Left, pickup with cam track; right, cam-less pickup
Cam-track technology provides an efficient solution for such needs. The traditional stripper design provides reduced space between the pickup tines and rotor feeder, while the tine motion helps to avoids pinching.
The cam-less technology requires long strippers, creating a dead zone between the tines and rotor. Additionally, fixed tines can easily pinch crops in sticky conditions, causing plugs that need to be manually removed.
The cam-track pickup features a low turning speed and big bearings on both side of the tine bars. The cam lever is made of forged steel. All these features guarantee a long component life and low maintenance.
Premium – five tine bars – pickup
Tine bars made of tube and central spider reinforcement
The C451R Wrapping Baler is designed for the most demanding operators. The pickup features only premium components and concepts such as:
Large-diameter stripper and five teeth bars provide high picking capacity
Forged cam-track links improve reliability
The C451R and C461R Balers use the premium pickup that is also equipped on high-spec V4X1R Variable Chamber Balers. To fit all conditions, the baler is available with a 2-m (6.56-ft) or 2.2-m (7.22-ft) width.
The pickup, driven by 19.05-mm (0.75-in.) heavy-duty chains, features five tubular tine bars with a low rotating speed. The large-diameter strippers allow five tine bars in the pickup. With bearings added to the cam track, all these features provide a smooth and quiet ride with extended uptime.
In addition to the high-spec features, the C451R and C461R benefit from stainless-steel strippers, a market exclusive. Stainless steel provides the following advantages:
The C451R and C461R Balers pickup uses the cam-track design, providing a better solution to harvesting wet crops. Contrary to the cam-less design, the cam track
MaxiCut™ HC 25 Premium has a single axis for rotor and converging augers
HC rotor limits plugs
To maximize productivity in the toughest swaths, the F441R Baler features an HC Premium rotor design. Exclusive 48-cm (18.9-in.) converging augers are aligned with the rotor, limiting the free space between pickup teeth and rotor. Plugging risk is also decreased and crop transfer is highly improved. The simple HC Premium rotor design also reduces the number of moving parts and provides reliability. For example, stress on the rotor is distributed along the rotor to avoid overhang load on the bearings.
Additionally, all rotors feature tines that are made of Hardox® wear plate which drastically improves wear resistance, especially in rocky fields (Hardox wear plate tines provide 80 percent or more resistance versus traditional S700 grade steel).
The C451R and C461R are only available with a precutter, offering space between knives as short as 40 mm (1.57 in.) or 80 mm (3.15 in.).
|
MaxiCut HC 13 Premium | MaxiCut HC 25 Premium |
Number of knives |
0, 13 |
0, 12, 13, 25 |
Space between knives |
80 mm (3.15 in.) |
40 mm (1.57 in.) or |
Best use (crop type) |
Silage, hay, and straw |
Silage, hay, and straw |
Double-heat treatment for concise cut and long life
Individual knife security for quality forage
The C451R and C461R Balers are efficient in baling a high amount of cut silage. The MaxiCut HC 13 Premium and MaxiCut HC 25 Premium feature exclusive high- quality knives, providing several advantages:
A knife slot fillers set is delivered as standard with all machines featuring the precutter. When using the MaxiCut HC Premium pickup without knives, dust and harvest matter can fill knife slots. This keeps the knives from returning to the cutting position, and plugs must be manually removed to free the knives.
Model year 2024 sees improvements to the feeding system with a new knife lever and roller assembly. The new assembly improves the effective knife engagement process and reduces the amount of cleaning required. This will reduce operator downtime and maintenance of the cutting device.
Knife activation from the BaleTrak™ monitor
Knife sets from the cab with MaxiCut HC 25 Premium
The C451R and C461R can be used on several kinds of crops, in which knives can be engaged or removed. No matter the rotor type or monitor, this operation is easily managed from the cab.
When using the MaxiCut HC 25 Premium precutter, crops can be cut as short as 40 mm (1.57 in.), but only half of the knives can be engaged. This system proposes to use two different sets of knives for the same cutting width, to allow the use of sharp knives longer. By using sharpened knives versus blunt, fuel consumption can be decreased by up to 10 percent.
Drop floor covers rotor full width
Parallel kinematics avoids narrowing
No matter the operator experience, plugs can still occur, especially with large silage swaths. The C451R and C461R are equipped as a base with a drop floor unplugging system. The drop floor features exclusive advantages, such as:
No matter the precutter or monitor type, the drop floor unplugging system can be easily managed from the cab.
Hardox is a trademark of SSAB Technology AB.
Rotor and converging augers aligned on a single axle
Left, HC rotor; right, classic rotor design
By using the HC premium rotor – a device available on John Deere round balers since 2012 – the C451R feeding system offers:
The overall result is optimized crop flow that avoids all dead area where crops stay for a long time.
This smooth and regular crop flow guarantees high feeding capacity, especially in short crops such as brittle straw or sticky silage.
MaxiCut HC 13 Premium rotor
Knives individually protected
The C451R Wrapping Baler can be delivered with a MaxiCut HC 13 Premium rotor.
