The new 1 Series round baler from Hesston by Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson has announced the new 1 Series round baler with camless pickup, designed for baling in dry hay, stover, and residue applications. 

“This is a baler that can handle all the conditions we have in North America,” says Dane Mosel, tactical marketing manager for Massey Ferguson. “This thing will do pretty much whatever you put in front of it — if you get it over the pickup and into the rotor — it is going to bale.”

The 1 Series is replacing Massey Ferguson’s 2900 Series in North America and comes in two variable-chamber models: the RB.146, makes up to 4-by-6-foot round bales, and the RB.156, for up to 5-by-6-foot bales. The camless pickup has reduced the horsepower requirements to 80 hp. for the RB.146 and 100 hp. for the RB.156. 

Fast and easy

“From the moment of cutting, hay quality begins to diminish,” says Mosel. “Our one purpose is providing the tools farmers need for faster baling without jeopardizing quality. The 1 Series allows operators to maintain density while running at increased speeds. Additionally, they have access to cutting-edge technology that makes haying easier than ever before.”

The uses a vertical chamber, taking advantage of gravity to increase bale density without the need for additional power. The baler has cross platform commonality, which includes tractor implement management capabilities, allowing the baler to stop the tractor and completely cycle the bale without further operator input.

Net loading

The baler is now easier to load, with minimal physical effort. The front-mounted net binding system is designed for faster and tighter binding, without compromising operator visibility. The duckbill-style net system moves net from the roll to the bale, minimizing environmental obstructions. The new net braking system is designed for one-handed adjustments without tools to ensure optimal tension. 

A new easy-load net system comes standard on the 1 Series, with the net roll pivoting out at about tailgate height on the left side of the baler, to reduce the need to lift the net wrap. An optional second easy-load rack can be added to the right side of the baler. 

An optional hydraulically-operated drop floor allows operators to clear obstructions without leaving the tractor.

Heavy-duty

The 1 Series baler includes several heavy-duty components to withstand harsh field conditions. These include triple-lip sealed bearings to keep out debris, heavy-wall aggressive rollers with welded cleats, and debris shields and cast roller flares to prevent material buildup and protect bearings. Several maintenance-free components help to minimize downtime, as well. 

Mosel says this baler is built with as many common parts and common electronic architecture as possible. This means using identical rollers, pickups, sensors and more from across Massey Ferguson and Fendt’s product lineup. 

“A lot of those components we tried to keep as common as possible, so that way a dealer selling both balers, when something happens, parts are available,” says Mosel. “It's a piece of equipment — it's not if it breaks down, it's when it breaks down.”

Availability

The Hesston by Massey Ferguson 1 Series round baler started production in August, and is planned to ship to dealers before the end of 2023. For more information, visit www.MasseyFerguson.com.