In 1961, the summer before my grandfather died, my father got the idea to bale kudzu. He was a city boy who grew up in Gadsden, Alabama, and had little experience with hay balers, but he knew a plentiful and cheap resource when he saw it. I think he had some idea that kudzu could be baled and sold as winter fodder for livestock. Paw Paw, my grandfather, had grown up on a farm, and it might have occurred to him that if anybody could make money selling kudzu, they would have already gotten rich doing it, but he was evidently game to try.
Tracy Thompson is a native Southerner who lives and works in the suburbs of Washington, DC. She is a former reporter for the Atlanta Constitution and the Washington Post, and is the author of The New Mind of the South (Simon & Schuster 2013). She is a 1973 graduate of Emory University and holds a Master of Studies in Law degree from Yale Law School (1985).
We offer a door solution that does not swing outwards. To allow more direct access to the chamber from all sides and provide more space around the baler, we have designed a manual vertical door that opens upwards on our B-series machines.
Be aware that placing the baler in a consistently cold environment will affect its performance. If it is located in an area that is very cold, we recommend a special hydrualic oil to prevent potential issues.
Yes, our medium sized balers are perfect for cardboard fruit and vegetable boxes. These machines can handle a wide range of sizes, including cardboard grocery crates, cosmetic boxes, and stacking fruit and vegetable containers.
This baler is ideal for businesses with small volumes of waste material and limited space to install a baler. Compact your cardboard boxes and plastic film into a 60kg bale. The baler comes as standard with a 13 amp single phase 220 volt power supply but other voltages are available. Two rolls of 9mm bale strapping are hung at the front of the baler to tie off completed bales. Retainers are installed at the front and the back of the bale chamber to hold material in place. An eject trolley is also included to remove bales from the bale chamber.
The F5000 range of balers brings baling to a new level with features like progressive greasing and oiling, our drop floor unblocking system which combined with our high specification components, ensures long life, reliability and a machine that is rugged enough to handle the toughest of crops and ground conditions.
The McHale F5600 PLUS is fitted with a servo operated load sensing control valve, which makes the baling process fully automatic. The machine is also equipped with a 25 knife chopping unit and an in chamber film bale binding system.
The film which is applied to the barrel of the bale can be stretched to approximately 20%, a higher ratio than what can be achieved with net wrap. This additional layer of film on the barrel of the bale provides higher quality silage as the film can be stretched more than net. This in turn, expels more air, resulting in better silage quality.
By using film to bind the bale together, recycling is made easier as the farmer is only left with one form of waste to recycle and can avoid the unpleasant and time consuming job of separating net from the plastic.
Chamber Film Acts As A Wrapping Layer
The plastic which is added to the barrel of the bale to keep the bale together also forms part of the wrapping process. This adds value by placing more plastic on the largest surface of the bale.
Chamber Film Results In Better Shaped Bales
When plastic is applied to the barrel of the bale it can be stretched to approximately 20%. The stretch ratio is higher than what can be achieved with net wrap or twine and as a result the material is kept tighter, which ultimately results in better bale shape.
Chamber Film Delivers Higher Quality Silage
As the plastic is being stretched during application to the barrel of the bale, it expels more air than net wrap does and as a consequence, results in better silage quality.
Chamber Film Makes Recycling Easier
As plastic is used to both bind the bale in the bale chamber and to wrap the bale, on feed out the farmer will be left with one form of waste. This reduces the time needed to feed the bale and avoids the unpleasant and time consuming job of separating the twine or net wrap from the plastic before the plastic is recycled.
In the development of the Fusion 3 Plus, McHale realised that changes in temperature and sun light could affect the chamber wrapping film; as the day got hotter or cooler the film was either being overstretched or under stretched, and this in turn would cause reliability problems and result in inefficient film use.
As a result, McHale developed a patented application system which adjusts the braking force on the roll of plastic in-line with working conditions. This allows for a continuously variable stretch, which can automatically adjust to changes in the day, without the operator having to adjust any settings.
The McHale patented film application system ensures consistent film stretch, reliable film application and delivers optimum bale shape and bale density. Should an operator wish to use net wrap for hay or straw this can be done with a simple changeover.