The rotor features:
MaxiCut HC 25 Premium rotor
Two knives sets can be managed from the monitor
For enhanced forage quality or for special application (poultry bedding, fruits, and vegetables application), MaxiCut HC 25 Premium can be assembled on R-Series Balers.
As with the RotoFlow HC Premium or MaxiCut HC 13 Premium, this fine chop precutter features:
The fine-chop precutter function offers additional features such as:
Hardox is a trademark of SSAB Technology AB.
40-mm (1.57-in.) free space under the rotor
Parallel kinematic avoids bottleneck noticed with other concepts
The C451R Baler comes with a drop-floor unplugging system. In case of clog, the drop floor is managed from the display simultaneously or independently from the knives. When lowering the floor, the parallel kinematic has 40-mm (1.57-in.) extra free space under the rotor and converging augers.
By providing a constant free space, the John Deere drop floor avoids bottlenecks existing on balers using movable floors with front or rear hinges. No need to have a huge opening (that sometimes causes crop loss), only a few free centimeters (inches) are enough to remove the plug.
Full-width drop floor removes clogs under converging augers
The worst plugs generally happen when turning with the baler. In such situations, the crops are blocked under the converging augers and the clog must be manually removed. The unique John Deere drop floor features a full width, protecting the full pickup and rotor width. Even when plugged at the converging auger level, the clog can be easily removed by the operator from the cab.
A is bale diameter (cm) symmetric across the 0-degree axis, and B is bale density (kg/m3)
Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft e.V. (DLG) official silage bale test
| Test data | |
| Date | 23 June 2012 |
| Harvested crop | Grass silage |
| Baler | John Deere 960 |
| Bale number | 12 |
| Bale weight | 786 kg (1732.8 lb) |
| Bale density | 505.8 kg/m3 (31.6 lb-ft) |
| Bale diameter | 127 cm (50 in.) |
| Bale width | 123 cm (48.4 in.) |
| Dry matter content | 68.8 percent |
| Density setting | 100 percent |
| Number of knives | 13 |
| Driving speed | 14.3 km/h (8.9 mph) |
A is bale diameter (cm) symmetric across the 0-degree axis, and B is bale density (kg/m3)
DLG official straw bale test
| Test data | |
| Date | 13 August 2012 |
| Harvested crop | Wheat straw |
| Baler | John Deere 990 |
| Bale number | 3 |
| Bale weight | 472 kg (1040.6 lb) |
| Bale density | 125.3 kg/m3 (7.8 lb-ft) |
| Bale diameter | 192 cm (75.6 in.) |
| Bale width | 126 cm (49.6 in.) |
| Dry matter content | 88.5 percent |
| Density setting | 100 percent |
| Number of knives | --- |
| Driving speed | 17.7 km/h (11 mph) |
The C461R can produce bales from 0.8 m (non-wrapped materials) or 1.0 m (wrapped crops) up to 1.70-m (5.58-ft) diameter with a 1.21-m (4-ft) bale chamber width.The diameter of wrapped bales can be pushed up to 1.45-m (4.76-ft).
The MaxD – Maximum Density – bale chamber has been designed to deliver very heavy, dense, and perfectly shaped bales, officially proven by DLG.
Offset density arm gives tension to the belts
Simple density settings from monitor
The C461R density is provided by an offset tension arm that applies hydraulic tension to the belts and not directly to the bale. This heavy-duty component is not involved in belt length compensation, so 100 percent of hydraulic power is involved in belt tensioning.
Density is easily set from the monitor and can be adjusted from 0 to 100 percent of hydraulic pressure. A virtual gauge located on the working page continuously follows the density increase without looking back to the baler.
Density can also be adjusted manually from the hydraulic valve in case of major failure.
Softcore fully adjustable from monitor
The C451R and C461R both benefit from a standard advanced softcore system management:
Accurate softcore settings allow:
Hardox is a trademark of SSAB Technology AB.
Only two belts - advanced belt tracking allows the operator to work in all conditions
The C461R Round Balers feature two wide 573-mm (22.56-in.) belts, meaning that only three free spaces are observed (one between the two belts plus one on each belt side). Compared to a traditional 5/6 belts solution, only using two belts optimizes bale coverage by approximately 4 percent. The result is significant crop loss limitation and more efficient baling process.
In order to handle huge stress transmitted by the density arm, the belts have no lacers.
An advanced belt tracking system, including wide front pulleys and several guides located everywhere through the chamber, ensure accurate belt positioning, even when working in slopes or when overloading one pickup side. All edges of parts potentially in contact with the belts are chamfered to avoid belt side damage. A take-up arm manages belt tension compensation during the unloading process to avoid potential belt tracking issues.
Belts are driven by two large-diameter rubber rolls with a large contact surface that avoids belt slippage in very wet conditions. Springs linked to the density arm are located on both sides of the chamber and give enough tension to the belts from bale starting.
