Pottinger has added two new mower combinations to its range, the Novaca V 8400 and Novacat V 9200, which the company describes as having a high output combined with a compact design.
With maximum working widths of 8.40m and 9.20m, they are the smaller siblings of the Novacat V 10000, launched last year.
Keeping it close
The angle of the booms allows for a short headstock, creating a lightweight configuration with the centre of gravity closer to the tractor.
This design feature allows the mower set to be operated by the more powerful, but shorter, four-cylinder tractors which are coming on to the market.
The cutter bar is 4cm high and 28cm deep, and is designed for optimum crop flow and ground tracking.
Ground tracking is also helped by the centre pivot mounting on the mower units which provides a floating travel of + 20° / -16° while hydraulic weight alleviation provides uniform ground pressure over the whole cutter-bar width.
Damage avoidance
The nonstop lift hydraulic collision-safety device is said to provide optimum protection of the cutter bar. In addition, the mower copes with unexpected obstacles by folding backwards and at the same time raising the boom. By doing so, damage to the mower is prevented even at higher speeds, according to Pottinger.
There are two systems available for operating the mower combinations. The first is the standard Basicline preselect which allows the separate lifting of mower units with just the one spool valve.
As an option, the ISOBUS-compatible Selectline preselect control system is also available. When fitted, the automatic individual lift system makes it easier to mow awkwardly shaped fields.
In addition, if the tractor offers headland management, then individual lifting using two separate spool valves is also possible.
Automatic locking
For road transport, the mower is hydraulically folded vertically through 92° and then locked hydraulically in the transport position.
When attaching and detaching the mower combination, the retractable front guard provides sufficient space between the tractor tyres and the mower.
Both mower combinations are available with swath formers, ED tine-type conditioners or RC roller conditioners.
Mower combinations to match trend
Pottinger is the latest company to develop mowers that can be used by the new breed of power-dense tractors.
150hp from four cylinders is an attractive option for tractor manufacturers as it allows a less costly engine to be used, but it does narrow the options when it comes to finding implements that can use the power but are not too big as to overwhelm the tractor’s mass on headlands or uneven ground.
These new mower combinations go some way to providing an implement which can use the power of the physically smaller 150hp+ tractors now coming on to the market.
