Massey Ferguson ‘Redefines Forage Production’ With New RB 4160P Protec Baler-Wrapper Combo

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Massey Ferguson has released a new RB 4160P Protec round baler-wrapper combination model that can harvest and ensile high-moisture forages all in one pass. (Photo courtesy of AGCO.)

Mother Nature can be uncooperative. That’s not a problem with Massey Ferguson’s new RB 4160P Protec, a combination round baler-wrapper that unites features of the firm’s RB Series silage balers with an integrated bale-wrapping unit. Massey Ferguson parent company AGCO says the machine is ideal for producing high-quality baleage for dairy and cow-calf operations, as it can both harvest and ensile high-moisture forages in one pass. The Protec can also take on any crop a producer needs to bale, including courser material like corn stover, Massey Ferguson says.

“In climates with high humidity and lots of rain, putting up hay traditionally can be a challenge, so many forage growers are turning to baled silage,” says Dane Mosel, Massey Ferguson marketing product specialist for hay and forage. “Not only do they avoid the dry-down issues, but they can harvest their forage at the ideal growth stage for maximum nutritional value.”

Designed To Last

Durability and longevity are key Protec characteristics, Massey Ferguson says. High-flotation tires help handle the baler’s 14,000-pound (6,350-kilogram) weight. Further assistance comes from usage of the same cam-less pickup, bale chamber, and net-wrap system the RB 4160V silage baler uses in producing 4- x 5-foot (1.2- x 1.5-meter) bales.

“We have standard RBs in the field with 50,000 to 60,000 bale counts and still going strong, so these balers are built to handle whatever you can throw at them,” Mosel says.

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Massey Ferguson says a single operator can produce “hay in a day” using the new RB 4160P Protec baler, even in damp environments in which traditional dry-down would prove challenging. (Photo courtesy of AGCO.)

Working with the 73-inch (185-centimeter) tine-to-tine wide, cam-less pickup are twin banks of Xtracut hydraulically operated knives available in zero, eight, nine, or 17-knife configurations that enable forage lengths as small as 2.65 in. (6.7 cm). Elsewhere, although the baler can wrap silage bales weighing roughly 3,000 lbs. (1,360 kg), its compact size provides good in-field maneuverability as well as easy transport and storage. The baler can haul two net wrap rolls and 14 rolls of 19.7-in. (500-millimeter) or 29.5-in. (750-mm) film, which translates to wrapping 224 bales in eight layers of plastic or up to 280 bales in six layers. Moreover, its onboard Easy Load System automatically detects film breaks or when a roll runs out so that the baler can adapt, ensuring that bales are always completely wrapped.

Stay Seated

RB 4160P Protec operators can track bale formation, control cutter engagement, and select knife banks using an in-cab E-link Pro touchscreen monitor. In fact, Massey Ferguson says, “The only reason to leave the seat would be to replenish net wrap and film,” as the Protec’s HydroFlex Control system features a hydraulically controlled floating floor that can remedy a plugged pickup.

Source: AGCO