Canadian baling equipment specialist Marcrest Manufacturing Inc offers a self-propelled square bale stacker – the Bale Baron 6240 SP – for small square bales, aimed at increasing bale production without the use of an additional tractor, the company claims.
The Bale Baron is powered by a 173hp John Deere 6.8L, turbo-charged, 6-cylinder engine and has an in-field pick-up speed of 19kph. On the road, the max speed rises to 48kph.
According to its manufacturer, the Bale Baron has a maximum capacity of 1,100 bales per hour and can “easily” keep up with three small balers.
As can be seen in the video below, the Bale Baron picks up the bales in the field, packs them into a large assortment, and deposits the neatly-stacked bales for collection by trailer – eliminating the manual actions of having to personally gather each small bale from what often seems like an endless supply scattered around fields.
In terms of dimensions, the Bale Baron is 9.75m long, 2.72m wide and 3.35m high – amounting to a sizeable machine. There is a two-speed hydrostatic transmission, which is electronically controlled. According to Marcrest, the shipping weight of the stacker is just over 9t.
Some of the key features include a low-maintenance knotter, a reversible pick-up (very handy in the event of a jammed bale) and three cameras in the cab to provide simultaneous views of the exit ramp, rotary table and other areas on the split-screen monitor. When backing up, the reversing camera takes up the full-screen view in the monitor.
In addition, through its “advanced” 4WD system – which the Canadian firm claims provides for greater adaptability switching between field types – and individually-mounted hydraulic pumps, Marcrest says its stacker optimises power transfer.
While it is unlikely that any 6240 SP will make its way to Ireland (any time soon), it would certainly speed things up when encountering the usual panic of getting an endless army of small square bales in before the rain – for the few small square bales that are still made in Ireland.
