THE Vicon round balers have been given a wealth of upgrades for the 2024 season - including Tractor Implement Management (TIM), moisture sensing, and the ability to tie a bale with film rather than net wrap. 

Vicon balers are available at a host of agricultural machinery dealers in the south west, including Vincent Tractors Ltd in Cornwall and Devon, James Pryce Tractors in Devon, M J Fry Agricultural Engineering and E G Coles & Sons in Dorset, and Read Agriservices Ltd in Somerset. 

TIM is now available on the fixed chamber FixBale 500 model and the RV5200 Plus-series variable chamber balers, as an ISOBUS solution that enables the implement to control certain tractor functions, when used with any TIM-ready tractor.

Through ISOBUS connectivity, TIM enables the baler to automatically carry out repetitive processes and manage several key tractor functions to improve operational efficiency. These include a pre-programmed rate of tractor deceleration to pause baling and apply net, along with opening and closing the baler’s tailgate after the bale has been tied. A built-in inclinometer prevents unsafe bale ejection on steeper gradients.

From a further safety standpoint, the TIM process simply needs acknowledgement from the operator, to resume the baling process. This uses a pre-programmed rate of acceleration to automatically reach the desired forward speed for the volume of crop being baled.

By automating many of the repetitive tasks associated with round baling, the combination of TIM technology is able to reduce operator fatigue, while contributing to an overall efficiency gain.

Film binding is now an option for the FixBale 500 model, thanks to a range of modifications applied to the PowerBind net injection mechanism. These include a revised braking system and additional rollers to allow for the different characteristics of film, compared to net.

Hydraulically operated film groupers gather the material into a tail, to assist with the start and finish of the film binding cycle. Capable of handling a wide range of pre-stretch ratios and roll widths of up to 1300mm, this brings further operational flexibility to baling.

In addition, the RV5200 Plus-series balers can be equipped with a Techno-Pack, which adds crop humidity measurement to the range.

A sensor plate mounted in the lower part of the main bale chamber is equipped with a pair of electrodes which pass an electric current through the incoming crop. This data is used to calculate the percentage of moisture in the bale, displaying the moisture content in real time, and is able to detect moisture levels up to around 50%.