McHale 991 Hi-Speed Bale Wrapper: Review

When it comes to slick, efficient round bale wrapping, the McHale 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper is certainly worth adding to the pointy end of your list. The 991 Hi-Speed model boasts twin aluminium dispensers that maintain consistent film stretch while delivering 60 bales per hour.

Thanks to generous rain this summer, most northern Tasmania paddocks are lush and green with a thick grass cover. Many farmers are capitalising on the extra feed available this season by producing baled silage. Round silage bales are the preferred option for most northern Tasmanian farmers because of the ease of storage and transportation.

Given the high utilisation of bale wrappers from spring through to autumn whenever there are favourable rains and weather to produce excellent crop conditions. Purchasing a quality bale wrapper that delivers increased productivity and will last many seasons is undoubtedly high on most farmers’ checklist. Is that what we found when we put the McHale 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper to the test? Yes, we’d like to think so, because it’s more than just a good-looking machine and loaded with well thought out features.

Efficiency

In the field, the 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper quickly demonstrates its efficiency by wrapping a bale on the move while the tractor operator drives to and collects the next bale for wrapping. Meantime, I was impressed with the high quality of the bale’s wrap, and we’ll explain how that works a little later in the article. It indeed demonstrated the capability of wrapping a bale per minute.

Shod with 350/50 – 16 Vredestein Flotation+ tyres, the 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper barely leaves a footprint in the paddock, thanks to the sophisticated carcass construction and unique profile of this tyre. The Dutch made Vredestein Flotation+ is designed explicitly for tractor implements like the McHale 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper. According to the sales literature, the tyre features inbuilt self-cleaning properties, which enable the tyre to continue rolling in a straight line behind the tractor even in extreme conditions.

In the flat paddock we were into today; we didn’t get to experience this. However, a few days early, while working in some steeper paddocks, the Vredestein Flotation+ certainly lived up to their reputation with the bale wrapper neatly following the tractor without any sideways deviation.

The hydraulics on this implement require approximately 22 litres per minute flow rate with a working pressure of 170 Bar. The Claas Arion 600 series tractor is a perfect match for the 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper’s hydraulic requirements, with a maximum flow rate of 98 litres per minute and a maximum pressure of 200 Bar on open circuit-II.

Wrapping Table

The unique wrapping table on the 991Hi-Speed round bale wrapper consists of four heavy-duty belts, which ensure even bale rotation and smooth handling of loose or asymmetric bales. As an added safety feature, a shear bolt installed on the bale wrapper to protect the machine’s transmission and driveline will break should an asymmetrically shaped bale overload the system.

The dual film feed ensures a smooth wrapping seal because the machine delivers a 50 per cent overlap. Today we had the film wrap set at 6x times to provide a positive air-tight seal.

When it comes to wrapped silage bales, the importance of even the smallest holes down to one millimetre in diameter should not be overlooked. The large radius arms and wide belts on the 991Hi-Speed round bale wrapper go a long way to minimise film damage during the wrapping process. However, McHale’s patented bale damper system’s unique design of the drop mat table allows the table to gently lower the bale to the ground to reduce stubble puncture risk to the film.

The bale damper mechanism is arguably one of the most significant features of the McHale 991 Hi-Speed bale wrapper. Not only does the bale damper system gently lower the bale to the ground, but it eliminates stresses on the chassis of the machine.

Once the rotating wrapping table stops and it lifts to the tip position. The heavy-duty drop mat with damper raises to cradle the bale, while the second arm is lowered automatically to the ground. Consequently, this allows even the heaviest bales to gently lower to the ground, eliminating any film damage to the bale.

Control Console

The cabin mounted control console makes operating this machine a breeze; in addition to fully manual operation, the operator can choose auto functionality for bale load, bale tip and number of wrap layers applied to the bale. Furthermore, there is a provision for single bale wrapping.

When used in automatic operation, one of the more attractive features is the additional ability to adjust and select various options. To enable the machine to better adapt to changing ground conditions.

When a new bale enters the lift arm, the lifting process commences with the press of a button. The bale is then loaded onto the wrapping table and the lift arm returns to a pre-set position, clear of the table before the wrapping cycle starts.

Once the bale wrapping process has completed, the cleverly designed hydraulically operated cut and tie mechanism cuts, then hold the film in position ready for the next bale. This system eliminates the need to reattach the film to each bale manually and, indeed, a welcome time-saving feature.

The 991 Hi-Speed comes standard with automatic film break sensors, which monitors the plastic film applied to the bale. On the rare occasion one roll of plastic breaks or runs out, the sensors will detect this and immediately notify the operator via the cabin control box. The wrapping system automatically switches to a single dispenser mode. The bale wrapper then continues to wrap the bale. However, the bale rotation speed reduces while the number of table rotations increases to compensate for the broken roll. Therefore, this ensures the bale on the machine table receives the correct amount of wrap without the need to stop the machine. The machine operator can then rectify the problem once that bale unloads from the wrapper.

Practical Operation

The folks at McHale’s design department put a lot of thought into this implement’s practical operation, even down to ensuring it can still operate with only one roll of film. For instance, you might be down to the last roll of film and only have two bales in the paddock to wrap to complete the job.

In this case, the operator manually adjusts the film dispenser post height to its maximum position via the height adjustment handle. The roll of plastic film is now placed on the dispenser closest to the tractor; the film will apply to the bale centre to ensure the correct overlap. Inside the machine, the operator selects the “X1” button on the control console to instruct the implement to operate as a single dispenser machine.

When it comes time to change film rolls, McHale’s efficient lock and load system make the process quick and straightforward. As luck would have it, I got to experience this first hand. Firstly, as I removed the empty film roll core, the top-roller locked into the open position. Once I inserted the new roll, I pulled the cord, and the top-roller released and locked the roll into position. Very easy indeed!

Overall, the 991 Hi-Speed has an undeniably well thought out practical design with precision-engineered proven quality components and is surprisingly economical to operate.

Specifications:

Transportation Length:                            5.7m (19’)

Transportation Width:                              2.45m (8’2”)
Height to Top of Wrapping Rollers:      1.25m (4’2”)

Total Height:                                                2.46m (8’1”)
Weight (unladen):                                       1950kg (4299 lbs)
Wheel Dimensions:                                    350/50 –16
Lifting Capacity @170 bar:                       1100 kg (2425 lbs)

Working Speed of Table (up to):                        30 Rotations/ Min

Attachment to Tractor:                            Tow Bar

Protection Mechanism:                            Shear Bolt/ Roll Pin

Dispensers (70 – 55%):                             Two 750mm Dispensers

Hydraulic Requirements:                         22 L/ Min @170 Bar

Hydraulic Connections:                           2 x 1/2” Male Quick Releases

Electrical Requirements:                         12v from Battery or Euro Plug

Control Console:                                        RDS Expert