{"id":900,"date":"2026-07-22T08:50:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farm-balers.com\/?p=900"},"modified":"2026-07-22T08:50:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T08:50:51","slug":"how-to-match-round-baler-pickup-width-to-pasture-windrow-density-for-zero-over-run-losses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farm-balers.com\/kk\/application\/how-to-match-round-baler-pickup-width-to-pasture-windrow-density-for-zero-over-run-losses\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Match Round Baler Pickup Width to Pasture Windrow Density for Zero Over-Run Losses"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pasture & Meadow Grass Baling \u2014 Technical Guide<\/p>\n

A field-level engineering guide for forage operators, livestock farmers, and agricultural machinery buyers targeting Korean and East Asian pasture markets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Over-run loss \u2014 the material left behind on the ground after a round baler makes its pass \u2014 is one of the most underestimated efficiency drains in pasture and meadow grass baling. Unlike a grain combine where harvesting loss can be measured in kernel spillage visible on the soil surface, forage over-run loss is diffuse, mixed in with soil, and easily overlooked until the season’s end when total bale count falls short of expectations. Yet for many Korean and East Asian livestock producers, a forage harvest shortfall of even eight to twelve percent translates directly into purchased concentrate feed costs that significantly erode profit margins on Hanwoo beef or dairy operations.<\/p>\n

The root cause of over-run loss is almost always a mismatch between pickup width and windrow density. When a round baler’s pickup is too narrow for the windrow laid by the mower or rake, outer-edge material is pushed aside by the machine’s wheels and undercarriage rather than being lifted by the tines \u2014 a loss that is permanent and invisible during operation. When the pickup is too wide for a thin windrow, the tines spend large portions of each rotation engaging bare soil rather than crop, resulting in soil contamination of the bale and unnecessarily high tine wear rates. Matching these two parameters correctly is a decision that precedes equipment purchase, not one made in the field after the machine arrives.<\/p>\n

This article covers the engineering principles behind pickup width selection, the mechanical structures involved, the material systems that determine tine and drive durability, and the practical decision framework for matching a round baler to pasture windrow conditions in various field environments including the narrow paddy-adjacent plots common in Korean rice-straw operations and the rolling sward fields of Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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1. Defining Over-Run Loss in Pasture Baling Operations<\/h2>\n

In the context of round baler operation, over-run loss describes any forage material that passes under or around the pickup mechanism without being lifted into the feed zone. It is categorized into three types: lateral over-run, where windrow material wider than the pickup is bypassed at both edges; ground-contact over-run, where tine ground clearance is set too high relative to windrow settlement depth; and velocity over-run, where the tractor forward speed is too high relative to tine tip speed, causing the tine to slide over rather than penetrate the base of the windrow.<\/p>\n

For pasture and meadow grass baling, lateral over-run is consistently the most significant of the three. Mixed-species pasture swards, particularly those containing clover, ryegrass, and orchardgrass in combination, produce windrows that are significantly wider than their visual profile suggests. The outer edges of such windrows often consist of lighter, fine-leaved legume material that scatters under air turbulence from the approaching pickup drum before tines can engage it. This scatter zone can extend 150 to 250 mm beyond the visible windrow edge, meaning a round baler whose nominal pickup width matches the visible windrow width is still missing a meaningful portion of the total forage delivered.<\/p>\n

In Korean paddy-adjacent forage fields, the problem takes a different form. Rice straw windrows laid in narrow strips between bund ridges often have a compact, dense core but a laterally compressed profile constrained by the ridge geometry. A pickup that is too wide for the inter-ridge spacing scrapes the bund edges, introducing soil into the windrow at the pickup entry zone \u2014 a contamination type that dramatically reduces forage palatability and increases bale fermentation risk in silage applications.<\/p>\n

Understanding which failure mode dominates in a given field environment is the starting point for selecting the correct round baler pickup width and matching it to the windrow density produced by the mowing and raking equipment already in use on the farm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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2. Mechanical Structure of the Round Baler Pickup System<\/h2>\n

2.1 Tine Configuration and Drum Geometry<\/h3>\n

The pickup drum of a round baler carries spring tines arranged in staggered rows around the drum circumference. The number of rows determines how many lift attempts occur per unit length of windrow at a given forward speed. Most commercial pasture-duty round balers carry five or six tine rows, with each row offset by a fixed angular interval relative to its neighbors. This offset pattern ensures that adjacent tines do not simultaneously engage the same windrow cross-section, which would cause surge loading on the pickup gearbox and generate the bale density pulsations that produce out-of-round bale shapes.<\/p>\n

