Profile: Case LB4 large square baler

Date: 05.11.2021

The latest baler from Case IH is something of a technology showcase. The LB4 large square baler was named Agritechnica'a Machine of the Year 2020 in the hay and forage category.

The LB436 HD’s design is also ideally suited to the straw market

The new Case IH LB436 HD baler is being recognised for its ability to make hay bales up to 15% denser than the current LB434 XL model, which produces bales at the same 120cm x 90cm size.

Much of this improvement is down to the baler’s plunger stroke, which is longer than prior models and capable of performing 48 strokes per minute. This allows the crop to be moved further into the bale chamber and prevents interference with the previous slice when feeding.

The LB436 HD baler has recently landed in New Zealand and Case IH IH Australia New Zealand hay and harvest product manager Tim Slater says the balers denser packing style looks set to boost efficiency and lower overheads.

"More material in each bale obviously equates to fewer bales per hectare, which reduces handling requirements and transport costs overall," he says.

"To be able to show just what this baler is capable of in terms of bale density and shape is very exciting."

The baler is built around a heavy-duty frame

The LB436 HD’s design is also ideally suited to the straw market, with its ability for quick, clean crop gathering in even the most challenging of conditions.

Compatible with ISOBUS Class 3, this also allows the operator to control the machine from an ISOBUS terminal in the tractor cab.

Other new features of the LB 436 HD include its new main and mid-ship gearboxes with overload protection for high power transfer, as well as the baler’s pre-compression chamber with shearbolt protection and its TwinePRO twine knotter system. TwinePRO helps eliminate field litter and contamination of bales and animal feed by eliminating the twine offcuts that can find their way into the field and forage. The system also provides increased tensile strength to reduce twine breakage.

The LB436 HD also includes a 2.3-metre pickup, which includes a mechanically driven top-assist roller plus roller wind guard and Case IH’s Rotor Cutter chopping system, including 29 knives. These can be alternatively adjusted to use any number of knives at one time.

Low friction and flat surfaces on the baler’s polypropylene pickup tine guards – another new addition to the LB436 – allow for improved crop flow and smother feeding.

The baler is built around a heavy-duty frame, which has been strengthened by a manoeuvrable drawbar and new axle arrangement, and a new LED light service and work light package helps make servicing more efficient.

More flywheel inertia has also been generated, thanks to a new two-speed gearbox in the baler’s driveline.

Case IH LB436 HD specifications

Bale chamber size	120 x 90
Bale chamber length	4m
Plunger strokes per minute	48
Plunger force	62T
Plunger stroke	75cm
Pick-up width	2.35m
Power requirement	300hp
PTO speed	1000rpm
Unladen weight	14.5T