Kuhn Farm Machinery has added a grouper version of its 3.1m disc mower conditioner to its line-up of centre pivot trailed machines.
Ideally suited to large-scale farming operations and grassland contractors, the FC 3160 TCD RA offers all the key advantages associated with Kuhn’s standard centre pivot mower conditioner (the FC 3160 TCD), such as greater mowing versatility and reduced “dead time” on headlands, as well as having the ability to group two swathes of grass together.
The FC 3160 TCD RA uses a conveyor belt grouper unit that enables two rows of grass to be placed together to form a twin swath for increased output of the subsequent forage harvester. The conveyor also enables two rows of grass to be formed into a single, layered swath that can be picked up by balers or loader wagons with a narrower pick-up width.
“The addition of a belt conveyor to Kuhn’s tried and tested centre pivot mower conditioner saves times and fuel by reducing the number of subsequent passes needed with a grass rake or forage harvester,” the company’s UK sales manager, Duncan McLeish, says. “It also reduces leaf losses and prevents soil or foreign materials being incorporated into the swath during raking.”
Mr McLeish adds that, thanks to its centre-pivot design, the FC 3160 TCD RA offers significant operational advantages over conventional side-pull machines.
“Their ability to operate on either side of the tractor enables centre pivot machines to work across the field rather than setting it out at the headlands. This can reduce the working time for each field by as much as 15 per cent by virtually eliminating the dead time spent travelling at the headlands. It also reduces traffic on headlands thereby preventing headland swaths from being flattened or contaminated by soil from the tractor’s wheels, and reduces soil compaction.”
The hydraulically driven grouper belt on the FC 3160 TCD RA is powered by a pump mounted on the machine’s Gyrodine swivelling headstock and can deliver the cut and conditioned crop to either side of the machine. The speed of the conveyor belt can be instantly increased or decreased to take account of the amount of crop being cut or to alter the width of the finished swath when working on sloping terrain.
The FC 3160 TCD RA can also be used in conjunction with a front mounted mower conditioner such as the FC 3125 DF for increased work output, with the centre pivoting design allowing the rearward unit to operate to either the left or right of the front mower.
The new machine uses seven cutting discs (each fitted with Kuhn’s Fast-Fit knives as standard) giving it a 3.1m working width and a 2.99m travelling width. The speed of the steel finger conditioning flails can be set at either 780 or 1,000 rpm according to the crop being worked.
All functions – such as belt speed, direction of delivery and lifting options – can be adjusted from the comfort of the tractor cab via a central control box. The FC 3160 TCD RA is also fitted with wide profile, low-pressure tyres for reduced soil compaction and improved performance on sloping ground.
The starting retail price for the FC 3160 TCD RA is £35,165 (correct at June 2016).
For more information visit: www.kuhn.co.uk.
