PRACTICAL TEST: “We used to have a Claas 46, and it was a great baler” was the common chat whenever someone spotted our Rollant 540RC on test last season. Now, with this latest incarnation, Claas wants it back in the yards of those ‘used to haves’. So, does the ‘new 46’ have what it takes to fill the shoes of a legend?
The Rollant 540RC isn’t a new machine. It was launched back in 2018, but its DNA is actually much older than that. Indeed, for anyone who has owned a Rollant 250 from the late 1990s there will be a certain sense of déjá vu with many elements, such as setting the bale density or altering the amount of net being applied.
While the old 250 had its faults, most of us who used the 540 were impressed once we recalled the old Claas nuances. Two of our test team were familiar with the iconic 46 model, but today one owns a Lely Welger, the other a McHale, so they are in an excellent position to compare the Claas with its modern fixed chamber competitors. The only question we can’t answer here is long-term reliability, but during our 2023 season test our test baler didn’t put a foot wrong. Of course, we do have some criticisms of our 540, but we will get to them as we go through the machine.
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