Buying a Marcrest Bale Baron has given South Canterbury contractors Nigel Young and Oli Austin the capacity to dramatically increase their production.
The pair purchased the Bale Baron 4245P four years ago from NC Equipment. It is a trailing model which travels behind the tractor.
Their company, Quality Feeds and Contracting, farms and leases land to graze cattle and grow hay, balage, straw, maize and fodder beet, which they then trade and sell to farmers.
Nigel says, with their previous stackers, they were able to stack about 20,000 bales a year, but they have been able to double their output with the Bale Baron.
Bale Baron accumulators pick up bales off the paddock, compress them and bundle them into compact bundles of either 9, 18 or 21 bales. The bales can then be easily loaded onto the back of a trailer or truck and stacked in a shed.
“We needed a machine to easily lift stacks onto trucks and we were able to double our bale numbers without any extra staff. I am very happy with the machine. It is really well built and we can run it behind two balers, no problem. You can fit a lot more bales on the truck and in your shed for storage.”
Nigel says the efficiency of the Bale Baron meant it paid for itself in its first year.
“Any new equipment we buy, we look to get its value in the first year.”
In the four years they have had the Bale Baron there has been very little maintenance required.
“They are a really well-built machine and do not need a lot of maintenance. It is a lifetime machine, really. It is a real credit to the manufacturer, Marcrest.”
Marcrest’s tractor-assisted trail-behind models – the Bale Baron 4245P, 4250P, and 5250P – are the company’s flagship bale accumulators. They are pick-up models that gather the bales from the paddock. They are well suited for larger operations and can keep up with two or even three balers.
Trailed Bale Barons have vertical rollers that grab a hold of the bale on the ground and feed it onto a conveyor that lifts it onto a table. From there the bales are fed into a chamber where they are compressed and tied off with a four-string Rasspe knotter, the same as a big square baler.
They are powered either by remote hydraulics on the tractor or by an optional power unit, and can be run with as little as 90 litres/minute.
Double-tie Rasspe knotters are reliable and low maintenance, and the Bale Baron is compatible with other machinery, making it relatively easy to source parts when there is a break down.
The 5250P is the latest version of the pick-up model. It is fully ISOBUS compatible and it gives the operator full control and visibility over the bundling process without having to step out of the cab.
A touchscreen display in the tractor cab can identify most issues, and they can generally be resolved with the touch of a button.
Nigel and Oli have two Marcrest grapplers for handling the big bundles of conventional bales.
“They work well. You put one bundle on top of the other and then lift them on to the back of the truck.”
He says NC Equipment has been great to deal with.
“They were good in the sale process in making it happen for us and with arranging finance.”
Nigel and Oli farm 160 hectares. They raise 300 cattle and grow hay, baleage, straw, maize and fodder beet which they on-sell. Their Bale Baron gets through plenty of work.
NC Equipment distributes the Bale Baron range in both the North and South Island. Phone 0800 908 908 to find out about a demonstration in your area.