Representing the firm's latest heavy-duty fixed chamber round baler, we try out Vicon's new FixBale 500 model. James Rickard puts the machine to work.
As Vicon continues to reassert itself back into the round baler market, the last few years have seen the firm gradually develop and improve its line-up of balers.
Since the company sold off its previous baler factory in Geldrop, Netherlands in 2008, its balers have been built in Ravenna, Italy. A major milestone for the company came with the introduction of the FastBale non-stop round baler. Designed to handle wet, heavy crops of silage, the machine was a massive marker in the sand, indicating to the industry that the company was well and truly back on the round baler market map.
That was back in 2016 and since then the manufacturer has continued to use what it learned with the Fastbale project and incorporate much of the technology into its other round baler products. Vicon's latest model to benefit from that tech is its new FixBale 500, a heavy-duty, fixed chamber round baler.
Compared to its predecessor, the RF 4325, the FixBale 500 is a completely new machine featuring a heavier-duty driveline, beefier frame and all-new look. It is also logical to assume the manufacturer may also produce a combination version of this baler in the future, to provide a more conventional fixed chamber baling/wrapping alternative to its non-stop FastBale model.
In the meantime, the new FixBale 500 represents the firm's only standalone fixed chamber baler in its line-up. As such, it is a product the firm needs to get right. So has it? This is what we intended to find out with our test drive.
Coupled to Valtra's latest G Series tractor, the 135hp G135 Versu as reviewed in a previous article, we tried out the baler in some interesting September conditions.
Driveline
Making up a large part of the baler's structure, its gearbox and cross shaft form one-piece onto which the baler is bolted. This means it does not need any extra or unnecessary framework in this area, much like a ‘structural' tractor which does not need a chassis.
From the cross shaft, power is diverted left for the roller drive and right for the rotor drive. Compared to the RF 4325, FixBale gets much fatter chains and sprockets; 32mm (inch and a quarter) roller chains and 19mm (three quarter inch) pick-up chains. Main driveline protection is a torque limiter, followed by a ‘pin clutch' for the pickup.
Verdict
From its beefy build to its fresh panel work, the new FixBale 500 certainly looks the part. Compared to Vicon's old RF 4325 baler, the new machine is a definite improvement and it is clear to see that the manufacturer wants to make a mark on the fixed chamber market.
While our 135hp tractor was a good match for it, you could easily run this baler with a smaller tractor. Or, if you wanted to make more of the baler's available appetite, 150hp-plus up-front would not be out of place either.
A few further developments would not go a miss, though, such as a more flexible chopping unit option and some LED lighting under the panels. But, overall, Vicon looks to have got the ingredients right for a heavy-duty fixed chamber baler.