Effective pickup width is measured from the outermost active tine tip on the left side to the outermost active tine tip on the right side when the drum is in its service position. This measurement is the figure that must be compared directly with windrow width when sizing a round baler for a specific field. Many operators make the error of comparing the pickup’s gross frame width \u2014 which includes mounting hardware, guard shields, and tine row end plates \u2014 with the windrow width, leading to a systematic overestimate of effective pickup coverage. The active tine tip span is always narrower than the pickup frame span, often by 80 to 150 mm per side.<\/p>\n

2.2 Convergence Augers and Crop Steering<\/h3>\n

When a round baler pickup width substantially exceeds the bale chamber width \u2014 a common design choice for high-throughput pasture balers \u2014 convergence augers or crop steering vanes at the lateral extremes of the pickup zone redirect material from the outer pickup width into the narrower bale chamber entry opening. This convergence zone is where over-run loss can occur in a second, less obvious way: material piled against the auger flights from an excessively wide, thin windrow may tumble over the flight tips rather than being directed inward, particularly with fine-leaved legume material that lacks the stem stiffness to remain upright against auger contact.<\/p>\n

The optimal design addresses this with auger flight geometry that matches the material density of the target crop. For mixed pasture with a significant legume fraction, lower-pitch auger flights that move material slowly but positively inward \u2014 rather than high-pitch flights that move it fast but with less grip \u2014 reduce lateral over-run at the convergence zone. This is one reason why round balers designed specifically for pasture duty differ in their pickup-to-chamber transition geometry from balers designed for stiffer straw crops.<\/p>\n

2.3 The Windrow-to-Bale Chamber Width Ratio<\/h3>\n

The ratio of windrow width to bale chamber width is the most important single parameter in the over-run loss equation. A windrow that is 20 to 30 percent narrower than the pickup’s active tine span allows material to be gathered with sufficient tine overlap at the windrow edge to capture the scatter zone. A windrow that matches the active tine span exactly leaves no margin for scatter capture. And a windrow wider than the active tine span creates the primary lateral over-run condition. Practical field experience in Korean pasture operations suggests that a round baler whose active pickup width exceeds the typical windrow width by 200 to 350 mm delivers the best combination of low over-run loss and low soil contamination risk across variable windrow width conditions caused by wind, rake overlap variation, and plant species mix changes across the field.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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3. Material System \u2014 Construction Materials for Pasture-Duty Round Baler Pickups<\/h2>\n

Material selection in the pickup assembly directly determines how long tine engagement accuracy is maintained across a full season of pasture work. Unlike straw baling, where crops are dry and abrasive but not chemically corrosive, pasture forage work exposes the pickup to plant sap acids from legumes, silica from grass stems, and variable soil moisture that accelerates corrosion in unsealed joint areas.<\/p>\n

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Pickup Component<\/th>\nMaterial<\/th>\nPasture-Specific Performance Role<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Spring Tines<\/td>\nHigh-carbon boron steel, heat-treated<\/td>\nMaintains tine geometry under lateral bending loads from matted clover; spring-back recovery prevents permanent set that would reduce pickup width coverage over time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tine Mounting Bars<\/td>\nStructural steel, electrostatic powder-coated<\/td>\nPowder coating resists sap-acid surface corrosion that would otherwise cause mounting bar pitting and tine seat loosening, which shifts tine tip position and degrades pickup width precision<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drum Shell and End Flanges<\/td>\nHeavy-gauge structural steel, galvanized inner surface<\/td>\nGalvanizing prevents internal condensation corrosion in high-humidity meadow harvesting environments; end flange precision machining maintains the tine row alignment that determines effective pickup width<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stripper Bars<\/td>\nHardened wear steel with smooth leading edge<\/td>\nSmooth edge geometry allows legume leaf stems to slide off cleanly; textured or corroded stripper bars catch fine legume material and create buildup that progressively narrows effective pickup width<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Convergence Augers<\/td>\nAlloy steel flights on structural steel shaft<\/td>\nFlight profile determines how efficiently outer-zone pasture material is directed into the bale chamber; worn or deformed flight edges reduce convergence efficiency and increase lateral over-run in wide windrows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pickup Drive Gearbox<\/td>\nCast-iron housing, oil-bath lubricated gear set<\/td>\nOil-bath lubrication maintains consistent tine tip speed across the full pickup width even under sudden load changes from dense windrow sections; speed consistency is what prevents velocity over-run loss in thick pasture windrows<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Main Frame Rails<\/td>\nHigh-tensile welded Q345B steel<\/td>\nFrame rigidity determines how well the pickup maintains its ground clearance setting across uneven pasture terrain; frame flex on hilly Korean swards would cause tine ground contact variation and inconsistent over-run loss across a single field pass<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drive Chains (Pickup and Feed)<\/td>\nHeavy-duty roller chain, heat-treated pins<\/td>\nChain pitch consistency across the full service life maintains the tine phase relationship between rows; chain stretch disrupts tine row phase and creates periodic gaps in the pickup coverage pattern \u2014 a leading cause of row-direction striped over-run loss<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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4. Pasture Windrow Density Categories and Their Pickup Width Implications<\/h2>\n

