Before you specify
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly does the 'plus' door do that the eco's does not?
On the 860 plus the upper half of the door is pushed down and opens automatically once compression has finished. On the 860 eco the double doors are opened and closed entirely by hand. Both machines start pressing automatically when the door is closed, and both use the same hand wheel lock with a counter-rotating thread. The saving is a few seconds and one manual action per cycle, which adds up if the machine cycles dozens of times a day.
Does the plus press harder than the eco?
No. Both are rated at 594 kN, both use the same 4.8 kW drive, both have a 25 second idle cycle and both make bales weighing up to 480 kg. HSM prints the pressing force as '60 t' on its US-facing pages, which is the kN figure divided by gravity rather than a weight in tons. If someone quotes you a 60-ton V-Press and a 594 kN V-Press, they are quoting the same machine.
How much floor space does it need?
The machine footprint is 1,751 mm wide by 1,579 mm deep (68.94 x 62.17 in), and it stands 2,985 mm tall with a required minimum ceiling height of 3,000 mm. Add clearance in front for the door to swing and for a pallet truck or forklift to take the finished bale away. It is deeper than the 860 eco by 216 mm, which is worth checking if you are fitting it into an existing bay.
Can I use plastic strapping instead of wire?
Only if the machine was ordered with the optional polyester tape station. Wire is standard: four ties per bale, using 2.8 x 3,700 mm pre-looped wire, HSM part 6135 993 002. The tape option uses WG 55 tape, part 6514 993 000. Retrofitting a tape station after delivery is not a simple accessory purchase, so decide before the order goes in if tape matters to you.
Will it handle wet or contaminated cardboard?
HSM lists cardboard, mixed paper and plastic film for this machine and nothing else. Wet OCC will bale, but it is heavier, it corrodes the chamber over time and mills discount it. Anything with liquid still in it, anything with significant metal or glass content, and anything abrasive should not go in. If your stream includes rigid plastic containers or big bags, the larger VK channel presses are built for that; the V-Press is not.
How loud is it in operation?
HSM publishes approximately 62.9 dB(A) for the V-Press 860. HSM does not state the measurement distance or whether the reading is taken under load, so we quote it as published rather than as a workplace exposure figure. Anecdotally the door and the bale ejection make more noise than the hydraulics do.
What is the warranty on this machine?
HSM does not publish a headline warranty period for its baling presses, and we will not invent one. The warranty terms that apply to your machine are the ones written on the order acknowledgement. HSM's well-known lifetime cutting-roller warranty is a document-shredder programme and has nothing to do with balers, so ignore it when comparing presses.