REPORT: Dutch contractors seem to be rather adept at machine modifications, and brothers Geurt and Ben de Vries are typical of the breed. Their particular creation is the Baliwrap, a square baler wrapper combination on six wheels
Three years ago, our colleagues at the Dutch machinery magazine Trekker reported on contractors Ben and Geurt de Vries, who had partnered a big square baler with a wrapper to make a combi. With plenty of infield experience the brothers now want to take the Baliwrap to the market, so we thought it was worth a more in-depth look.
Small fields are typical of the area around Breda in the Hardinxveld in the south of the country. Square baling is the only job carried out by the de Vries, who both have full-time jobs. The contracting is a sideline so it needs to be efficient, both in time and in labour. This is why they took the plunge to develop their own square bale wrapper combination.
Used baler on a new chassis
Lessons were learned with the first version of the Baliwrap, which was very long, making it awkward to manoeuvre. This prompted the brothers to have a second go. Now, with the wrapper folded for transport, the measuring tape stops at ‘just’ 8.60m. The air-suspended tridem chassis carries a New Holland BB950, with the first axle positioned in the same spot as the original. This is followed by two axles both with passive steering. Moreover, the third axle is mounted at an angle so that the 620/40 R22.5 tyres gain some extra lock.
Pneumatic suspension ensures a comfortable ride and eliminates the need to remove the wrapper unit when baling straw. Empty, the combination weighs 11.7t with about 1.5t of that sitting on the drawbar. Another benefit of the pneumatic suspension is that you can ‘lift’ the machine, making it easier to thread the twine, or it can be lowered to fill the twine boxes.
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