Kondinin Group first saw the six-string, high density baler late in 2019 at Agritechnica in Germany and Case IH says the baler should be available for delivery in September.

Case IH says the LB436 HD should be capable of producing bales up to 15 per cent greater density than the current LB434 XL model, in a 120cm x 90cm bale size.

Features unique to the LB436 HD include a new main gearbox and mid-section gearbox with gearshift overload protection for high power transfer and driveline safety.

There's also a new twine knotter system, called TwinePRO, aimed at eliminating hay string waste and potential bale contamination.

The LB436 HD is fully ISOBUS Class 3 compatible, meaning not only can it be controlled from an ISOBUS terminal in the tractor cab, but the baler can also control the tractor's actions, such as increasing forward speed in light areas of swaths, to automatically boost work rates.

A tractor of at least 186kW (250hp) will be needed to operate the baler which weighs about 14.5 tonnes empty.

Features of the baler include an adjustable pre-compression chamber with shearbolt protection and a plunger with a maximum speed of 48 strokes per minute. Flywheel weight is 364kg.

The plunger stroke is longer than on the LB434 XL, to move the crop further into the bale chamber and prevent interference with the previous ‘slice' when feeding, while plunger force is increased by 150 per cent over that of the LB434 XL.

More details on the baler will be published in the June edition of the Farming Ahead magazine.