Owners of a BiG Pack 1290 XC PreChop

Around seven years ago, Steve and Richard Streicher started what is known today as Streicher Farms in Stratford, Ontario. Streicher Farms began as a small custom combining, tillage, and small square baling operation and over the years has grown to a large custom harvesting operation. Their custom baling business is a full service baling operation and has expanded from using small square balers to using a 3x4 large square baler. They bale approximately 3,000 bales of straw each year using their 3x4 large square baler.

Streicher Farms relies on several pieces of Krone hay equipment for their baling operation. The 3x4 large square baler they use is a BiG Pack 1290 XC HighSpeed equipped with Krone’s PreChop system. Their main custom baling business is baling straw, and all of it is baled with the Krone BiG Pack 1290 XC HighSpeed with PreChop.

The Krone PreChop is a chopper system that is mounted on the baler’s drawbar in front of the EasyFlow camless pick-up. This unit is equipped with two banks of stationary knives and 88 rotary knives that rotate at 3,000 rpm to achieve a length of cut as short as eight-tenths of an inch. By using the Krone PreChop, Streicher Farm adds value to their straw bales. The bales consisting of the finely cut straw are used in a variety of applications, which can include bedding and rations prepared using TMR mixers. In many instances the baled, chopped straw from the PreChop works much better in these applications compared to traditional baled straw.

Richard and Steve Streicher chose to operate Krone equipment for several reasons. The most important reasons were great dealer relationships, the BiG Pack’s low horsepower requirement, overall quality and heaviness of build, and a competitive price tag. In addition to these reasons, Richard says that he really likes the way that Krone equipment is easy to maintain due to the straight forward design.

Richard and Steve Streicher also own a Krone EasyCut 3210 CV mower conditioner, a Swadro 42 T rotary rake, and have recently purchased a Krone EasyCut 9140 CV triple mower with an EasyCut 32 CV front mower.