If you run a Kubota round baler and you're trying to work out what size net wrap fits a Kubota baler, the model number on the side of the machine is the single most misleading thing you can go by. A BV5200 sounds like it should be a five-foot baler. It isn't. Neither is a BV5160. Every variable-chamber BV baler Kubota has sold — BV4160, BV4180, BV5160 and BV5200 — rolls a bale the same width, and they all take the same net wrap.
This guide is for Kubota BV owners and for anyone shopping a used one who wants to know what they'll be buying net for. We'll cover what the model numbers actually encode, the correct net wrap width for every BV model, when to run 51-inch instead of 48-inch, and how to confirm the width on your own machine in about two minutes.
Quick answer: Every Kubota BV variable-chamber round baler — BV4160, BV4180, BV5160 and BV5200 — has a 1.20 m (roughly 47-inch) bale chamber and takes 48-inch net wrap as standard, with 51-inch as the edge-to-edge option. The "5" in BV5160 and BV5200 does not mean five feet wide. In Kubota's naming, BV = Baler, Variable chamber; the first digit is the model generation; and the last three digits are the maximum bale diameter in centimetres — 160 = 1.60 m, 200 = 2.00 m. Diameter changes across the line. Width never does.
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What Kubota's model numbers actually mean
Most round baler model numbers in North America hint at bale size, and farmers are trained to read them that way. A John Deere 569 makes a five-foot-wide bale. A Vermeer 604M is a four-foot machine. So when a Kubota BV5200 shows up on a dealer lot, the instinct is to read the 5 as five feet — and to assume it needs 64-inch net.
Kubota's system works differently. The letters and digits break down like this:
- BV — Baler, Variable chamber. (Kubota's fixed-chamber balers carry different prefixes.)
- First digit (4 or 5) — the model generation or series, not a dimension in feet.
- Last three digits (160, 180, 200) — the maximum bale diameter in centimetres. 160 = 1.60 m (about 63 inches), 180 = 1.80 m (about 71 inches), 200 = 2.00 m (about 79 inches).
Bale width is not encoded anywhere in the name, because it never varies. Kubota's own BV brochures list a 1.20 m bale chamber width for the entire BV line. That's roughly 47 inches of bale face — squarely in the four-foot category, which is served by 48-inch net wrap.
This trips up experienced operators, not just newcomers. One grower on HayTalk described his outfit this way while asking an unrelated question about cutting height:
"Equipment is a Kubota M7050, new Kubota 4x6 net wrap baler ( make 4x5 bales), Vermeer 6040 cutter on hay caddy, tedder, and a older rake that still works good."
— Stan r · HayTalk thread 101742
Read that carefully: a "4x6" baler making "4x5" bales. Both numbers are correct, and neither is about net width. The 4 is the four-foot chamber — that's your net wrap dimension. The 6 and the 5 are bale diameter, which the operator dials in on the monitor. A machine that can roll a six-foot-tall bale still only needs 48-inch net, because it's still only laying down a four-foot-wide bale face.
Data note: Our own baler compatibility data previously listed the BV5160 and BV5200 in the five-foot category. We corrected it in May 2026 after checking both the 2016 Kubota BV Variable-Chamber Balers brochure and the later BV-Plus brochure, which show the same 1.20 m chamber width across every BV model. If you've seen a chart — ours or anyone else's — putting a BV5200 on 64-inch net, that chart is wrong.
Kubota net wrap sizes by model
Here is the full variable-chamber BV line with the correct net wrap width for each. Every model is a four-foot-chamber machine.
| Kubota model | Chamber width | Max bale diameter | Net wrap width |
|---|---|---|---|
| BV4160 | 1.20 m (4 ft) | 1.60 m (~63") | 48" standard · 51" edge-to-edge |
| BV4180 | 1.20 m (4 ft) | 1.80 m (~71") | 48" standard · 51" edge-to-edge |
| BV5160 | 1.20 m (4 ft) | 1.60 m (~63") | 48" standard · 51" edge-to-edge |
| BV5200 | 1.20 m (4 ft) | 2.00 m (~79") | 48" standard · 51" edge-to-edge |
The pattern is worth saying plainly, because it's the whole point: no Kubota BV baler takes 64-inch or 67-inch net wrap. If a supplier tries to sell you 64-inch for a BV5200, they've read the model number the same wrong way everyone else does. You can cross-check your machine against the full brand list in our baler size checker.
48-inch or 51-inch: which should you run?
This is the question Kubota owners actually ask once they've sorted out the width category. It came up almost word-for-word on HayTalk from a grower looking at a used BV4160:
"I've found a kubota bv4160 baler and I would like to know what everyone thinks of them so far. Its a 4 x 5 baler but can i run 51 inch wide net wrap or only 48 inch? Thanks"
— dirtdesigner · HayTalk thread 79650
The answer is that a BV baler will run either, and the choice is about how you want the bale face covered:
- 48-inch is the standard. It's the width Kubota's chamber is built around, it threads and tracks without any fiddling, and it's what most BV owners run. On a 47-inch bale face, 48-inch net covers the full width with a small amount of net rolling over each shoulder — which is exactly what you want for shedding water.
- 51-inch is the edge-to-edge option. It wraps further around the bale shoulders, holding the outer leaf tighter and giving a bit more protection on bales that will sit outside through a wet season. The trade-off is that you're buying more film per bale, and on some machines a wider roll needs the net guides checked so it doesn't ride against the chamber sides.
