Adding Hot Water Makes Better Bales

Adding Hot Water Makes Better Bales BALE HANDLING Harvest Tec is making better bales by treating over-dry alfalfa with hot water under pressure The new system is an update on their original Dew Simulator Vol 27 No 2 for arid hay producers introduced 16 years ago It injected a cold-water mist with a softening agent into windrows to reduce leaf shatter and loss “Our original system still works but the introduction of steam injection by a competitor raised the bar ” admits Bryant Henningfeld Harvest Tec “However we avoided the complication of on-board boilers by developing a system that uses water heated under pressure to 240 degrees instead of steam ” Henningfeld emphasizes that both steam and the pressurized hot water do a good job of softening the hay evenly The Dew Simulator is designed to rehydrate alfalfa windrows from as low as 6 percent moisture back to 14 to 16 percent It injects its moisture in a separate trip ahead of the baler “We feel our system offers more flexibility for those operations that prefer other types or multiple types of balers ” says Henningfeld “In highly evaporative conditions the baler may follow right behind the Dew Simulator If possible we recommend baling 10 to 15 min later for maximum penetration ” As with their original machine a wing-mounted reel is equipped with 65 18-in long tines on 5-in spacing 85 tines is an option The tines deliver the pressurized heated water and softener to the underside of windrows releasing it upward into the hay The main chassis of the Dew Simulator carries the pto-driven water pump and 2 in-series diesel-fueled water heaters Water is pumped from a trailing water tank not included through the heaters to the reel Harvest Tec recommends a minimum tractor size of 70 hp such as typically used for raking Suggested list price for the new Dew Simulator is $67 000 Based on improved quality and added weight from increasing moisture 4 percent harvest value is projected to increase by $14 400 per 1 000 tons of alfalfa Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Harvest Tec P O Box 63 Hudson Wis 54016 ph 800 635-7468; info@harvesttec com; www harvesttec com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.