With its 30-foot cutting width, it is designed to be an efficient and dirt-free solution to harvesting corn stover for a variety of uses, including cattle feed and cellulosic ethanol.
Unlike center-discharge units, the machine allows operators to place two windrows side-by-side, significantly reducing the number of passes needed to bale the residue.
To transfer the chopped material to the right-side discharge, the unit features a hydraulically driven, 33-inch-wide draper belt design.
It also includes flow deflectors and a free-flow tunnel for unrestricted material movement through the machine. The company states that this combination of benefits reduces the plugging issues associated with the auger systems used in competitive crop shredders.
To chop the residue, the unit is equipped with a computer-balanced rotor and 4.5-inch cupped knives that create a vacuum. This suction allows the unit to operate higher off the ground, helping to reduce the risk of striking hidden objects and minimizing the amount of dirt in the windrows.
Featuring a gearbox rated at 460 horsepower, the shredder/windrow is also designed to be more durable than other crop shredders.
The design includes heavy-duty steel construction with a full frame and a slip-clutch protected, constant-velocity PTO with two six-groove banded belts and spring-loaded idlers. The main rotors turn on American-made, 2-3/16 inch ball bearings.
Other standard features include a crop diffuser, which helps discharge the residue into a well-contained windrow, and hinged canopy doors that provide easy access to the draper belt and tunnel.
Additionally, it is equipped with six swivel wheels for matching 22- or 30-inch row spacing and five hydraulic lift cylinders for height adjustment. End transport mode is standard. FG
—From Loftness news release
PHOTO
Photo courtesy of Loftness.
