Krone has introduced new self-propelled silage harvester models for 2014, including the new lower-power Big X 480 model, that Irish importers Farmhand believe have potential on the Irish market.

Krone is now providing a lower power version than the Krone BX 1100 seen in Ireland in 2013, as almost half of all self-propelled silage harvesters sold in the world are in the 451hp to 550hp power bracket.

In addition to the new 480hp Krone Big X 480, the company has introduced a new Big X 580 model to replace the Big X 500. In planning for the development of the new machines, Krone tested the interaction of three key harvester parameters: engine power, drum width and quality of chop.

“What counts at the end of the day, is what comes out of the machine,” said Josef Horstmann, managing director and head of R&D at Krone.

“To make sure the material that emerges is consistently good, it is necessary to align all processes, from the intake all the way down to the spout, in such a way that they interact with the greatest precision,” he added.

“Those tests and analyses revealed that a smaller engine required a narrower chopping cylinder to bring the crop mat ahead of the drum to achieve the same thickness that we get on the bigger Big X which uses the 800mm chopping drum,” he added.

The outcome of these tests is that each of the two new foragers, the Big X 480 and 580 models, is equipped with a 630mm wide drum that is 660mm in diameter. Contractors can now choose among three drums and 20, 28 or 48 knives.

The new machines use the Krone VariStream crop flow system, preceded by six feed rollers. This system is made up of a spring-loaded floor beneath the chopping cylinder and a spring-loaded plate behind the crop accelerator.

The Krone VariStream claims to give blockage-free and smooth operation, even when the flow of crop is not uniform, in an effort to minimise fuel consumption per tonne harvested.

Big X 480 and Big X 580 also feature the roller cracker as standard. These cracker rollers retain the 250mm diameters from the higher-power Big X models and can be specified with 123, 144 and 166 teeth.

A disc corn cracker is also available as an option. This offers a 2.5-times larger surface to crack the kernels effectively when throughputs are high.

The harvesters are fitted with adjustable hydraulic motors combined with planetary gearboxes. This allows them to drive at up to 40km/hr on the road.

They are fitted with a selectable ASR anti-slip control system to give claims of better grass or maize harvesting, depending on the ground conditions, .

The new Krone foragers also stand out as narrow width machines. For example, Big X has a road width of 3.1m when running on 800/65 R32 tyres and only 3m when clad with 710/70 R42 tyres. This means that the transport width is narrow enough to travel on public roads.

Operators who are looking for maximum ground clearance, minimum compaction and maximum ride comfort, can also opt for 900/60 R 42 tyres.

The machine’s front axles have been modified to a patented concept, so that fitting large tyres will not impact on the crop flow.

The rear wheels are independently suspended to allow for tight turns on uneven ground.

Both harvesters are fitted with a six-cylinder Mercedes Benz MTU Tier 4 final engine which is mounted sideways. Krone claims that this mounting approach gives the best possible weight distribution as well as a direct power flow to the chopping drum via V-belts. There is no longer a power-take-off gearbox on the new Krone foragers.

The harvesters are fitted with a new LED lighting kit for better illumination during night shifts.

The machine’s fuel capacity is impressive at 1,500 litres and the AdBlue tank holds 130 litres for long working days. Krone can also supply a 200-litre silage additive tank.

Krone claims that the new pendulum frame for the front end makes header attachment even easier than in the past. Drive to the headers is via a quick coupler. A hydraulic locking system will be available on future models.

For maintenance, all of the hydraulic components and the air cleaner are mounted next to the steps for easy access. The crop flow system and the radiator system are also easily accessible for fast cleaning.

Irish Krone distributers, Farmhand Ltd of Damastown Industrial Park, Dublin 15, recently brought a group of 50 Irish silage contractors to visit the Krone factory in Spelle, Germany, to see the updated range of Krone Big X self-propelled silage harvesters being manufactured.

The contractors visited the Krone Big X assembly line, which is 265m long and is designed to produce 600 machines for the 2014 season.

This is double production capacity of 2013 when 300 Krone Big X self-propelled silage harvesters were built.