Samco 1600 CTS bale chaser: In and out

The CTS chaser has undergone a rather lengthy gestation period since farmer and machine designer Tom Carrigan first came up with the concept for his take on the bale-ferrying job around eight years ago. But now, with Samco onboard, the project is ramping up, with the first factory-built prototype in the field this season. And plans are already in place to make a handful of production machines for 2022.

The concept

Making its first public appearance at the Innovation Arena at the Irish Ploughing in 2016, where it attracted a lot of interest from users and several manufacturers, the CTS returned to Kilkenny to continue development. Samco got involved in the project last year, as it was looking to expand its product range having invested in a new factory capable of manufacturing bigger kit.

“This coupled with a customer from overseas asking about the unit prompted me to make contact with Tom as it had piqued