A combination front mounted crop roller and compact front storage box is now being marketed by North Yorkshire-based JF Hudson, with the crop roller demountable out of season.
The concave profile crop roller, with a toothed mid-section, is of heavy-duty construction and designed to compact the straw swaths left by today’s increasingly large combine headers, or large grass swaths. The unit helps avoid straw or conservation grass being dragged by the tractor axle, drawbar or other projections.
Managing director James Hudson said the heavy-duty roller smoothly flattened crops, while the compact front box provided somewhere to store essentials such as twine and fuel to cover a full day in the field.
“A compressed swath makes for a much more consistent feed into the baler or forage wagon, avoiding large clumps caused by crop drag,” he added. “The roller has the weight to generate sufficient kinetic energy to maintain rotation when out of work on a normal headland turn, and therefore a smoother start on the next swath.
“The roller’s operational height is variable by means of the tractor’s front linkage and its robust box section frame will nudge any bales out of the way if necessary.”
Either component can be used independently and both can be fitted to any tractor front linkage. The crop rollers are available in 1.2m and 1.6m widths and the front boxes are designed to be used with the linkage folded up, thereby minimising forward protrusion. Their low profile also improves the driver’s line of sight.
Both the rollers and boxes can be custom-painted. Prices are £2,254+VAT for the Standard 1.2m and £3,256+VAT for the Standard 1.6m (correct at March 2023). Optional extras and bespoke requests will alter the price.
