John Deere is expanding its range of premium mower-conditioners and balers with the introduction of a new triple mower-conditioner and an updated L1533 large square baler, designed to increase harvesting capacity for contractors and large farming operations.
New triple mower-conditioner (TMC)
The new TMC consists of a front-mounted and two rear-mounted mower-conditioners.
To achieve the maximum cutting width of 9.9m, an F350R 3.5m wide front mower-conditioner can be combined with the largest available R990R rear-mounted units. The combination of the smaller F310R front-mounted mower with either the R950R or R870R rear mowers reduces the cutting width to 9.5 or 8.7m respectively.
The mowers’ new frame design makes them easier to attach, gives the operator better visibility and improves the floating capability of the machines. By following ground contours more precisely, these new mower-conditioners provide more uptime by reducing the risk of damage on uneven ground. Furthermore, hydraulic overlapping of the mower units from 30 to 50cm ensures the best possible performance under all conditions.
The mower cutterbars are equipped with a lifelong lubrication system and feature a quick knife exchange (QKE) system, to provide optimum cutting quality and keep maintenance costs to a minimum. High conditioning quality and a smooth swath are produced by the newly designed preloaded tine impeller, which helps the crop to dry faster.
In addition, a new tractor cab display helps the operator to make necessary adjustments such as ground pressure, working width and individual lifting of the mower units to clear obstacles or avoid damage.
New large square baler features
John Deere’s L1533 large square baler, which produces 90 x 80cm bales, will feature a number of enhancements for the 2016 season to provide contractors with more capacity and uptime.
The new 2.3m pick-up is 20cm wider than on the previous model and features five tine bars, which increase the machine’s feeding capacity. The baler is also now equipped with 15 MaxiCut precutter knives instead of 10, allowing cutting length to be shortened to 45mm for better compaction and higher bale density. For easier maintenance, the knives can be exchanged using a sliding tray.
New bale wrapping solutions
John Deere will be offering new bale wrapping solutions in 2016 for variable chamber balers.
A 50 per cent stronger HD (high density) net will be available for the 900 Series balers. Depending on bale diameter, this will cut baling time by up to 7.5 per cent at no extra cost.
John Deere will also be introducing its exclusive B-Wrap for 800 and 900 Series variable chamber balers, for storing dry hay and straw bales outdoors more safely.
Installed in kit form on the baler, B-Wrap helps to significantly reduce dry matter losses compared to netwrapping. Cut to the appropriate length, two layers of composite material protect the bale from bad weather and ground moisture.
The resulting increases in sustainable bale quality and storage flexibility fully compensate for the slightly higher material cost per bale. Operators can also easily switch from conventional netwrapping to baling with B-Wrap, if required.
