Wide spread produces faster wilt

A KRONE EasyCut R 320 CV mower-conditioner has enabled an East Sussex firm to increase output and speed up the production of the high quality conserved forage it provides to the equine sector.

A good, fast and even wilt is essential to high quality hay and haylage.  That requirement was the main reason Southern Hay and Haylage changed its mower two seasons ago.  The family business is  run by Martin Holden, his son Mike and daughter Briony and specialises in providing the equine sector across the South of England with hay, haylage and bedding, the conserved fodder taken off 850 acres at Jenners Farm, Plumpton.

"Haylage is taken in two cuts off 600 acres, hay off 250 acres," says Mike Holden, who explains the reason for the change to a KRONE EasyCut R 320 CV mower conditioner.  "The previous mower, a 3m model, was power hungry and the cut was not as good as we wanted," he says, "but the main reason was the conditioner, the speed of wilt it produced wasn't fast enough."

When they decided to change the mower, their local dealer suggested they try the KRONE EasyCut R 320 CV - and they were impressed.  The mower purchased was specified with the hydraulic bed pressure option.

"The mower produces a nice finish, an even flat cut, as the hydraulic bed pressure function is operator friendly as it allows the pressure to be changed to suit the conditions from the tractor seat.  And the wide-spread facility enables the material to be spread right out in an even mat in both thick and thin crops," says Mr Holden.

In combination with the V-shaped steel tine conditioner unit, this feature allows the crop to be left for a day to wilt, which takes half a day off the time it took with the previous mower.

Mike also remarks on the increase in output provided by the R 320 CV.  "The hydraulic bed pressure is altered on-the-move, rather than manually with the mower stationary," he says, "and you can go faster, especially in thinner crops, without affecting the evenness of cut; our average mowing speed is 15kph, compared to 8kph with the previous mower.  We run the mower behind a New Holland T7.210 tractor and it is not as power hungry so there is also a saving in fuel consumption.  Also, the mower is safer in transport; as it folds up behind the tractor the weight is spread over both wheels."

The R 320 CV is not the only KRONE machine to have made its mark at Jenners Farm.  "We've changed all our kit to KRONE," Mike says, "If any tedding is required it is done with an 8.8m KRONE 8-rotor tedder and raking up is with a twin rotor KRONE Swadro variable width.  Other than 650 round hay bales, the crops are baled with a KRONE BiGPack 870 HDP large square baler with the MultiBale system."

Another of the R 320 CV's features that the Holdens appreciate comes into its own at the end of the season.  "The mower is taken off the linkage in transport position," Mike explains, "we really like it as it means when stored the mower does not take up a lot of space in the shed."