it’s really easy to clean down using just a leaf blower.”
Parallelogram Drop Floor system for faster unblocking.
Vicon balers have a good reputation for superb
PowerMax
Front-mounted PowerBind net wrap system eliminates troublesome feed rollers and has market leading cycle time.
Focus 3 terminal offers simple and intuitive control of all key settings from the comfort of the tractor seat.
“
bale shape and density,” Nigel Friend
For Neil Smithson, bale quality and a consistent size have become stand-out qualities of using a Vicon RV5216 Plus.
Based at Fen Farm, Barnby in the Willows, the Nottinghamshire-based farmer and contractor makes around 10-12,000 round bales each season.
“I’ve had a variety of round balers over the years, but none have made bales with the consistent size, density and shape of my Vicon baler,” he says. “It’s very impressive; bales are like peas in a pod and output is
good too, making 100/hour without rushing around.”
Having replaced a five-year old, 40,000-bale RV5216 with the latest RV5216 Plus from local dealer Farmstar, he says past experience of Vicon’s variable chamber baler has given him the confidence to bale pretty much anything.
He recalls being asked to bale a 30-acre field of straw that had been harvested by an Axial Flow combine.
“The swaths were just so smashed up,” he says. “It looked like another baler
had been over the top and skimmed off the best of the swath. So I fitted the short crop plate into the chamber and got stuck in. There was only enough straw to make 11 bales off 30 acres, but every one of them was perfectly formed. I was really impressed with what the baler had done.”
He says it was the PowerBind net injection system that first got him interested in Vicon balers.
“The bales are so good, that I am now using less net for tying,” he adds. “It takes just 2.1 turns of net on silage
and up to three on very chaffy straw.”
He says daily maintenance is easy thanks to banks of grease nipples all over the machine, and the twin-cam pickup also comes in for high praise, which leaves little crop behind and is kind on tine wear too.
“After five seasons with that first RV, I knew that whatever the crop I’m going into, the Vicon will just bale it,” he says. “It’s by far the best baler I’ve ever run, and the new Plus-series has made a great baler even better.”
County Durham, Peterleebased GJ Contracting run by George Jackson uses two RV5216 balers to produce 10-15,000 bales/year from grass, hay and straw.
“Customers want a mix of bale sizes, so the variable chamber is ideal for us,” says George, pictured. “The density and bale shape from these Vicon machines really is superb. Bales are solid, they don’t lose their shape.”
Supplied by local dealer Agriplus of Middlesborough, George says service and backup is every bit as good as the balers.
“Nothing is too much for the team at Agriplus,” explains George. “They’ll do what they can to keep you moving. They understand the pressures on my business and my customers, and that’s all you can ask for.”
With one RV5216 having clocked over 30,000 bales and the second machine not far behind, George says baler reliability is good.
“I’ve never had any balers as good as these two,” he adds. “We’ve never touched an endless belt, though we’ve replaced a couple of chains.”
Both balers use ISOBUS and plug directly into his New Holland and McCormick tractors.
“I was a bit wary about electronics, but needn’t have worried. It just works,” he says. “And with preset density settings on the screen, it’s easy to fine tune as conditions vary.”
“There’s not a baler on the market that I’d swap these RV’s for,” he says.
“We’ve picked up behind 35ft combine headers, triple mowers and baled individual rows too. The intake flows well and those short augers really help to pack the crop in.”
“We rarely have to use the drop floor, but it’s good to know it’ll easily clear a blockage if needed,” he says.
The Vicon RV Plus series of variable chamber balers combine high output performance with market leading bale density. They also benefit from a host of features designed to boost output and reduce maintenance requirements, keeping operating costs to a minimum.
Superior bale formation with five heavy duty belts and three rollers to provide dense, high quality bales. Versatile multi-crop performance in silage, hay or straw.
Wide 2.2m low profile pick-up and high capacity intake systems including PowerFeed rotor intake or SuperCut 14 and 25-knife systems for efficient pre-chopping.
Parallelogram drop floor brings faster and easier clearing of blockages from the comfort of the tractor cab.
PowerBind direct net injection for fast and highly reliable netting. Includes a very low loading height for maximum convenience and time saving.
Fully programmable Intelligent Density 3D with three pre-selectable density options for silage, hay and straw easily set from the control box.
ISOBUS controls for easy and intuitive control and monitoring of main functions. All important settings are made from the comfort of the tractor cab.
The density and bale shape from these Vicon machines really is superb,” George Jackson
adds stability with milk volumes and quality.
The 360-acre farm aims to mow 200 acres for first cut, with up to three further cuts taken during the season, where weather and regrowth allows. A neighbouring contractor picks up 100 acres/day, which sets the benchmark for output and timings.
An increase in mowing performance has improved dry matter and boosted ME values according to Staffordshire dairy farming business LTL Partners.
“Since swapping to a pair of Vicon 732 front and rear mower conditioners from a trailed machine, we’ve more control of wilting and ultimately our silage quality,” explains Alex Ede who farms at Lower Tean Leys near Stoke-on-Trent
with wife Felicity pictured, above, and father-in-law Tony Prince.
“Where it used to take most of the day to mow all our silage ground, it can now be done in much less time,” explains Alex.
Supplied by JA Bloor Agriservices, the Vicon Extra mowers use a threebladed triangular disc, with the front-mounted 732FT model being pulled – not
pushed - by its linkage. The rear-mounted 732T mower uses QuattroLink suspension, with contour following and stubble height for both units said to be impressive.
