"Airbag" Baler Modification Adjusts Density Automatically

"It's the first density control system for small square balers that adjusts automatically to changing field conditions on-the-go," says Scott Seaver about the airbag control method he developed for his own use on his farm near Montague, Mich.

With the Airbaler(tm) kit installed on your baler, there's no longer a need for any manual adjustment as field conditions change. The airbag automatically expands and contracts to apply constant and uniform tension to the bale chamber. It eliminates the problem of bales that are too loose or too tight.

The patent-pending Airbaler kit is compatible with all top brand small square balers. Components are available custom-painted to match your brand. The kit includes rubber airbag, ballast tank, tension bar, pressure gauge, and an optional air compressor kit.

Seaver has tested and perfected the Airbaler over the past five years, making more than 50,000 bales of hay with it. He recently put the kit on the market.

To maintain constant bale density, two parallel tensioning rails above and below the chamber apply constant and uniform tension. As hay is forced through the bale chamber, it has to overcome the force applied by the two rails.

"Existing systems use mechanical springs or hydraulics to maintain force on the rails. The problem is that just a small change in the field can result in a big change in force within the bale chamber, greatly varying the density of the bale," says Seaver.

"Until we started using this system, we had to interrupt baling to manually adjust the hand crank or hydraulic pressure regulator. The Airbaler is the only control system that does the job automatically. Because it uses air, tension is applied equally to both sides of the bale chamber. And in our experience, it produces perfect uniform bales virtually 100 percent of the time, adjusting to swings in volume flowing through the chamber. There's never been anything like it."

The Airbaler kit will fit both old and new balers. Some minor modifications might be needed for some older makes. Seaver thinks the kit will actually lengthen the life of most balers by reducing wear and tear on the machine and evening out the horsepower required to operate it because it eliminates the need to force large volumes through if the chamber tension is set too tight.

The kit takes only about 2 1/2 hrs. to install. Once installed, you just fill the air tank before heading to the field. If you buy the optional air compressor, you can fill the air tank anywhere.