DRIVING IMPRESSION: For Malone Engineering, expanding its portfolio from bale handlers to producing a self-loading wagon in 2007 was a significant leap. Since then the County Mayo-based firm has sold a number of units in its native Ireland, but understandably now wants to bring its wagon wares to the attention of a wider audience. With this in mind, Mervyn Bailey decided it was time to take a closer look at the Trojan MT52.
There’s a very strong silage wagon following in Ireland — and with good reason. Clamping the farm’s silage with a precision chop outfit typically costs in excess of €250/ha, and this, along with the dramatic increase in fuel prices, means contractors and farmers alike are keeping a watchful eye on anything that might constitute a cheaper alternative.
Silage wagons have been one of the favoured options for some time, so it’s not all that difficult to see why Co Mayo-based Malone Engineering would want a piece of this machinery sector action.
For the past five seasons Malone has been manufacturing the Trojan MT combi range, which comprises two variants: the MT42 and larger MT52, with actual or DIN capacities of 25.00m3 and 29.55m3. Main differences between the two models are the lengths of their respective bodies and their standard tyre size. But that’s about it. Of the two it’s the MT52 that has proved to be the more popular, and this is the model that we take a closer look at here.
