The Krone BiG Pack celebrated its silver jubilee last year; the company introduced its first big square baler just over 25 years ago.
Nowadays, the manufacturer offers up to 16 big square baler models (covering five different chamber sizes).
To mark the ongoing celebrations, Krone is showing off this BiG Pack baler (pictured) at this week’s SIMA show in Paris, France. AgriLand’s own Breifne O’Brien is at the event today (Monday, February 25). He took these photographs.
Back in 1993, Krone was somewhat unique in offering a big square baler with a tandem axle and a chopper (comprising three blades). Another relative “novelty” was the overload protection clutch on the shearpin-less packer that returned automatically to its previous position.
Baler developments
As the company continued to develop these machines, it introduced VFS (Variable Fill System) in 1999. The system had four packers and one feeder, with the feeder also serving as a packer until the chamber was filled to capacity.
In 2003, Krone launched its MultiBale machine – apparently the first of its kind. It could produce single big bales or up to nine smaller bales all bound into one package.
2005 saw the introduction of the HDP (High Density Press) system – reportedly achieving 25% higher bale densities than traditional big square balers.
Then, in 2007, the PreChop made its debut. According to Krone, this front chopper not only “guaranteed uniform chop lengths” but also visibly fragmented the material.
In 2011, the BiG Pack HighSpeed apparently delivered up to 20% higher throughput than its predecessor, while maintaining the same density.
Later, in 2013, the BiG Pack HDP II brought a “further significant increase in throughput and density”.
Feisty forager
Also at this week’s SIMA show, Krone is showing off its flagship forager – the BiG X 1180 (pictured below).
First unveiled to the public last September, this goliath is home to a 24L Liebherr V12 engine that churns out a whopping 1,165hp.
Not surprisingly, this figure means that the BiG X 1180 is the world’s most powerful (commercially sold) self-propelled forager harvester.
Equipped with camera-based 3D image analysis and Krone’s (automatic) EasyLoad side-filling system, this machine controls the spout automatically (open/close spout flap; rotate spout right/left) and allows operators to select various (trailer) filling strategies such as ‘front to rear’.
Drivers can also pre-set specific ‘fill levels’. They can even choose the impact point of the crop stream in the trailer.
