DRIVING IMPRESSION: Sometimes ideas just stare you in the face. The McHale Orbital wrapper is a classic example, because it’s essentially the back-end of a Fusion combination baler . . . plus a rather clever loading mechanism. To be fair, though, the Orbital has a few more clever features up its sleeve
the twin satellite wrapper design has an Achilles heel, it’s the ‘bouncing about’ endured by the horizontal orbiting arms as the machine travels over rough fields. This means the tension of the wrap can alter along with the position on the bale. Both problems are effectively overcome with a vertical orbiting wrapper, so it’s no wonder that McHale has adopted the wrapping unit from the Fusion to create the Orbital trailed machine.
Just like its predecesor, the HS2000, the Orbital is offset using the drawbar and has a loading arm that swings open 90° when approaching the bale. Once the bale is in place the arm reaches around the base of the bale before lifting it clear of the ground.
To reduce the distance that the loading arm has to lift the bale, the front roller on the table swings back and down simultaneously. With the bale onboard the arm lowers and the roller reverts to its level position. Another benefit of this loading arrangement is that the rear roller, in effect, becomes a stop and prevents the bale popping straight out the back when working up steep slopes.
