The present invention describes a self-propelled or pulled baler for producing bales of agriculturally-harvested crops. Harvested crops are compressed in the feeding channel before entering the actual baling chamber. For this purpose a sensor reaches into the feeding channel. Crops will be pushed against the sensor by the feed rakes. As soon as a pre-adjusted pressure can be measured at the sensor, and the baling ram has moved towards the front dead center position, the motion track of the feed rakes will be switched so the compressed crops located in the feeding channel will be fed into the baling chamber through a single loading stroke. The change of the motion track of the feed rakes dependent upon the pressure sensor has the advantage that, with each loading stroke, an equal amount of compressed crops are fed into the actual baling chamber. Thus, bales of a consistent density can be produced.