Big M 500

Operator comfort to the max

• Generous glazing for maximum vision
• Suspended cab for maximum comfy seating
• Standard climate control for maximum comfort
• New joystick for maximum ease of operation

SilentSpace – the name says it all
A generous and quiet space – that’s the new KRONE cab. Catering for all operator needs during those long working days ... and nights, the cab interior was developed to the latest ergonomic standards and offers such convenient details like passenger seat, climate control and electric cool box. Logically grouped, all buttons offer fingertip control. Enjoy the ride as you have all data at hand and all functions at your fingertip.

Wider, quieter, brighter: The new KRONE BiG M cab with generous glazing and slim posts offers a perfect view of all decks. On top of that, the double floor gives effective insulation from noise. Powerful H3 work lights, which may be replaced by Xenon lights, turn night into day.

EasyTouch Display: All formation is instantly available on the EasyTouch high-resolution colour display screen. Enter the submenus quickly and easily from the keys next to the display screen.

Functional: The switches that operate the head lights, the work lights, the wipers as well as the heating and air conditioning controls are located in the roof right in front of the operator. The ‘Follow Me Home Function’ delays light deactivation of two work lights for 180 seconds as the operator leaves the cab.

The hydraulic transmission on KRONE BiG M 500 steers through tight turns and provides modulated control when inching up in confined space. The four-wheel drive is permanently engaged. In the field the machine operates at a max. 20 km/hr (12.5 mph) and on roads at a max. 40 km/hr (25 mph). You can split the circuit as required to have each axle supplied with oil by a separate pump, offering maximum traction in difficult terrain.

One system suits all situations! BiG M 500 features four-wheel steering as standard specification. The operator can choose between various modes.

Road mode: BiG M features four-wheel steering. However, in road mode, rear axle steering is less prominent to the point that the axle blocks up altogether when the machine is travelling at speed. It then goes into two-wheel steeringto ensure maximum stability at high transport speed.

Field mode: Field mode offers operators the choice between auto and manual mode. Auto mode provides four-wheel steering on the headland when the mowers are raised and two-wheel steering in work when the mowers are lowered. The rear axle is slightly steered in the opposite direction, bringing the point of pivot in line with the rear decks so these will not veer out when cutting around corners. Manual mode allows operators to select four-wheel or two-wheel steering from a joystick control.

Drifting on slopes: Every operator is familiar with this situation: the rear end of his machine tends to drift downhill as he is operating across the slope. To keep the machine on track and ensure optimum overlap, BiG M offers you the option to oversteer the rear axle to suit the current situation. All you need to do is press a joystick control.

Strong and efficient

• Inline, six-cylinder 382 KW/520 hp engine

• Self-cleaning radiator with rotating drum screen and exhaust blower

• SCR technology for maximum efficiency

• Quiet running and fuel-efficient in the field and on the road

Powerful and soft
Despite pumping out an enormous power of up to 520 hp, this new and advanced Common- Rail, inline, six-cylinder MAN engine runs extremely quietly. Equipped with SCR Selective Catalyst Reduction technology to inject liquid urea into the exhaust fumes, the unit complies with Emission Stage IIIB / Tier 4i regulations. The advantage is obvious: there is no need for exhaust gas recirculation, so that the engine can generate its full power at greater efficiency.

Optimum treatment from V-shaped steel tines

• Full-width conditioning
• Variable intensity from variable rotor speeds and baffle plate settings
• Powerful gearbox driveline

V-shaped steel tine conditioner
Quality is as important as efficiency. To ensure the crop dries rapidly and uniformly, it is good practice to use a conditioner, which rubs off the natural wax skin so the moisture evaporates faster. KRONE specifies BiG M 500 with our well-proven CV conditioner that uses V-shaped steel tines and provides two speeds (700 rpm and 1000 rpm) to deliver best results.

The EasyCut cutterbar

• Fully welded & heavy-duty
• SafeCut shear-pin protection for each disc
• Satellite driveline smoothes the power flow inside the cutterbar
• Tried and tested in the most difficult conditions

Efficiency and safety
The three disc mowers on BiG M 500 are well-proven technology that is sourced from our EasyCut mower range. The fully welded and heavy-duty cutterbar with satellite driveline provides maximum stability while the power flows through the rear gearbox and down massive and quiet-running spur gears that drive the satellite gears and the discs. The discs mount in a very forward position and overlap perfectly for absolutely clean cuts. All BiG M 500 models feature the standard SafeCut impact protection system, which gives the best possible protection when the cutterbar hits a foreign object.

An award winning world-first: The SafeCut disc protection system from KRONE offers effective protection and peace of mind. Rather than transferring the shock load of the impact to the cutterbar, the system transfers the load to a roll pin, which breaks as a result of the impact. Then the disc moves 15 mm (0.6") up on its threaded drive pin and clear out of the risk zone and away from the neighbouring discs.

13.20 metres (43'4") merge into one single windrow

• Direkt shaft/gear driveline
• Hydraulic suspension on the rear mowers, coil spring suspension on the front mower
• Mowers operate separately or in combination
• Mowing, conditioning, swathing – three operations in one pass

Carefully designed for efficiency
The KRONE BiG M 500 driveline allows operators to achieve work rates of more than 20 hectares (49.4 acres) per hour. After all, short and direct drivelines offer the best efficiency. The power flows from the axially and mid-mounted engine directly to the transfer box, which splits the power and sends it down the shafts and gearboxes to drive the cutterbars. The suspension system of the huge decks that mount in their center of gravity is controlled from the cab.

Height of cut control: The height of cut is set separately on each mower and from the cab-based EasyTouch terminal, which controls hydraulic rams that tilt each deck individually and steplessly. Of course, the settings are stored to the system and retrieved from the joystick.

13.20 metres (43‘4“) merge into one single windrow

• Wide spreading at a touch of a button
• Wide-spreading hoods – with independent control and Memory function
• Crops are merged without dropping to the ground – no contamination

Standard swath merger: If you aim at harvesting forage of an excellent quality, then you need to watch your timing and quality of work. Losses will be less of an issue if you get the forage to the clamp quickly. Of course, contamination should be avoided as well. BiG M offers you the best tools to achieve these aims: its conditioner with V-shaped steel tines gives intensive treatment and reduces substantially the time required for wilting while the swath merger effectively cuts out the risk of contamination.

Full-width conditioning: Open the auger hoods and the system will spread the material across the full working width. Specified with V-type steel tines and a baffle plate, the full-width conditioner rotor gives optimum treatment and creates a fluffy mat of defibrated crop. The system saves you one tedding pass and gives you higher-quality silage for higher-quality forage.

Windrowing: Close the hoods on both mowers and BiG M 500 gathers the crop from the full work width into one single central windrow. The merger allows you to combine three passes into one operation – mowing, conditioning and windrowing. The augers feed the crop to the center without allowing it to drop to the ground, forming very uniform and fluffy windrows. As a result, the following harvesters are able to work faster and finish earlier. Today, central windrowing is becoming more popular as it suits silage and biomass substrate making processes.