To limit crops from sticking, belts feature a smooth pattern. Paddles on the belts' driving rolls, cleaning augers into the density arm, and other scrapers located in several places through the belts' paths continuously clean the belts and remove crop accumulation around the bale chamber.
Model year 2024 brings the introduction of new three-layer heavy-duty belts as an option (option code 8815) compared to the standard two-layer belts. The new three-layer belts are 23 percent thicker (9 mm [0.35 in.] thickness) and provide 60 percent better tensile strength allowing the bale density/weight to increase by up to 5 percent increasing productivity of operator and machine.
Driven bale chamber rolls rotate crops immediately
MaxD bale chamber features three powered rolls to improve versatility and bale quality:
Reinforced bale chamber components (in red)
Heavy bales, high density, high baling speed, and high tractor power directly impacts baler durability. The C461R Round Baler includes several heavy-duty components into the bale chamber to meet growers’ expectations:
The size of the tailgate directly impacts bale transfer time, and the bale chamber unloading system is a critical component in a wrapping baler.
John Deere FRS greatly decreases non-productive time and directly boosts overall baler productivity. As summarized by an official DLG Fokus test 6112F: "The signature trait of this baler is the innovative ejection system, which provides considerable advantage through a very short bale ejection time. This shortens the hold time of the baler during ejection, which can consequently lead to a higher rate of productivity."
There is an advantage to the baler compactness: by using a vertical folding structure, the C451R allows a quick transfer right after the bale has been unloaded from the chamber. FRS can close as soon as the bale leaves the unloading areas and the picking process can restart a short time after the bale has been ejected from the chamber.
On all other wrapping balers, the bale must first reach a far enough position before the tailgate can close (to avoid bale/tailgate interference risk). This transfer requires time and keeps the baler wrapping from restarting quickly.
Simple parts to move to open the tailgate
230-kg (507-lb) FRS can be moved quickly
FRS provides a light structure, less than half of the traditional tailgate weight that opens the chamber quickly and removes belts from the bale.
Compared to a traditional tailgate:
Side of the chamber moves
Moving side sheets help prevent the bale from getting stuck in the chamber. When the light structure opens, each side of the chamber automatically moves 50 mm (2 in.). There is no more contact between the bale and the chamber; the bale is released and quickly falls by its own weight. Even in the worst wet conditions, the unloading process is as efficient as in dry straw.
This unique feature does not require complicated hydraulic or mechanical systems to be actuated. When the tailgate goes down, simple bearings push on cams located on both side sheets and lock the chamber sides in the baling position. When the tailgate opens, the pressure on the side sheets cam is automatically released, then a return spring quickly moves the chamber walls outside.
Locks located on both baler side lock the FRS when tailgate is closed.
Very high-speed wrapping arms
The design of a very efficient and productive baler is not sufficient if the film wrapping unit is not able to follow the same rhythm of work. John Deere engineers came up with smart solutions to eliminate bottle necks and boost total productivity.
The core trick to achieve such productivity is in an innovative and powerful hydraulic motor which can drive the film wrapping arm up to speeds of 40 rpm (new for model year 2024) (a record on the market) and without any compromise for operator safety, as an integrated and automatic brake could stop every motion in a short time. The increase in rpm produces 15 percent faster wrapping times boosting productivity.
Maximum baler diameter has also increased for model year 2024 from 1.72 m (5.6 ft) to 1.85 m (6.1 ft).
12 film rolls can be loaded on the C451R and C461R
The C451R and C461R are equipped with a unique film roll storage device. Each film roll weighs about 20 kg (44 lb) and must be changed very often; this system has been designed to simplify loading and unloading operations.
On each side of the machine, five rolls are installed on a moving arm, hydraulically piloted. Managed by a control panel standing on both sides of the baler, the system prevents the operator from running from the left side to the right side to operate storage racks, as is the case on several competitive wrapping balers. The loading/unloading position has been set up to be as close as possible to the wrapping arms at a very ergonomic height.
Details count: in the transport position, the film storage device is covered by a roof which protects film rolls from rain. This protects the film roll core, often made of cardboard, from damage.
Bale transfer slop kit
To improve and secure bale transfer when working in very hilly condition, a bale transfer slope kit is available as option or attachment. Two tubes gently guide the bale to the wrapping area while dedicated cams limit side sheets opening, preventing the bale from going askew.
Main page with simple and clear pictograms
No need to leave the cab to adjust the baler
The C451R Wrapping Baler uses ISOBUS architecture and can be fully set from the display. There is no need for the operator to leave the cab, even for density or greasing parameters (when equipped with optional automatic greasing system), as everything is managed from drop-down menus.
The C451R offers:
Baler Settings
Wrapping unit settings
Baler information
Wrapping unit information
G5 Universal Display
For operators already using a built-in or external ISOBUS certified display, the C451R Baler can be delivered without a monitor. Thanks to the ISOBUS connectivity, just plug the baler to the tractor/monitor and bale.
Product features are based on published information at the time of publication. Product features are subject to change without notice. Contact your local John Deere dealer for more information.