Kubota’s baler range has been extended with the arrival of the FB1000 – a non-stop round baler wrapper combination that integrates a pre-chamber, main chamber and wrapper.

Designed and developed at sister company Kverneland Group’s baler competence centre in Ravenna, Italy, the FB1000 uses two bale chambers arranged in series, to allow a number of rollers to be shared.

Operating as a pre-chamber, the front half of the FB1000 produces two-thirds of the bale. As the pre-chamber reaches its preset density, crop flow is diverted into the main bale chamber allowing baling to continue non-stop. The pre-chamber is then opened, moving the pre-formed bale into the main chamber, where it can be taken up to its maximum size of 1.25m.

Once bale formation is complete, crop flow is switched back to the pre-chamber without stopping, allowing round baling to continue as a non-stop process. Net is then applied to the completed bale in the main chamber. After which, the tailgate is opened and the finished bale is transferred onto the wrapper. This entire sequence enables baling to continue uninterrupted.

To make bale transfer simple, reliable and fuss-free, the FB1000 uses a wrapper frame mounted on a parallel linkage. This enables the wrapper to be lowered from its working position to collect the completed bale as it rolls from the main chamber. This avoids the need for a complex mechanical transfer system.

With the bale collected, the wrapper is raised to allow twin satellite arms to rotate around the bale. Unlike traditional wrapping mechanisms, the FB1000’s twin satellite arms rotate in a vertical plane. With the required number of film layers applied and the satellite arms in their parked position, the wrapper frame is lowered to allow the rear wrapper roller to be raised, gently releasing the wrapped bale onto the ground.

An ISOBUS compatible machine, the FB1000 is operated through an IsoMatch Tellus PRO terminal, offering fully automatic control of the baling and wrapping processes, along with manual over-ride functions to suit changes in field topography.

Up front, the FB1000 is equipped with a 2m grass pickup with dual cam tracks, feeding crop through an 800mm diameter intake rotor. Overall baler length is kept short for transport by folding the wrapping table vertically behind the main bale chamber.

Operators can choose from a combination of 6, 12, 13 or 25 knives through the Super Cut crop chopping system. Knives benefit from spring-loaded protection, and the FB1000 includes a drop floor mechanism. The Kubota FB1000 is priced at £140,247.