With 235 cows going through the parlour, LTL Partners relies heavily on high quality forage to maintain milk production. While cows are turned out during the grazing season, a supplementary feed ration
“We also have Vicon Andex twin rotor rake and a Vicon Fanex 10m tedder, so there’s flexibility available to us depending on the volume of grass mown, and the prevailing weather conditions,” he adds.
“Importantly, there’s now more opportunity to consistently achieve our 27-28% dry matter target,” he says.
The EXTRA 700 series mower conditioners bring new features to mounted mower conditioners, and are available as rear-mounted T and frontmounted FT models. With an ideal combination of suspension, the 700 series delivers accurate cutting performance from its three-bladed discs.
ProLink three-dimensional suspension provides maximum protection of the cutterbar during operation and offers excellent ground tracking, stability and even ground pressure.
SemiSwing steel tine conditioner offers two working speeds, to suit different crop conditions.
The NonStop BreakAway system lets each mowing unit move backwards and upwards, reducing the impact.
Henderson Tractors of Hexham, the RO-EDW GEOSPREAD is equipped with three hopper extensions, providing a 3900-litre capacity. Operator Ross Adamson (pictured) uses the spreader with a John Deere 6175R, with ISOBUS compatibility linking directly onto the tractor’s universal terminal.
set up,” he says. “We’ve never striped with this spreader.”
The spreader is washed off every night when in use, keeping the machine in tip-top condition, and the integration of a parking frame and wheels makes it convenient to store in a barn.
Having previously used a weigh cell spreader, GW Fairbairn was familiar with the accuracy available from high-tech spreaders. Though switching to a Vicon GEOSPREAD with auto start/stop and section control has now put spreading on a par with sprayer accuracy.
“We’ve used section control on our sprayer for years, and wanted to increase spreader accuracy to match,” explains James
Fairbairn, who runs the 1800-acre family farming operation from Whitton Hill Farm, Milfield, north Northumberland.
“Our old spreader could stripe with ins and outs, where this one is in a different league,” he adds.
“We don’t have square fields, so every bit of accuracy saves money and improves application accuracy on all the land we farm.”
Supplied by David
“Working on 24m tramlines, you can see the section control adjusting the spread pattern when you’re on narrow strips,” says Ross Adamson. “And the application rate always works out exactly as planned.”
Using the Vicon spreading charts app in conjunction with the shaker box test, he says fertiliser types are easily identified, along with initial spreader settings.
“It couldn’t be any easier to
“I’d prefer rubber storage wheels instead of steel, just to make it easier to push around,” he says.
Ross adds that selecting the water course setting in conjunction with the border spreading plate lets the spreader deflect fertiliser backwards, creating a sharp cut-off to the pattern on the first run around the headland.
“This is the type of spreader that everyone should have,” says Ross. “It’s easy to use and very accurate.”
The fertiliser spreader with vari-width, section control and a hopper volume of up to 3,900 litres enables precise spreading even at night. Due to reduced overlap, valuable fertiliser is saved and yields are increased.
GEOSPREAD® section control has its working width divided into a minimum of 1m sections. The application rate (kg/min) is also adjusted automatically to match the revised spreading width.
Spread according to area-specific needs with the help of application maps.
Unique dosing system with eight spreading vanesby pre-accelerating the fertiliser there is no dust or fragmentation.
Liquid sprays and fertiliser applications for HLM
Agri is managed by two 8,000-litre, 36m Vicon iXtrack T6 trailed sprayers equipped with individual nozzle control.
For Richard McAllister, who manages the 4,200 acres of arable cropping from Middleton Park Farm near Andover, Hants, the combination of logistics and timing are essential.
“Our land is contract farmed in two almost equally split blocks some 11 miles apart,” explains Richard, pictured. “Both locations differ in soil type, topography and weather patterns, and this creates logistical challenges when it comes to application timings.”
The farm had previously operated on 24m tramlines with a combination of self-propelled and trailed sprayers, along with a trailed boom-type spreader for fertiliser.
“We wanted to maintain timeliness with less labour and fewer machines, while increasing output and precision,” he says. “And with two identical sprayers – one at each yard – we have the best solution.”
“Ridgeway Sprayers made me aware of the iXtrack T6 and the high level of technology available,” he says. “And knowing we had the tractor power, we took the decision to invest in two 7,600-litre T6 models. It’s a practical, and costeffective solution for the business.”
Specification of both sprayers is high, and includes iXflow-E boom recirculation with individual electric nozzle control, ISOBUS connectivity, iXclean Pro electric valve management with onetouch cleaning and Boom Guide Pro Active levelling with Norac UC5 ultrasonic sensors.
In addition, a hydraulic pump drive replaces a traditional PTO shaft, with a ball and spoon hitch providing ride comfort and security.
A pair of identical John Deere 6215R Ultimate Edition tractors with RTK signal pull the sprayers, with an extended monitor showing the application map and the tractor’s armrest-mounted display used for sprayer control.
“We now have the capacity to apply liquid fertiliser and sprays in an efficient manner, without having to rush around when the right conditions are available,” he adds. “We’ve also gained technology
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to apply everything with superb accuracy. Individual nozzle control has reduced overlaps to a minimum, and means we stay precisely on target.”
With the technology bringing clear advantages from reduced overlaps, HLM Agri has gone a step further with liquid fertiliser. By blocking half of the multinozzle fertiliser outlets that sit over each tramline wheeling has restricted the fertiliser spray pattern to prevent application where it offers no benefit.
“The productivity available is superb,” he says. “And we don’t have to fill spray tanks if ground conditions are less than ideal.”
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