Disc mower range gets upgrade
Kuhn has announced an expansion of its range of disc mowers, distributed by Norwood in New Zealand, with the addition of two new vertically folding rear mounted models, the GMD 3515 and GMD 4015.
Kuhn claims its latest 13m wide tedder can be folded and ready for transport in 25 seconds – about half the time taken by its predecessor.
Machines with wider working widths have become a lot more common on the farm, particularly in the grass and hay production arena, where oversized rakes and tedders have helped to increase daily output dramatically.
In many cases the size of the machines dictate that they have complex hydraulic and mechanical systems to fold the machines from transport to work and back, while also eating up a surprising amount of time.
Grassland specialist Kuhn has addressed this latter issue with a redesign of its latest 13m wide tedder, allowing it to be ready for transport in 25 seconds – said to be about half the time taken by its predecessor.
The machine features a new single-movement folding mechanism which works directly off a tractor spool valve without needing any control box or electronic sensors.
Transport and storage are also improved thanks to a reduction in length to 6m, while a reversible drawbar allows it to be hitched to a greater variety of tractors.
The GF 13003T replaces the outgoing GF 1301 and offers operators improvements centred around new rotors, tines and the fast-fold system.
Still equipped with 12 rotors like the previous machine, internal upgrades are said to reduce wear, while the mounting system and improved contour following characteristics is said to reduce the
risk of soil contamination.
New 10mm diameter tines are equipped with springs that have increased from 70mm to 80mm diameter, that work in conjunction with an anti-tine loss system and hydraulic tine height adjustment to effectively double the expected lifespan of the previous tine format.
In operation, the weight of the chassis is supported by large transport wheels, while the small diameter rotors are suspended separately on individual wheel equipment, enabling each rotor to adapt to the ground contours, meaning soil contamination is reduced and tine tip wear is less severe.
Lincoln University Dairy Farm will be tweaking some management practices after an animal welfare complaint laid in mid-August, despite the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) investigation into the complaint finding no cause for action.
A large slice of the $3.2 billion proposed capital return for Fonterra farmer shareholders could end up with the banks.
Opening a new $3 million methane research barn in Waikato this month, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay called on the dairy sector to “go as fast as you can and prove the concepts”.
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
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