If you're baling dry hay that goes straight into a shed, 48-inch is the sensible default. If your bales are stored outside, or you're selling hay where appearance matters, 51-inch is worth trying for a season. Either way, the decision is about coverage and cost per bale, not about whether the net will physically fit — both widths belong to the four-foot family. Our net wrap sizes guide walks through the same trade-off across every chamber size, and you can price the difference with the cost per bale calculator.
How to confirm the width on your own baler
Charts are useful, but the chamber in front of you is the final authority — especially on a used machine that may have had guides, spacers or a net pan swapped at some point. This takes about two minutes.
- Shut the baler down properly. Park on level ground, drop the PTO, kill the engine and take the key before opening the tailgate or reaching near the chamber.
- Measure the inside of the bale chamber. Run a tape between the two chamber side walls, not across the outside of the machine. On a Kubota BV you should read close to 1.20 m, or about 47 inches.
- Measure a finished bale face. Stand a bale on end and measure across the flat side. A four-foot bale reads about 47 to 48 inches. Anything near 60 inches means you're not on a BV-family baler at all.
- Measure the net roll you have on hand. Lay the roll on the ground and measure the netting itself, not the plastic core, which is always longer. A 48-inch roll measures 48 inches of net.
- Match the result. A 47-inch chamber takes 48-inch net as standard or 51-inch for edge-to-edge coverage. If your chamber measures nearer 60 inches, you need 64-inch or 67-inch instead.
Write the number on the inside of the net storage door with a paint pen. It saves the argument next spring when someone else is sent to pick up rolls.
Why a Kubota baler feels like a Vicon
Operators who've run European balers often notice that a Kubota BV handles and threads like a Vicon. That's not a coincidence, and it's genuinely useful information when you're hunting parts or manuals.
Kubota Corporation acquired the Kverneland Group — the Norwegian implement maker whose brands include Vicon — in 2012, taking full ownership that May. Kubota's BV round balers are built on Kverneland and Vicon baler platforms, and Vicon-branded forage equipment has progressively been rebadged under the Kubota name since. Growers on the boards worked this out from the machines themselves:
"On another Tractor/equipment forum I frequent a Kubota rd baler owner stated he wished netwrap location was at rear of baler similar to JD rd balers vs present location at front of baler. I personally would prefer rear location for netwrap. I think Kubota rd balers were engineered by Vicon or Kneverland. I think 60 pto HP tractor would be the bare minimum HP."
— Tx Jim · HayTalk thread 100574
Two practical takeaways. First, the front-mounted net pan is a Kverneland design trait, not a fault — it means you load net from the front of the machine rather than reaching over the tailgate, which most owners come to prefer once they're used to it. Second, the shared platform is why Vicon RV and RF balers of the same generation also run 48-inch net. If you're cross-shopping a Vicon against a Kubota, the net wrap in your shed fits both.
When you do load a fresh roll, the general threading sequence is the same as any front-fed machine — our guide on how to load net wrap in your baler covers the tension and brake checks worth doing at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
What size net wrap does a Kubota BV5200 take?
A Kubota BV5200 takes 48-inch net wrap as standard, or 51-inch for edge-to-edge coverage. Despite the 5 in the model name, it is a four-foot-chamber baler with a 1.20 m bale width. The 200 refers to its 2.00 m maximum bale diameter, not its width. It does not take 64-inch net.
Is a Kubota BV5160 a 4-foot or 5-foot baler?
It's a four-foot baler. The BV5160 shares the same 1.20 m (about 47-inch) bale chamber as every other Kubota BV model, so it runs 48-inch or 51-inch net wrap. The 5 indicates the model generation and the 160 is the 1.60 m maximum bale diameter. Bale width does not change across the BV line.
Can I run 51-inch net wrap in a Kubota BV4160?
Yes. The BV4160 accepts both 48-inch and 51-inch net wrap. Run 48-inch as the standard width for everyday dry hay, and choose 51-inch when you want the net to wrap further around the bale shoulders for outdoor storage. Check that the net guides are set correctly when switching to the wider roll.
Does Kubota net wrap fit a Vicon baler?
Generally yes, for comparable models. Kubota acquired the Kverneland Group, which owns Vicon, in 2012, and Kubota BV balers are built on Vicon and Kverneland platforms. Vicon RV and RF round balers of the same generation also use a 1.20 m chamber and run 48-inch net wrap. Measure your chamber to confirm before ordering.
Why do some charts list the Kubota BV5200 as a 5-foot baler?
Because the model number is misread. In most North American baler names a 5 means five feet, so charts get built on that assumption. Kubota instead encodes the generation in the first digit and the maximum bale diameter in the last three. Kubota's own BV brochures list 1.20 m chamber width for the whole line.
The short version: ignore the digits and trust the chamber. Every Kubota BV baler — BV4160, BV4180, BV5160 and BV5200 — is a four-foot machine, so the net wrap for a Kubota baler is 48-inch as standard and 51-inch when you want edge-to-edge coverage. Measure your chamber once, write the number down, and you'll never have to re-litigate it at the parts counter.
Ready to order? 48-inch net wrap is the standard fit for every Kubota BV, and 51-inch net wrap is there when you want fuller shoulder coverage.
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Featured photo: Kubota FB1000, Agritechnica 2023, Hanover by MB-one, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