Over the last decade, McHale has designed and developed various types of pick-ups. After extensive testing, McHale decided it will offer customers the choice of 2 pick-up options depending on their working conditions:
As standard, a cam operated 2.1m high-intake galvanised pick-up ensures excellent ground cleaning in all types of crop. The cam pick-up runs on a cam track that is fitted with double raced cam bearings to stand up to the most testing of conditions.
All cam pick-ups across the McHale Fixed Chamber Baler Range are fitted with 5 tine bars for excellent ground cleaning and delivery of crop to the bale chamber. A side inspection port allows the operator to quickly check and change the cam bearings if needed.
A 2.1m camless pick-up is available as an option on all machines in the McHale Fixed Chamber Baler Range. Six tine bars are fitted to all McHale camless pick-ups to provide excellent ground cleaning and fast delivery of crop to the bale chamber.
The specially designed McHale pick-up is positioned close to the rotor to improve delivery of the crop through the rotor to the bale chamber. Large diameter lateral feed augers help direct crop to the bale chamber ensuring a consistent and even crop flow for producing high density bales.
All McHale cam pick-ups have heavy-duty formed tine supports to ensure long service life, while all camless pickups are fitted with a fully welded tine bars. All Profi-Flo camless pick-ups are fitted with two extra columns of tines.
On the Profi-Flo pick-up, the tine bands and feed augers are positioned close to the rotor to improve crop flow from the outside of the wide pick-up. Tapering the augers with 45 ends and removing the steel hydraulic pipes above the pick-up has resulted in a massive reduction in the potential for blockages to occur due to lumps, which ensures a consistent and even crop flow for producing high density bales.
Over the course of a baling season, machines have to work with different volumes of crop. McHale have designed an adaptive intake which allows the intake area to automatically adjust for light and heavy crops to facilitate a smooth crop flow into the chamber.
The rollers in the bale chamber are driven from the left-hand side of the machine and the pick-up and chopper unit are driven from the right-hand side of the machine. This system ensures direct, short transfer paths, leading to optimal power distribution.
In order to optimise machine performance, a 1000rpm gearbox is available as an optional upgrade on all machines in the McHale Fixed Chamber Baler range. We recommend you speak with your local dealer or distributor regarding which gearbox is best suited to your requirements, based on your working conditions.
The flights on the rotor are laid out in a spiral formation to achieve consistent crop flow. As crop enters the rotor, rotating flights feed the crop to the bale chamber. The flights on the rotor ensure high output, while the star layout reduces the load peaks as the machines work in heavy swaths.
Outer: 12mmNumber of Knives25Selectable KnivesOptionalRead lessFeaturesChopper UnitsFeaturesChopper UnitsTo ensure a consistent and even chop quality, a robust and powerful 25 knife chopper unit has been developed for the McHale F5600 Plus fixed chamber baler.
Outer: 12mmNumber of Knives25Selectable KnivesOptionalRead lessFeaturesSelectable Knife SystemFeaturesSelectable Knife SystemAll McHale F5600 machines have the option to be fitted with a selectable knife system. Various knife configurations can be chosen depending on the knife bank specification.
With selectable knives, the operator can vary the chop length by engaging or disengaging either knife bank. If fine chopping is required, the operator can choose to engage both knife banks. Should a longer chop length be required, the operator can disengage one bank of knives from the comfort and safety of the tractor cab.
When using both knife banks separately, if the first bank of knives become blunt, the operator can lower the first knife bank and raise the second bank. This reduces the downtime and allows the operator to continue working. By having consistently sharp knives, fuel consumption is reduced and the machine always delivers optimum chop.
A new sharp set of knives can be engaged, without the operator having to physically replace knives, ensuring a well chopped crop and continued high output. Should different chop lengths be required the operator can make the adjustments by engaging or disengaging the knife bank without having to leave the tractor cab.
The McHale fixed chamber baler range is fitted with a drop floor unblocking system, which means blockages can be fed through in three simple steps. Should a blockage occur, the sound of the slip clutch alerts the operator, who can hydraulically lower the floor from the tractor cab.