The age-old practice of baling hay just got a 21st century upgrade, thanks to John Deere’s hands-free baling technology that is built upon several of the ag machinery giant’s precision agriculture technologies.
Available on John Deere 1 Series round balers for precision ag-enabled 6R, 7R and 8R tractors, the hands-free baling capability enables tractors to automatically follow windrows and make repeatable headland turns, while consistently weaving bales. Hands-free baling is possible through John Deere’s AutoTrac guidance, AutoTrac Turn Automation, and gate, speed, and weave automation.
Additionally, the system can use guidance lines created during previous corn or wheat passes, while John Deere Operations Center provide data visibility and documentation.
Through tests, John Deere determined that productivity (bales per hour) and fuel efficiency (measured in tons per gallon) improved by 8.4% and 4.4%, respectively. Additionally, operator activities like steering and control input can be reduced by up to 76%.
“The bales per hour part of it is largely due to density. So, you’re using this automation and doing it consistently every time. ... If you have somebody in the seat that maybe isn’t as skilled, a more novice operator, the fact that they have a consistent bale every time means that they’re packing a tighter bale in one bale. So, you ultimately have less bales, which means you are being more productive from a fuel efficiency standpoint,” Kaylene Ballesteros, go-to-market strategy for hay and forage at John Deere, told AgNavigator.
She added, “That either means you’re able to take a breath and think about something else, or whether that’s what you’re doing later tonight, or you’re able to think about other things on your operation that need to be done. And so, being able to have that strong reduction in screen time essentially is really valuable too. It’s just a different way to experience that return on investment.”
The launch of hands-free baling comes less than a week after John Deere reported its fiscal third-quarter 2026 results, with the ag machinery market, reporting progress on a number of precision ag technologies, including advancements on See & Spray and its planter technologies.
John Deere will showcase its lineup of model year 2027 tractors and equipment and latest precision ag innovation at the 2026 Farm Progress Show, Sept. 1-3, in Boone, Iowa.
