Egmount Agri based in Mallow, Co Cork, imports the Canadian-built Anderson bale chaser range.

Anderson offers a range of bale chasers, including round and square bale handling variants.

Five individual models are offered for round bales, with carrying capacity ranging from 10 bales to 20 bales.

The model Egmount Agri has working in the country at the moment is the RBMPRO 1400 14 bale machine.

Bales can be loaded either on their flat or round edges. A telescopic arm with a soft hands-like bale grab loads the bales on to the chaser’s concave body, which is fitted with rollers.

As every two bales are loaded side by side, a third bale is placed on top before the row of three is pushed back with the moving headboard. This creates space for another row, etc.

Once loaded, side bars are moved into place, holding the load secure.

All models are available with optional steering axles and 710 tyres

The loading sequence is fully automated through the machine’s own touchscreen display.

The RBMPRO 1400 is worked off the tractor’s load-sensing hydraulics and requires three spool valves. The manufacturer claims that the 14 bales can be loaded in six minutes and unloaded in 45 seconds.

All models are available with optional steering axles and 710 tyres. The minimum horsepower required for the 14-bale machine, which has an unladen weight of 6,000kg, is 150hp. Pricing for the 14-bale model starts at €68,000 plus VAT.