Watch: Big X 530 VariStream harvester – Krone jewel

Wexford contractor Alfie Byrne changed the shade of green this year and opted to change his harvester from Class to Krone. Alfie runs a comprehensive contracting service around the Bunclody area, with a strong focus on tillage and silage operations.

Alfie explained that the forage harvester is the centre of operations for the silage and maize season. If it’s stopped, the trailers, tractors and loader are all stopped also.

“In this business, we can’t afford to be idle with downtime,” he said.

The purchase of a new self-propelled forage harvester is one of the biggest investments made by the business, says Alfie. The decision to upgrade this year has seen Alfie move away from Claas and go for the new kid on the block in the shape of the Krone 530, after years of good service from the Claas 850.

“In fairness to Krone, Farmhand and local dealer Jim Power, they supplied me with a demo 530 in 2015,” said Alfie, “and we were very impressed with the machine’s performance.

“The specification also impressed us, and Krone invited us over to see the factory. With a combination of the demo, a good local dealer and support from Farmhand, we made the decision to move to the Krone machine,” explained Alfie.

Driving impression

Alfie only drives the machine occasionally and the Big X is piloted by Alan Gregan for nearly all of the season. First impressions from Alan were very good – the machine did have some changes from the old model.

The CVT controls for a start were a little different and took a little bit of time to get used to. The speed on the transmissions is good for all field operations, according to Alan, who said: “The lock is excellent on the machine it can turn on sixpence.”

He also commented on the cabin. “For a long day’s work it is quite comfortable, the controls are easy to use and the cabin itself is very quiet to work in.”

Alan also has one or two areas where he feels the cab could improve: “The angle of the windscreen means that I have to lean forward a little to see the feed rollers. Also the mirrors are a little small for this size of machine. The cab is high and wide on top, so on the road I have to keep an eye on low-hanging branches.”

Alan is really impressed with the engine output operating at 1,800rpm. The Big X is fitted with a number of features, one of which stops the feed rollers should the engine rpm drop below a preset value to avoid the machine choking, according to Alan. This saves the machine and the driver.

The pick-up header is an area where Alan feels the Krone has outperformed the competition. He says: “The header offers excellent flotation on undulating ground, reducing the risk of damage and soil in the swath.”

From there, the crop flows through the redesigned feed roller system. There are now a total of six feed rollers compressing the crop, three top and three bottom.

Krone says this system results in a much smoother and more consistent flow of material into the chopping unit.

Alan agrees with them on this point, and also noted that the engine pressure is reduced with the lumps or heavy swaths compressed out.

Both Alfie and Alan agree that the harvester is slightly better on fuel consumption in relation to the work output per hour.

Both a stone detector and a metal detector are incorporated into the feed roller system. The sensitivity of each system can be controlled from the cab by the operator. Chop length can be varied on the move from the comfort of the operator’s seat, which is proving a big hit with Alfie’s customers.

Chopping unit with VariStream

Having progressed through the feed rollers, the crop enters the chopping drum. The new drum is narrower and has a greater diameter than its predecessor.

Krone says the larger diameter (660mm) leads to greater momentum in the drum itself, which makes sense, while the reduced width leads to lower power consumption without the expected loss in output, thanks to the increased diameter.

The knives are now mounted on off-centre rotating dowels. If a lump enters the drum, the belly band on the underside is now spring-loaded, allowing the lump to pass through without stalling the drum or engine.

The spring-loaded cutterhead floor is connected to the anvil of the counterblade at the front. Krone says this means that the clearance between the cutterhead floor and the knives is always constant. So any movement of the spring-loaded cutterhead floor to compensate for an uneven crop flow won’t affect the quality of chop.

Alan feels the chute is another big improvement on this machine.

“The increased width and length keeps the trailers further away, reducing the risk of the trailer sliding into the harvester on greasy side slopes and the longer chute keeps the harvester clean, making my job easier.”

The StreamControl system is also a big plus for Alan and Alfie. The position of the backing plate in the blower unit is controlled from the cab, allowing a variation in the rate at which the harvester blows the material from the chute.

This is particularly beneficial when opening up a field of maize or whole crop, as the blow rate can be increased to accurately and cleanly guide the flow of material into the tractor and trailer following the harvester for the opening run.

Loading the corn cracker on to the Big X harvester is much easier, according to Alan. “It’s a one-man job now.”

The hydraulically controlled rear suspension is raised to its highest position, allowing the corn cracker to be wheeled underneath the harvester from the rear.

A hydraulic scissors jack then reaches down from the underside of the harvester, and lifts the corn cracker up into position.

The suspension can also be raised for difficult condition to increase the clearance. Alan said that in the exact same field last year the harvester sunk five times. However, Krone can’t take credit for that – it was just the weather, joked Alan.

Coming to the end of the first season with the Krone, Alfie is very happy. “After some minor adjustments and software updates, the machine has flown for us. The back-up has been good from Farmhand and our dealer Jim Power.”

Alfie says the machine has the capability to harvest more acres in the year, yet he is happy with the work he has on for the moment.

“The machine offers more specification and seems to well planned out and put together. We look forward to more work in 2017.”

Plans for next year with the Big X in Ireland from Farmhand

Stephen Scrivener said: “Farmhand is looking to build on our success from last year. We are confident the BigX is the best machine on the market and it is our job to show the market the potential of the machine. We hope to achieve this through our dedicated, full-time demonstration team. The machine is where it needs to be. The backup is there. We need to work with our dealers to get out and show contractors what the Big X is made of this season.”