The big brother to the Big MI self-propelled mower is now available in the UK from Krone. The Big MII offers even greater power, performance and improved features. It is designed for farmers and contractors working more than 1250 acres pa.
The Big MII with a mowing width of 9.7m and a 12 litre Daimler Chrysler engine develops 354hp for work rates of up to 15 ha/h. The Big MII offers high-performance four-wheel drive with direct drive by means of hydraulic radial piston wheel motors for powerful performance in all ground conditions. The turbo-charged inter-cooled engine complies with all future EU emission standards and engine cooling is maintained by the 'reversing blower' which operates automatically every 10 minutes, or as often as the driver wants, to eliminate radiator dust and debris.
The Big MII has also been designed with the road in mind. The two outer mowers can be raised in seconds from the cab, leaving a width of 3m. A top speed of 40 km/h can be comfortably achieved on the road by 'fast switching' from the working speed of 0-17km/h to the 0-40km/h road range. The 'automotive driving mode' sets the power demand keeping the revs below 1750rpm offering much lower fuel consumption and reduced cab noise.
To minimise sward damage and provide consistent performance on slopes, the Big MII has a 60/40 front/rear weight distribution and special wide radial tyres. The height adjustable hydro-pneumatically sprung front axle provides stable and comfortable handling and more ground clearance to cope with big headland swaths.
The 9.7m wide cutting width consists of three mowers with the front mower based on an Easy Cut 32CV is 3.14 m wide and has a push suspension system, offering an increased lift-out height and smoother travel from the spring-relief set-up, even on undulating land. The outer 3.5 m wide mowers, which overlap with the central mower to ensure a clean cut on turns and headlands are equipped with eight mowing discs, driven centrally by the sturdy one-piece V-shaped mower bed with big diameter, slow running spur gears, offering maintenance-free performance with no loss of oil or torsional strength. Should replacement blades be required, they can be changed in a matter of minutes with the quick release system. The full width conditioner rotors behind each mower bed are fitted with free-swinging V-flails and an infinitely adjustable chequer plate, designed to bruise the grass and speed up the drying process. As an option the front mower can be steered for cutting on hillsides and in tight corners
Operator comfort has been a key factor in the design; the new air-conditioned cab has been ergonomically designed to offer high visibility, a comfortable seat and driving position with adjustable steering wheel. The majority of operating functions can be accessed by the easy-to-use joystick and console with adjustable information centre - all integrated into the armrest. Passenger seat and cool box are also part of the standard package.
The optional Big Swath System gathers the crop to a width of 1.8m for collection by the forager or baler direct behind the mower making it ideal for whole crop.