Bale twine is a strong rope-like string used to secure bales of material, such as hay, paper products, and recyclables. Originally made from natural materials, many man-made materials are now used. Baling machines use twine for automatic knotters and are used in agriculture and industry for waste materials, newspapers, and recyclable materials.
Bale twine is an umbrella term used to describe any of several types of strong rope-like strings used to secure bales of material, such as hay, paper products, and recyclables. While some baling is done by hand, most baling is done by machines called balers designed specifically for such work. Baler twine is typically sold in spools or rolls designed to be used by these machines. It was originally made from natural materials such as sisal fibers, and while natural fiber baling twine is still used, many man-made materials are now also used for this purpose.
The history of the use of baling twine begins in the second half of the 19th century. With the development of automatic harvesters, the need for a mechanism to bind the stacks of grain and hay became apparent. Originally, this was handmade with wire by workers following or riding the harvester. In the late 19th century, the first automatic binding machine was invented, which bound bundles of grain as they were harvested. The use of binding wire for this machine created numerous problems and an alternative was sought, leading to the invention of a binder that used twine, which at the time was called a twine binder.
In the 1930s, automatic balers designed to bind hay and straw bales were invented. These machines relied on binding twine for their automatic knotters, and as these machines became more and more common, the twine was marketed as, and became known as, bale twine. The earliest types of baling twine were made from natural fibers, such as manila, cotton, and sisal. Hemp, another natural fiber widely used in making rope and other products, proved unsuitable for twine as it was too stiff and clogged with machines. In the late 1930s sisal was the most common fiber used in the manufacture of baler twine, although other natural fibers were and continue to be used.
In the 1960s, companies began experimenting with artificial materials for baling twine. Polypropylene, a plastic, was the first such material and had major advantages over sisal. It was stronger, withstood the elements and wore much better, and was well suited for baling much larger bales of hay and other materials. The technology for baling twine advanced rapidly and today many man-made plastics are used in baling twine. Most of these twines are made up of several smaller strands of fiber that are twisted or braided together, although monofilament or single strand baling twine is also sometimes used.
Today, many types of baling machines that use baling twine in addition to hay balers are used in agriculture and industry. Some examples of the things balers are used for are waste materials, newspapers, and recyclable materials like cardboard and rags. Baler twine is available in a variety of colors, strengths and materials for all of these and more applications.
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