With a minimum 20-inch clearance in the headland position, these machines can pass over previously made windrows without disturbing them, allowing the crop to be easily picked up by balers and forage harvesters. Double-curved tine arms are designed to form fluffy and straight windrows for superior raking quality at high speeds. Fluffy windrows allow more air movement through the crop, promoting fast and uniform drying.

Introducing the Kuhn GMD 355 disc mower

The GMD 355 disc mower provides operators with increased durability, enhanced features and a cleaner look for years of low maintenance hay production. This disc mower is equipped with Kuhn’s 100 Series cutterbar, providing proven reliability. The GMD 355 has a direct drive through the first disc into the 100 Series cutterbar, providing more clearance to not catch crop on the cutterbar. The cutterbar has also been reinforced with heavy-duty outer bearing stations to support both ends of the cutterbar. These supports greatly improve the durability of the cutterbar, especially when it is used in difficult conditions.

The swath wheel improves crop flow by providing positive engagement of the crop and leaves a defined edge for the next pass. Constant Float suspension on the mower creates a dynamic suspension system where the cutterbar maintains even ground pressure across the entire working width. The mechanical breakaway protects the mower along fence lines and field edges in case an obstacle is struck.

H&S Manufacturing Company Inc. releases wheel rake

H&S Manufacturing Company Inc., located in Marshfield, Wisconsin, recently introduced a new heavy-duty wheel rake. The H&S HC7116 Wheel Rake is available in a sixteen-wheel model with an optional two-wheel conversion/extension kit to an eighteen-wheel model. Unlike conventional wheel rakes, the HC7116 rake features heavy-duty, rubber-mounted rake teeth for tough applications such as corn stalks, etc. Torsion-style, independent rake wheel suspension coupled with large, 60-inch rake wheels follow the contours of the ground smoothly, and the overhead frame design allows for high volume capacity of crop. The rake wheels are positioned ahead of the arms, main frame beams and transport wheels, so there are no hang up points when raking heavy crop. As standard equipment, the windrow width is able to be adjusted to fit your operation with the ratchet-style jack, and a hydraulic cylinder in lieu of the jack is available as an option. The new Auto-Latch System eliminates the effort of manually trying to position the rake into position for transport.

Boehm Ag Sales releases narrow windrow kit for STS combines

Boehm Ag Sales has recently released a kit that narrows residue for 4-feet windrows for drying or baling. The narrow windrow kit (NWK) was created to improve the way forage residue like corn stalks, straw and soybean stubble are harvested after combining.

The narrow windrow kit allows producers to bypass the combine spreading residue back onto the field. Instead, the chopper is simply rotated up and out of the way. Two deflector panels are installed on the rear of the combine to windrow the leaves, shucks and cobs directly to the ground in a windrow that is roughly 4 feet wide. The resulting windrow can be allowed to dry for a few days and baled with much higher feed values. The material harvested using this technique is very high in shucks and leaves, and significantly lower in lower stalk material. This method also benefits from having little to no root bundles or dirt in the bales.

Krone introduces the new VariPack Round Baler

Krone has developed its first round baler with belts engineered for North American fields. This new VariPack Round Baler is designed for hay growers looking for a high-quality round baler that can bale faster while building dense, uniform bales. The new round baler boasts a variety of exclusive and performance-enhancing features that can improve a farmer’s return on investment. Special features of the round baler include the following: reliable easy-flow pick-up, wide feed rotor and drop floor, exclusive bale chamber design, quick-close rear door, flexible density settings, simple and reliable net wrapping system, high-flotation tires, simple and intuitive operator terminals, and fast and easy servicing. The baler is available in both a 4X5 or 4X6 model that allows you to change bale diameters on the go.

The new Krone VariPack Round Baler will be available in limited quantities for the 2020 haying season, and primarily in the southeast region of the U.S.  

—Compiled by Progressive Forage staff

PHOTOS: Photos courtesy of Kuhn, H&S Manufacturing Company Inc., Boehm Ag Sales and Krone.