The Keeper of the Bales. Fendt Rotana 130 F Baling-wrapping combination.
Find out how your Fendt Rotana 130 F Combi did in an official test. We have compiled the test results from the trade press for you.
Fendt Rotana 130 F Baling-wrapping combination - driving report.
German agricultural magazine, agrarheute, tested the baler/wrapper Fendt Rotana 130 F in autumn 2020. For the most part, the test took place under particularly demanding conditions on hilly terrain with overgrown forage. We look at what the testers took from this demanding practical test.
"The Rotana 130 F Combi produces bales safely even on slopes, with a gentle drop. Our driving report reveals how Fendt's first baler/wrapper overcomes difficulties and why it got more than a lick of paint."
Build and Reliability
"The engineers at the former “Welger” production site at Wolfenbüttel know their balers, and have changed much more than the colour scheme on the Rotana. The most important modifications: The original round bale-forming chamber has changed shape and the entire baler tilts further backwards. This makes the bale transfer safer and the bale puts less pressure on the entrance to the bale-forming chamber.”
"All our test runs went smoothly – at high temperatures and with fully dried grass."
Throughput: "Coping strategies when there's too much at once."
"If the grass gets stuck at the conveyor channel, things get tricky. As a defence mechanism, the Rotana has two strategies up its sleeve. The first is a spring-loaded cutting floor, which gives way at the front when too much forage piles in. The second is a cutting floor and knives that swivel out at the driver's onscreen command."
"We tested this scenario thoroughly and kept knocking out the rotor. The reason for this was not the baler, but the irregular swathes from the 4-rotor rake. The portions were too strong for this kind of growth. Luckily, the driver can unblock any jams without getting out of the cab."
Pressure rollers and Tailgate
"A special feature of the Rotana – and one that's important to Fendt – is that the drive of the pressure rollers is spiltin two and the drive chain on the left side supplies only every second roller. The drive on the other side takes care of the rest."
"The benefit of this is less wear, as the chain wraps around more of the gear, so more teeth are in action. This also loads the tailgate more evenly."
"Speaking of the tailgate, it locks mechanically and is fitted with an additional pressure sensor."
Controls:
"From the last 30% of the baling process, the display shows the driver how evenly compacted the bale is."
"With the FendtONE controls and the 12" terminal, the baler is easy to operate."
"We used a semi-manual mode for the slopes, with the wrapping table only releasing the bale when the driver says so."
Net capacity and change the film:
"The press and net infeed are relatively low. You can store five rolls of film on each side of the machine."
"It's quick and easy to change the roll by lowering the wrapping ring."
"There's a sensor to warn you when the stretch film has run out or is torn. Once the stretch film is used up, the Rotana offers a full supply of 12 rolls."
Wrapping speed:
"The Rotana is fast. Even before the tailgate is closed, both wrappers get to work. 31 seconds later, the bale is wrapped and ready to drop."
"Not once did we have to wait for the wrapper to wrap the last bale before the next bale was made."
Wrapping table:
"New and clever film-pressing feature. If you want, you can add a few extra turns to the stretched film and push out the trapped air."
"The fact that the wrapping table folds right down and lets the bale gently roll on to the ground is a great solution."
Transfer of the bale for wrapping: "Bodyguard for the bales."
"When the bale is transferred, the Rotana leaves nothing to chance. If the tailgate opens and releases a bale, two flaps take it to task. Like two bodyguards, they accompany the bale to the wrapping table and hold it firmly from the sides. A bale kicker sends the bale to the wrapping table. The wrapping table itself moves into a catch position to receive the valuable cargo. And the wrapping ring acts as a guardrail if the bale gathers too much momentum on the slope."
"The bales safely transfer to the wrapper even on the slope."
Test verdict
"The Fendt team has really gone for it. Overgrown grass and voluminous swathes awaited us on a hillside grassland for our test assignment last summer."
"Important note: the Rotana can zoom uphill with little power required."
"As a 2-in-1 baler/wrapper, the Rotana Combi is agile and compact. Both features that come into play on slopes and in humid conditions."
The next step to your Fendt Rotana fixed chamber round balers
