Pics: Massive haul of Krone foragers sold for 2018 Irish silage campaign

Krone – via distributor Farmhand and its network of dealers – has been busy lining up buyers for its so-called ‘BiG’ product line here in Ireland.

In the run-up to this year’s silage campaign, there has been a dramatic jump in orders for Krone’s BiG X self-propelled forager. Its BiG M self-propelled mower also continues to sell in significant numbers.

Also Read: 15 new Krone BiG X foragers to tackle 2018 Irish silage campaign

One of the dealers that is spearheading Krone’s determined drive into Ireland’s forager market is Kevin McGee (pictured below) – of McGee Farm Machinery.

Based close to Dunleer in Co. Louth, he has sold eight new BiG X self-propelled harvesters for the coming (2018) season. Five of these are destined for buyers in Northern Ireland.

He has also sold a new BiG M mower (pictured below). That machine – a BiG M 420 – will shortly make its way to a contractor in Co. Fermanagh.

While Kevin is one of a relatively large number of dealers equipped to sell tractor-powered Krone equipment, he is one of only a handful of BiG X agents. The others are Jim Power Agri Sales (Co. Waterford), Tom Shaw Farm Machinery (Co. Offaly) and Lyons & Burton (Co. Kildare).

According to Kevin, this year has seen a notable jump in business. It is now evident, he says, that Krone is making sizeable gains in the forager market.

At present, this big (no pun intended!) consignment of machines is undergoing PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection) checks – before being dispatched to customers dotted about Northern Ireland and the upper section of the Republic of Ireland.

The most powerful forager in the consignment is a BiG X 1100 (pictured below). In fact, it’s the most powerful forager available from any mainstream manufacturer right now.

This, interestingly, is not the first BiG X 1100 on the island. Brian Horner (a contractor based in north Co. Down) already runs such a beast; his existing machine is actually being traded in against the new unit pictured here.

It is believed that the trade-in is going elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

The latest incarnation of the BiG X 1100 is capable of delivering 1,078hp; this muscle is supplied by a hefty V12 MAN D2862 engine. Even in ‘Eco’ mode, it still churns out 636hp.

In this short video (below) Kevin outlines his own background as a mechanic – and how he and his team are gearing up for a Krone-themed 2018 silage campaign.