Krone tour makes stops in Ohio, Pa.

MERCER, Pa. — A Krone Big Pack 890 High speed baler is stomping its way across the United States, and it made several stops in Ohio before making its way to Pennsylvania.
Baler demo. Krone has been demonstrating two balers on two different areas of the United States.

The Krone Big Pack 890 3-by-3 foot baler has been touring the eastern part of the United States and the another Krone baler has been touring the western United States.

The 890 started in Findlay, Ohio, and then the Wayne  County-based dealership Lowe and Young gave the machine a demonstration before it headed east to Pennsylvania.
The baler was being demonstrated on land farmed by Brad and Katie Wilson in Mercer, Pennsylvania, June 10.

Messick’s Farm Equipment will be trying out the machine next and then it is off to Houghtalings Garage in Middlebury Center, Pa. Before the tour finishes up, the baler will make its way to Watertown, N.Y., and Vermont in July.

Hay products

Brent Raines, part of the Krone product team, said the baler provides the ability to make balage — mowing the hay wet and then wrapping it — or haylage.

Raines said the square bales are harder to wrap than round bales, but they are easier to store and transport. He added the square baler means less down time for farmers — producers can make the bale and keep going.

“You can get a lot of hay on the ground quick,” said Raines.

Big Pack specifics

Sebastian Tillman, a member of the Krone’s technical marketing team, said the Big Pack 890 is a great baler for silage and hay because of the amount of ground a farmer can cover quickly.
He said even if the baler gets blocked, a farmer can lower the RPM’s of the motor and it will unblock itself, letting the farmer keep going and reducing down time.

The baler has moisture sensors in the cab of the tractor, which let the producer know exactly what they are baling. He added that the sensors allow farmers to make a hay product with a constant density, which is better for cattle because producers know exactly what is in every bale.

Farmer preview

Katie Wilson said their farm produces 7,000 acres of corn and soybeans and completes a lot of custom work in harvesting and hay making. In 2000, they bought their first large square baler, as most of their customers are dairy farmers who prefer the large square bales.

However, she was quick to point out the cost difference between a round baler and a square baler. She said a customer has to have the need to justify the cost. The model Krone was demonstrating was approximately $149,185.