Windrow density is typically expressed as kilograms of dry matter per linear meter of windrow length. This figure depends on the yield of the standing crop, the mowing width, the number of rake passes used to consolidate swaths, and the moisture content at the time of baling. The table below maps four common windrow density categories to their recommended round baler pickup width ranges for Korean and similar-temperate-zone pasture conditions.<\/p>\n

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Windrow Category<\/th>\nTypical DM Yield (kg\/m)<\/th>\nWindrow Width Range<\/th>\nRecommended Pickup Width<\/th>\nPrimary Over-Run Risk<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Thin Single-Swath (dry hay)<\/td>\n1.5 to 3.0 kg\/m<\/td>\n0.8 to 1.2 m<\/td>\n1.2 to 1.5 m active tine span<\/td>\nSoil contamination from oversized pickup scraping bare ground between windrow and soil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Medium Single-Swath (mixed pasture)<\/td>\n3.0 to 5.5 kg\/m<\/td>\n1.1 to 1.6 m<\/td>\n1.4 to 1.8 m active tine span<\/td>\nLateral edge scatter loss of fine-leaved legume material from windrow edge<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Consolidated Double-Swath (raked)<\/td>\n5.5 to 9.0 kg\/m<\/td>\n1.5 to 2.0 m<\/td>\n1.8 to 2.4 m active tine span<\/td>\nFeed zone overload if pickup is too narrow; velocity over-run on the uphill side in sloped Korean pastures<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Heavy Multi-Swath (high-yield silage)<\/td>\n9.0 to 14.0 kg\/m<\/td>\n1.8 to 2.4 m<\/td>\n2.0 to 2.4 m+ active tine span<\/td>\nFeed zone blocking if forward speed not reduced; requires high-torque drive system to maintain tine tip speed under load<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The consolidated double-swath and heavy multi-swath categories are the most common configurations encountered in Korean Italian ryegrass silage production in Jeolla and Chungnam provinces, where farmers pre-rake two to three mower widths into a single windrow before baling to reduce the number of round baler passes per field and maximize daily bale output during the brief spring harvest window.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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5. The Matching Workflow \u2014 A Step-by-Step Decision Process<\/h2>\n
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Step 1<\/div>\n

Measure Actual Windrow Width<\/h4>\n

After mowing and allowing initial settling (six to twelve hours of wilt), use a tape measure to record windrow width at twenty different points along a 100-meter stretch. Record minimum, maximum, and average. Use the maximum figure as the design input for pickup width selection \u2014 not the average \u2014 because the baler must handle the widest windrow encountered, not the typical one. Wind effects and mower overlap variation consistently push maximum windrow width eight to eighteen percent above the average figure in Korean coastal and hill-slope fields.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 2<\/div>\n

Add the Scatter Margin<\/h4>\n

For legume-containing pastures (clover above 20 percent of the sward), add 200 to 300 mm to the measured maximum windrow width to account for lateral scatter from light-leaf material. For pure grass windrows at lower moisture, a 100 to 150 mm margin is sufficient. This sum becomes the minimum active tine span required from the round baler pickup. When the target is zero over-run, this margin cannot be cut to save money on a narrower machine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 3<\/div>\n

Verify Feed Zone Capacity<\/h4>\n

A wider pickup must deliver a consistent volume of material into a fixed-width bale chamber entry opening. Estimate the volumetric feed rate by multiplying windrow DM yield (kg\/m) by maximum operating speed (km\/h). Compare this to the round baler manufacturer’s rated throughput capacity. If the estimated feed rate exceeds rated capacity, either reduce operating speed, split the windrow into narrower rakes, or select a round baler with a larger-diameter feed rotor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 4<\/div>\n

