The FTMTA show is fast approaching and McHale is the latest to lay out what it has in store for visitors to Punchestown.

As it was at the National Ploughing Championships, the emphasis will be on balers with the new F5 range taking pride of place as the company demonstrates its commitment to developing the machine.

There are four new F5 machines starting with the F5-540, which is a standard fixed chamber baler without any chopping facility. The next model up is the F5-550, which has a bank of 15 knives and is semi automatic.

This pair is followed by two versions of the F5-560, the standard model being fully automatic with a 25-blade knife bank, while the F5-560 Plus has, in addition, a fully automatic film binding facility.

This latest series of balers introduces the newly designed Profi-Flo pick-up, which is claimed to enhance throughput and increase crop flow into the chamber.

The new tapered feed channel encourages the crop to flow from the pick-up, towards the rotor and into the bale chamber, maximising throughput.

McHale has also developed what it refers to as the Adaptive Intake which has been specifically designed to allow the intake area to automatically adjust up and down as material flow varies traveling down the row.

Bale density and bale binding performance has also increased to enable the production of produce higher density bales, encouraging the correct fermentation and reducing transport costs.

A dual feed netting system ensures increased net tension across the range as the net is applied to the bale using a rubber feed roller whilst a steel roller clamps the net to the chosen tension.

The number of net layers can now be adjusted from the cab if the baler has ISOBUS capability, this comes as standard on the F5-560 models and as an option on the F5-550. If fitted, it also enables bale density to be adjusted from the cab.

The company is bringing along to the FTMTA event, the F5-550 which it considers the machine that will most appeal to Irish farmers, as well as the top spec F5-560 Plus.

The balers will be joined on the McHale stand by the ten rotor ProPel T10-1260 rake which has – 10 rotors and a working width of 12.6m (41’3”).

This is the largest of the three machines launched at the ploughing, the other two having six and eight rotors each, yet all share the same robust design for maximum life.

The two larger machines are trailed models and are coupled to the tractor by a 2-point linkage headstock, allowing easier navigation of less accessible areas by pivoting the machine behind the headstock.