Krone has launched three new Big X forager models, each with more power, more capacity, newer cabs and technology that has the potential to reduce fuel usage by 10%.

Not only will the 1100 model reaffirm Krone’s position firmly at the top of the forage harvester horsepower tree, but the new 700 and 850 models will also give other larger forager models a run for their money, reckons Krone.

As with other manufacturers, engine changes haven’t been driven just by the need to boost power – they’re increasingly driven by emissions legislation. Because Tier 3b/Stage IIIb legislation only applies to engines between 174hp and 500hp, Krone has been able to use V8 and V12 MAN engines in the new models.

Instead of employing the twin-engine setup used in its previous Big X 800 and 1000 models, the new 850 and 1100 machines use just one V12 MAN block and put out 825hp and 1031hp respectively. The smaller model, destined to be the most popular in the UK, uses a V8 MAN engine which puts out 670hp at full chat.

Despite the move to a single engine, Krone was keen to keep the characteristics of its twin-engine predecessors, says Marcus Oliver, managing director of Krone UK.

“Customers liked the concept and fuel savings of the twin engine machine, so we needed to keep the advantages of these with just one engine.”

The company achieved this by getting engine manufacturer MAN to produce an engine with two power curves – Eco and X-Power – which the operator can choose between for work and transport duties.

On the V8 700 model, the Eco setting gives 509hp and X-Power pumps out 669hp. On the larger V12 850, Eco is 638hp and X-Power rises to 825hp. The range-topping Big X 1100 gets the same Eco power as the 850 at 638hp, but rises to an astonishing 1034hp when the going gets tough in the field.

The new cab also gets a complete overhaul. More glass and thinner posts improve visibility, while modified suspension and extra features like a removable coolbox add to operator comfort.

The Fendt joystick, which was effectively adapted from a tractor control lever, is no more and has been replaced with a Krone-designed version better suited to harvesting, says the company. One cross-control button gives the driver control over all chute functions, while a second allows thumb control of header operations.

Because of the high position of the engine, there’s a second fuel pump as well as a secondary fuel tank, with fuel drawn from the main tank to a smaller holding one located nearer to the engine.

Launched at Agritechnica last November, Krone’s VariStream crop flow system remains unchanged, with six pre-compression rollers and a 660mm diameter and 800mm wide chopping cylinder. Users can choose between three different chopping cylinders with 20, 28 and 40 knives. There’s more space in the gearbox housing, too, in order to prevent blockages.

Maintenance has also been given a once over, with the oil filler located deeper on the machine for easier refilling. As it needs a whopping 55 litres to satisfy the V12 it’s better to have it on the ground, figured Krone.

Krone also hinted that, next year, the company’s Big M 500 self-propelled mower is getting a 6-cylinder MAN engine with SCR technology, the same cab as the new Big X and also the new joystick.

The new models are expected to cost €15-20,000 more than the current series, thanks to the engine changes. However Krone is keen to stress the rise would have been greater had they opted for SCR technology.

New features

• MAN engines replace twin Mercedes blocks
• New cab and joystick
• Compact – uses same main frame as original Big X 650
• New hydraulically driven fan