Kuhn unveils 14.5m mower for high HP harvesters
With most forage harvester manufacturers offering machines touching 1000hp, the logistics puzzle has always been ‘dropping” grass and pulling into a swath big enough to feed the “beast”.
Third-generation dairy farmers Hayden and Tania Edmeades run 500 dairy cows and associated young stock over 190ha near Putararu in the Waikato.
Like every dairy farm, a good mower is an essential tool, whether it’s for cutting winter feed or topping and tidying paddocks that have got away from the herd.
In the Edmeades case, the job falls to a Kverneland 2828M mounted disc mower, featuring seven discs that deliver a cutting width of 2.8 metres. With two seasons under its belt, Hayden says the stand-out feature is the mower’s contour following ability.
“We have a lot of sloping ground on the farm, some it quite gnarly, but the mower follows the ground exceptionally well, with no scuffing or sward damage. Once set, I really don’t have to make any adjustments from there on,” he says.
Featuring a centre pivoting design that creates even weight distribution across the full width of the cutter-bar, the mower is carried at a fixed height by the tractor’s three-point linkage, while a hydraulic cylinder takes care of lifting and lowering into and out of work.
The design also incorporates an integral hydraulic suspension system that is easily adjusted to cope with changing ground conditions or working speeds.
Handled easily by the farm’s 4-cylinder 110hp tractor, Hayden notes the mower “uses plenty of steel” in its construction, in this case a hefty 805kg.
The driveline sees power being transmitted directly to the first disc, removing the need for an inner shoe, which in turn means crossing already mown swaths is trouble-free, with no risk of bunching.
During operation, Hayden reports that the cutting quality is always good, with blades lasting well, but easily changed with the dedicated tool if required.
The round discs mean that if any objects are encountered, they do not “pinch”, while peace of mind is also kept in check by the mechanical break-back system.
For transport, the mower folds vertically to around 125 degrees, meaning that the cutter-bar and top cover is pulled in behind the tractor’s rear fender, reducing the likelihood of getting “tangled” with gateposts or other road users.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
OPINION: Should cows in NZ be microchipped?
OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…