The same roll of bale net is not sold at the same width everywhere, and that is a production decision rather than a marketing one. A baler is set up for the bale size its market makes: North American round balers generally run 1.23 m or 1.62 m net, European machines take 1.05 m and longer rolls up to 3600 m, and the compact balers used in Japan take a 0.75 m net. Order the wrong width and the net does not cover the bale edge, which is where spoilage starts. The net itself is HDPE, warp knitted at 8.33 or 10 gsm with a tension of 35 to 55 N depending on the weight.
A bale that is netted badly does not fail immediately; it fails in the stack, a few weeks later, when the weather gets into the edge of the bale. Most of that comes down to two numbers on the net specification, and one of them is decided by the baler the customer owns rather than by the net.
Net width is set by the baler, not by preference. Round balers built for the North American market run 1.23 m or 1.62 m net; European machines take 1.05 m and are often run with longer rolls, up to 3600 m, because the baler is worked harder between roll changes. The compact balers common in Japan take a 0.75 m net and shorter rolls around 1000 to 2000 m. The practical consequence is that a supplier has to stock several widths and roll lengths rather than one, and a buyer has to state the baler make and the bale size before the net is cut. Where the width is too narrow the net does not reach the bale edge, and the edge is where water gets in.
The net is used on dry hay and on silage bales, and the two put different demands on it. A hay bale is netted and left, so the net has to hold its tension through handling and stacking; a silage bale is netted and then wrapped in film, so the net only has to hold the bale together long enough for the film to go on, but it has to do it on a wet surface. Dairy and beef operations, contractors running several thousand bales a season and hay traders are the usual buyers, and they buy by the pallet rather than the roll. More on how netting fits into a bale handling setup is covered under bale net wrap, alongside the shade net and planting bag ranges that go to the same farms.
| Model | KCW01 |
| Material | 100% new HDPE, warp knitted |
| Net weight | 8.33 g/m2 or 10 g/m2 |
| Net width | 1 m, 1.22 m, 1.23 m, 1.62 m, 1.7 m, or to your requirement |
| Roll length | 2000 m, 2134 m, 2500 m, 3000 m, or to your requirement |
| Tension | 35 to 43 N at 8.33 g, 43 to 55 N at 10 g |
| Packing | Rolls on cardboard tubes, 16 or 12 rolls per pallet |
| MOQ | 2 tons |
The gram per square metre figure and the tension go together, and they are what decides whether the net holds a bale through a winter stack. At 8.33 gsm the net takes 35 to 43 N before it gives; at 10 gsm it takes 43 to 55 N. The heavier net is chosen where bales are stacked high, where they are handled several times, or where the crop is valuable enough that a split bale matters. The lighter net is the right answer on a baler that is being run hard and on a bale that is going straight into film. What both weights do is keep the bale intact against weather, which is what the net is for: a bale that stays netted sheds rain off the curve instead of taking it into the edge.
Standard widths run from 1 m to 1.7 m and roll lengths from 2000 m to 3000 m, with 1.05 m by 3600 m and the narrower Japanese sizes made to order. Colour is normally white; the net is packed on cardboard tubes with 16 or 12 rolls to a pallet, and a 20 ft container takes around 190 to 210 rolls against 490 to 510 in a 40 ft high cube. Delivery is about 15 days from deposit, on T/T or L/C. Tell us the baler make, the net width you need, the bale size and the quantity, and we will confirm the specification. Buyers tracking what is going into hay and silage operations can follow trade coverage such as HortiDaily and FreshPlaza for what growers are installing.
Which net width does my baler need?
It is set by the baler: 1.23 m or 1.62 m for most North American round balers, 1.05 m for European machines and 0.75 m for the compact balers used in Japan. Tell us the make and model and we will confirm.
Should I take 8.33 gsm or 10 gsm?
The lighter net takes 35 to 43 N and suits bales going straight into film; the heavier takes 43 to 55 N and is the choice for high stacks and bales that are handled more than once. Tell us how the bales are stored.
What is the minimum order?
Two tons, which is roughly a pallet quantity depending on roll length. The container loads 190 to 210 rolls in a 20 ft and 490 to 510 in a 40 ft high cube.
Tell us the baler make, the net width, the bale size and the quantity, and whether the bales go straight into film or into a stack, and we will confirm the specification, the sample and the packing that suit your order.
Mark Wu, Co-founder & Technical Director, Sichuan Zhifang Net Industry. 15 years manufacturing agricultural nettings for growers in 32 countries.