Account for Terrain Width Constraints<\/h4>\n

Korean terraced paddy fields and hillside pasture plots often have physical width constraints between bunds, ridges, or fence lines that prevent the use of a machine wider than a certain overall frame dimension. Check that the selected round baler’s transport width (pickup folded for transport where applicable) is compatible with the narrowest access lane on your farm. In Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces, access track widths of 2.0 to 2.5 meters are standard, constraining the round baler transport width to similar dimensions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Step 5<\/div>\n

Validate with a Loss Measurement Pass<\/h4>\n

After the first operational baling pass with a new or adjusted round baler, walk the baled strip and collect all visible forage remaining on the ground within a 2-meter-wide sample strip across the full field width. Weigh the collected material and express it as a percentage of the estimated field yield for that sample area. A zero over-run target in practice means achieving less than three to four percent total field loss, accounting for the irreducible losses from leaf shatter during mowing and raking that precede baling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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6. Operating Speed and Its Interaction with Pickup Width Effectiveness<\/h2>\n

Pickup width alone does not determine over-run performance. The relationship between tractor forward speed and tine tip speed is equally critical, and it interacts with pickup width in ways that change depending on windrow density. At low windrow density, high forward speed stretches the windrow longitudinally across the pickup face, reducing the depth of material available per tine engagement and increasing the probability that the tine tip glances off the windrow surface rather than penetrating it. This is velocity over-run, and it affects the full pickup width simultaneously.<\/p>\n

At high windrow density, the risk reverses. Reducing forward speed causes the round baler to encounter more material per unit of forward travel, which can exceed the volumetric capacity of the convergence zone if the pickup width is large relative to the bale chamber width. The excess material piles up against the auger flights and is pushed laterally outward rather than inward \u2014 creating what operators describe as baler throw-out, where the machine appears to be rejecting material to the side. In Korean thick-swath Italian ryegrass operations, this phenomenon is routinely misdiagnosed as a mechanical fault when it is in fact an operating speed and windrow rake density mismatch.<\/p>\n

The correct approach is to calibrate operating speed for each windrow density category. For thin single-swath windrows of 1.5 to 3.0 kg\/m, speeds of 8 to 12 km\/h maintain adequate tine penetration. For heavy consolidated multi-swath windrows of 9.0 kg\/m and above, reducing speed to 4 to 7 km\/h and allowing the wider pickup to work at a deeper engagement angle produces lower over-run loss than attempting to maintain high ground coverage rates.<\/p>\n

The round baler gearbox plays a critical role in this calibration. A gearbox that maintains consistent tine tip speed under the varying torque load experienced across these speed ranges prevents the tine tip speed fluctuations that cause intermittent velocity over-run loss during dense windrow ingestion. Heavy-duty oil-bath gearboxes with wider-face gears distribute these torque loads more effectively than lighter-duty units, and are a primary differentiator between round balers designed for pasture throughput duty versus light hay applications.<\/p>\n

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7. Regulatory Standards Governing Round Baler Pickup Systems and Gearboxes<\/h2>\n

Round baler pickup systems, gearboxes, and PTO drivetrain components are subject to technical safety and performance standards that vary by market. The following overview covers the primary frameworks relevant to Korean, EU, North American, and Australian operators.<\/p>\n

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South Korea \u2014 Agricultural Mechanization Promotion Act<\/h4>\n

The Agricultural Mechanization Promotion Act (\ub18d\uc5c5\uae30\uacc4\ud654 \ucd09\uc9c4\ubc95) administered by MAFRA (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs) mandates performance testing for baling machinery sold in the Korean domestic market. The Korea Rural Development Administration (RDA, \ub18d\ucd0c\uc9c4\ud765\uccad) issues KS standards for agricultural machinery safety, including KS R ISO 4254-7 for forage harvesting and baling equipment. Round baler gearboxes must also comply with KS B ISO 6336 gear durability standards. PTO shaft guarding requirements follow KS B ISO 11684-1 through 11684-3 for safety marking, and KS R ISO 4254-1 for general machinery safety principles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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European Union \u2014 Machinery Directive and EN Standards<\/h4>\n

