The New Krone Baler: Smooth & Simple 

Matilda Douglas is not your average baler driver. The bubbly 19 year old is about to enter her second year of an arts law degree at Deakin University but during the Christmas holidays Matilda took on a slightly different task. Matilda went to work with her dad Jamie, grandfather Ken and a Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP baler purchased this season from Emmetts in Rupanyup. Prior to the season Matilda didn’t have a great deal of experience driving a tractor let alone a baler, but teamed up with the Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP she went on to produce over 15,000 bales of straw! An amazing effort for a seasoned baler driver let alone a self confessed amateur.

We caught up with Matilda, Jamie and Ken Douglas at the family property near St Arnaud to have a chat about the season and the performance of their Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP baler. Whilst the season threw up many challenges the performance of the baler was not one of them. Having never owned a big square baler before and, with the volume of work that lay ahead, Jamie was quick to admit that going into the season he was somewhat apprehensive. His fears were soon appeased as he put the Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP to work completing 6,500 bales of oaten and vetch hay before handing the reigns over to Matilda who completed a further 15,000 bales of straw. A big season in anyone’s language.

Whilst they had no previous experience operating balers they had plenty of experience carting the end product as Jamie went on to explain “In the past we’ve carted a lot of straw out of many different brands of balers but the bales produced by the Krone 1290 HDP were the ones that stood out to us. The bale shape these machines produce is second to none, beautiful tight square bales that are a dream to handle and stack. Not only in shape but weight, we were able to get more tons carted in less loads with bales out of the 1290 HDP than its competitors” Knowing the performance of the machine, combined with the convenience of having Emmetts close by ,made for an easy decision when came to buying. Being new operators backup and service was critical “The backup we received from the Emmetts team has been tremendous” Jamie went on to add.

The ability of the machine to produce high density bales comes down to its design. It starts with the camless pick up which runs 30% faster whilst eliminating the need for a cam track and rollers. This ensures a consistent feed of material into the VFS – Variable feed system; an innovative and efficient packing system designed to provide consistent bale shape in varying conditions, something that Matilda and Jamie have observed over the season.

While a lot of manufactures still use chains in the drive line and shear bolts for overload protection the Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP employs shaft’s, gearbox’s and cam type cut out clutch’s. “With no shear bolts in the drive line there is no need to get out of the seat to clear a blockage, simply throttle down and the clutch will re engage and clear itself” Matilda observed.

According to the Douglas’s it’s all of the features that add up to really complete package “The comfort monitor is really easy to use, none of us had any problems navigating it. The automatic greasing system works well cutting down on servicing time and the ability to bale eject automatically from the cab is fantastic” Jamie enthused. The Krone Big Pack 1290 HDP is fitted with sprung tandem axles with rear wheel steer enabling transport between the baler and the paddocks to be no  obstacle. “We’re very happy with the way the baler rides, both in the paddock and on the road. At 50 kph it’s smooth, composed and never pushes the tractor around” Matilda told us.

Matilda became quite possessive of her baler as the season progressed allowing Ken Douglas to never be called  to do any bailing. Yet he’s more impressed with the baler than anyone and as the one responsible for carting all the bales, why shouldn’t he be! With approximately 7,000 ton of straw still to deliver he has a big job ahead of him but so far the HDP bales are causing nothing but smiles. “Compared to last year we are seeing a minimum of 20% more weight in the bales which translates directly to 20% less loads to deliver. When you consider the savings on the transport and handling side alone it’s a very significant cost reduction” Ken said.

With the season completed Ken and Jamie are very pleased with their Krone and understandably proud of Matilda. “We were all amateurs at this but we thought we would have a crack and we’ve achieved what we set out to do. For Matilda to be able to produce over 15,000 bales and be able to confidently maintain and operate the machine is a phenomenal effort, a great reflection on her and the Krone” Jamie added. One day you might see Matilda Douglas gracing floor of the Supreme Court in her desired profession of law but one thing’s for sure, next Christmas holidays you’ll see her back behind the wheel of her Krone Big Pack 1290 HPD baler.