Lely

David Wordsworth - Lely Welger RP 435 - New Zealand

Lely success no baling accident

An unfortunate encounter between a road roller and hay baler had a silver lining for Northland contractor
David Wordsworth early this summer. When David's baler was hit hard by the roller at the season's start he knew he had few options other than to look for a replacement while the damaged one was fixed.

It was a wise decision; waiting for repairs would have cost him the season and lost him clients with the
damaged machine taking two months to repair. Meanwhile David opted for a Lely Welger 435 variable
chamber baler to couple up behind his Case CVX 1155.

"We needed a good high capacity baler to lead the season and the Welger soon proved its worth and a good choice," he says.
He knew there were not a great deal of Welger RP's around, but had heard only positive feedback from
contractors who did have them, particularly about their low maintenance requirements and excellent
productivity.

David and wife Adrienne are now well into their second decade contracting in the Te Kopuru region of
Northland, with most clients close by. The couple started contracting from humble beginnings, when baleage was in its early days, purchasing a second hand wrapper and baler and gradually building the business up.

In the high stakes, highly competitive game of rural contracting they have succeeded by choosing robust,
quality gear, not getting too big and offering a high standard of service. The business also fits well with their maize growing operation with grass harvesting and cropping they get a good spread of work all year around.

The Lely Welger's appeal lay in a strong frame with features that focussed on high productivity and simplicity of operation.

"We were particularly impressed with the HydroFlex Control floor which saves reversing up to get rid of any blockages, and how easy it is to use," he says.
PRESS RELEASE
HydroFlex Control allows for 15mm flex within the feed table floor, reducing peak pressure at intake when
small lumps and material enter.

Should a larger lump continue into the chute, the 435's hydraulic drop floor system is designed to cater for
this.

The floor is simply lowered to enable the rotor to carry the crop into the chamber without any loss or overspill and no pressure or stress on any part of the machine. The hydraulic operation from the tractor cab has effectively eliminated reversing systems for unblocking grass lumps.

This has not only allowed for a simpler gearbox design, but removes the need to get out of the cab for time consuming unblocking.

Maintenance or the low need for it was also appealing to David. The endless belts on the Welger without
vulcanised joints have seen some contractors report up to 80,000 bales before requiring replacement.
With only 8,000 bales away this season David still has some way to go, but he also sees the benefits in the belt system from the bale quality the Welger produces.

"They are the most beautiful tight dense bales you could expect, and the consistency is remarkable."

The Welger features an intelligent belt tensioning system. It initiates mechanically, then engages a hydraulic system once a set diameter is achieved.

Belt tension increases with bale diameter, ensuring a constant surface pressure and bale density up to the
maximum bale size.

This ability to vary pressure depending on bale size contrasts with models that deliver constant high pressure of around 200 bar, regardless of bale size. Overloading failure risk is reduced with the Welger's variable pressure, and a more consistent bale density is the result.

Consistent quality has not compromised productivity however and David has been highly impressed with the Welger's huge appetite for consuming grass at relatively high ground speeds.

"In fact it is quite scary, just how fast you can go, and still produce an exceptional bale." One job this season had him produce 80 bales an hour, completing 200 bales in just three hours on an exceptionally heavy crop.

David's business is split between silage and hay, 25:75 and the Welger's variable chamber copes easily with either crop, even short green silage crops that can be hard on pickup gear.

"The Lely Welger may have cost us a bit more, but over the life we expect to gain from it an exceptional
productivity and low maintenance."