Round balers sold in EU member states require CE marking under Regulation 2023\/1230 on machinery (replacing Directive 2006\/42\/EC from January 2027). EN ISO 4254-7 covers specific safety requirements for forage harvesters and bale wrappers, and is applied alongside EN ISO 4254-1 for general agricultural machinery safety. Round baler pickup gearboxes are evaluated under EN ISO 6336 for surface durability of gear teeth, and EN 12965 applies to PTO driveshafts and their guards. All pickup guarding must prevent operator access to tines during operation, with interlocks required if pickup engagement is possible with guards open.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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United States \u2014 ASABE Standards and OSHA Requirements<\/h4>\n

ASABE Standard S318 provides the general safety framework for agricultural field equipment in the US. ASABE S296.6 covers PTO shaft dimensions and rotational speed requirements for round baler applications, specifying the 540 and 720 RPM standard interface used by most commercial round baler models. OSHA 29 CFR 1928 mandates guarding requirements for PTO-driven farm equipment. Pickup width classification systems used in North America typically define standard (under 1.8 m), wide (1.8 to 2.2 m), and mega-wide (above 2.2 m) pickup categories, with the wide and mega-wide categories requiring additional convergence auger specifications for performance labeling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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ISO International Standards \u2014 ISO 8210 and ISO 11684<\/h4>\n

ISO 8210 is the international standard specifically governing round balers. It establishes terminology, test methods for measuring pickup efficiency and material loss, and reporting formats for bale density and productivity metrics. ISO 11684-1 through 11684-4 define safety sign content, pictogram design, and placement requirements for all agricultural machinery including round baler pickup guards. ISO 4254-1 provides the overarching safety framework, while ISO 6336 series covers gear surface durability evaluation \u2014 the standard applied to round baler pickup and compression drive gearboxes during factory quality verification testing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Australia and New Zealand<\/h4>\n

Safe Work Australia guidelines and AS 4024 machinery safety series apply to round baler imports. The Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act governs net wrap materials used in bale wrapping where forage contact with livestock is intended. New Zealand’s Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requires all towed machinery with rotating PTO drives to meet ISO 4254-1 guarding equivalents. Pickup width labeling standards for Australian import declaration follow ASABE S318 classification in the absence of a domestic standard, making ASABE documentation an important reference for Korean and Asian exporters targeting the Australian market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brazil \u2014 ABNT NBR and NR 12<\/h4>\n

ABNT NBR standards govern Brazilian agricultural machinery safety, with NR 12 under the Ministry of Labor establishing mandatory guarding requirements for chain drives, PTO connections, and rotating pickup components on round balers operating in Brazilian sugarcane and forage operations. Round baler gearboxes used in ILPF system applications may be subject to additional operational certification under EMBRAPA’s equipment performance guidelines. Brazil’s ABC Plan subsidies for mechanized forage equipment require ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification from the round baler manufacturer as a prerequisite for subsidy eligibility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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8. Featured Round Baler \u2014 EP-9YG-1.25A for Medium-Density Pasture Windrows<\/h2>\n

For pasture operations producing medium single-swath windrows and consolidated double-swath windrows in the 1.1 to 1.8 meter width range \u2014 which covers the majority of Korean ryegrass, orchardgrass, and mixed-legume hay and silage operations \u2014 the EP-9YG-1.25A represents a well-calibrated match. This model delivers the combination of sufficient pickup width, adequate feed zone capacity, and compact overall dimensions required for operation in the constrained field environments typical of Korean mountainous and paddy-adjacent forage plots.<\/p>\n

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EP-9YG-1.25A \u0434\u04e9\u04a3\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043a \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0441\u0441-\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0431\u043e\u0440\u0449\u0438\u043a<\/h3>\n

Designed as a compact traction-type round baler suited to tractors in the 50 to 80 kW power range, the 9YG-1.25A forms bales 1.25 meters wide with diameters ranging from 1.20 to 1.50 meters. The spring-tooth pickup with 1250 mm working width provides the active tine span needed to capture medium-density mixed pasture windrows with the 200 mm scatter margin required for legume-containing swards. The roller-type bale chamber delivers consistent bale density across the variable crop compositions typical of Korean autumn pasture baling seasons.<\/p>\n

The net wrap system provides faster bale securing than twine and produces more regular bale shapes that resist moisture pooling in storage \u2014 an important advantage for Korean farms where outdoor bale storage through winter monsoon conditions is standard practice. The compact bale width of 1.25 meters and matching pickup width also makes this model one of the better-suited round balers for narrow inter-ridge Korean paddy field operations where lateral clearance is at a premium.<\/p>\n