On his return to full-scale agricultural contracting in 2023, Geraint Jones made significant investment in machinery to ensure clamp and baled silage are produced with the best quality, and with the highest efficiency.
It is why he invested in a Kubota FB1000 non-stop baler wrapper combination from JE Rees to accompany his self-propelled forager, and to accommodate chopped and baled silage-making options for customers.
“I used to provide a round baling service, but this time around I wanted an advantage over my competitors,” explains Geraint Jones from West Wales. “I really wanted a non-stop machine, because this gets the job done much sooner. And all the time I’m making bales, I’m not filling clamps.”
Based at Pantydderw, Nanternis in Ceredigion, Mr Jones provides hay and straw to local farms, in addition to being an owner-operator with his own tractors and a loading shovel.
Since scaling back his own 4,000-acre contract silage operation in 2012, he has been ploughing, lime spreading and buck-raking while working with another contractor.
“Circumstances change, and when the contractor I was working with unfortunately passed away suddenly at the start of the 2023 silage season, I faced a choice – take on his customers or lose the work that I had with him.”
So with a sense of urgency, he set about expanding his machinery fleet.
“Once I had the forager sorted, I could look into round baling and wrapping,” he says. “Baling had been on my mind for a year or two, but it was always a hassle, and always ran late into the night. If I was going to get back into baling, it had to be a slick process.”
With a demonstration of an FB1000 organised, and the ability to get stuck into a 90-acre baling workload, an extended test saw the deal done.
“There’s a lot of other combi machines in this area, but they require the baler to stop and apply net, then move the bale onto the wrapper,” he says. “It wastes so much time.”
In his experience, Mr Jones says that balers can lose anything up to 30 seconds from stopping to apply the net, to emptying the bale chamber and closing the rear door.
“If you’re on a 500-bale day, that’s up to four hours of time lost, just from stopping,” he says. “Stopping wastes too much time.”
“With small fields that are typically 3-15 acres, baling and wrapping non-stop means I can finish the job much sooner,” says Geraint. “With the FB1000, my productivity is far better.”
Applying six layers of film in the process, he says non-stop baling and wrapping is superb.
“I do like the automated processes, but having manual over-ride is also helpful when you need to carry the wrapped bale for safe drop-off,” he says. “I can just sit there, and drive.”
Operator Lewys Evans agrees.
“It’s effortless when you don’t have to keep stopping and emptying the bale chamber,” says Lewys Evans. “And the bales are much heavier than expected, they do keep their shape.”
Both have high praise for JE Rees’ back-up and support, with the dealer understanding the importance of keeping the contractor’s wheels turning.
“When we’ve needed some assistance, JE Rees has been faultless,” says Geraint. “It’s been a steep learning curve this season, but we’re pleased to have bought a non-stop combi to help develop the business.”
