AGCO Iron Drives the Future of Hay Production

Manufacturers of agricultural equipment remain key customers for Durst gearboxes. Worldwide sales of large balers from Massey Ferguson have fueled demand for one type of gearbox in particular.

Massey Ferguson’s AGCO Hesston Model 2190 produces bales of hay, straw and grass measuring 4 feet high, 4 feet wide and up to 9 feet long. Custom-designed Durst double reduction gearboxes are driven by a centrifugal clutch mounted to an inertia wheel.

The AGCO Hesston Model 2190 is especially popular in Denmark, where power plants burn dense straw bales to generate electricity. The bales weigh as much as a ton apiece. Vital details, such as field name, bale weight, moisture readings, time and date, are captured and recorded. Weather conditions during baling and storage affect moisture levels, which must be kept to a minimum. Sensors monitor bale density and control pressures applied by each hydraulic ram at the chute section of the baler. The sensors prevent overload conditions to the Durst gearbox.

Farmers in the United Kingdom and other markets have adopted this baling technology as well. Although growers tend to concentrate on grass bales for feeding livestock, the potential for supplying fuel for renewable energy needs is strong.