Pottinger is never a company to be caught napping and from its latest flurry of news it emerges that it has a novel Curvetech rake and some new lightweight mowers.
The Top 632 A Curvetech rake is a twin-rotor machine that can either form one or two swaths, depending on how the rear rotor is positioned in relation to the front.
Curvetech frame
Pottinger has achieved this by mounting the rear rotor on an arm that can swing from near the centre line right out to a working width of 6.3m, when in double swath mode.
The rear rotor, which is connected to the front one by a flexible frame, is steered to the left or right by a hydraulic ram, which also allows for obstacles to be avoided while keeping the row in a straight line.
An automatic steering system is also incorporated into the new rake with two hydraulic cylinders working together to steer the rear rotor.
When cornering, an additional linkage between the front pivot point of the main frame and the rams, ensures an optimised overlap of the two rotor units. The optimal working width can therefore be achieved by the Curvetech system, according to Pottinger.
Lightweight mowers
Pottinger has also introduced three lightweight disc mowers which have been specifically designed for work on slopes.
The mowers have working widths of 2.2m-3m and are built for use on the front of either tractors or alpine twin-axle mowers, such as the Reform Metrac, which is also specifically designed for alpine farming.
Weight has been saved by careful design of the frame and the drive train to the cutter bar. The centre of gravity has also been kept as close to the tractor as possible.
Being models designed for work in areas where grass growth is not as generous as it is in Ireland, it is unclear as to whether we will see them in Ireland or the UK in the near future.
