John Deere L Series Square Balers

Efficiency, capacity, and performance are the three pillars on which John Deere's new L series large square balers are built. Designed to maximize performance, increase uptime, and lower the overall cost of operation for commercial hay equipment owners and operators, the L330 and L340 were born from a strategic collaboration between Deere and Kuhn.

"In 2011, we signed a large square baler agreement with Kuhn that allowed us to adapt its design to meet our customers' needs," says Jeremy Unruh, John Deere product line manager, Ottumwa Works. "We took Kuhn's basic design and made it the best design possible for the North American market."

Years in the making
Working for years to develop a large square baler that would meet the tough demands commercial hay producers face, the L330 produces a 3×3-foot square bale and has a working width of 83 inches; the L340 kicks out a 3×4-foot square bale and has a 90-inch working width. These machines feature a heavy-duty drivetrain with a 45-stroke-per-minute gearbox to transfer power to other components.

"The L series square balers use a dependable gear and shaft drive for the main components including the stuffer system and knotter drive system," explains Unruh. "The high-capacity rotor is driven with a cam clutch-protected chain."

Even if you're working in the most difficult conditions, the credit for dense, well-shaped bales goes to a special heavy-duty, single-fork system that compresses the crop tightly before transferring the hay into the bale case. On-board hydraulic density control allows the in-cab monitor to control hydraulic pressure on the cylinders against the bale case. If moisture content changes, the preset density for bales does not.

"We've designed the L330 with three hydraulic cylinders and the L340 with four hydraulic cylinders to adjust bale case tension," says Unruh. "This durable density-control system ensures the production of consistent, well-shaped large bales regardless of changing field conditions."

The L series square balers also feature double-tie knotters with an integrated lubrication system. They are designed with a replaceable billhook and wiper plate for easier knotter repair and servicing.

Also, trash and debris are kept out of the knotter system due to the hydraulically operated knotter cleaning fans. This helps improve overall knotter performance.

"Another great feature is the hydraulic roller chute, last bale ejection system," says Unruh. "This feature allows an operator who needs to clean out the last bale for each job to wrap and eject the final bale regardless of size."

Tech, too
Unruh also notes that the L series square balers have been designed with new technology in mind.

"ISOBUS electronics allow the balers to work with JDLink software, and they are compatible with GreenStar displays," he says.

Electronic knotter flags are standard on all balers, which allow for easier harvesting and locating bales in the field.

"Bottom line, these new balers redefine large square baler performance with added capacity and durability built into every machine," says Unruh.

Base price for the L330 starts at $124,690; base price for the L340 starts at $152,119.