Photo: Pöttinger
The Pöttinger Cross Flow auger merges the mown hay into a single swath immediately after mowing, preventing forage losses.
As it operates without a conditioner, it is lighter, reducing compaction and saving fuel. The cross-flow auger consumes 20% less power than a cross conveyor belt system.
According to Valtrac, the South African distributor of Pöttinger, local trials have demonstrated the value of this option for haymaking and silage operations.
The Cross Flow system is driven by the outer mower disc, a second gearbox on the outside, three V-belts, and a double universal joint. Uniquely, the machine features a diagonally arranged auger with progressive pitch windings; this continuously conveys a large volume of hay laterally to form a uniform swath.
When mowing the boundaries of the land, the cross-flow auger can be used to move the mown crop further into the land, containing it inside the boundary for efficient tedding.
The auger also turns the hay over, providing a conditioning effect. For more intensive drying, the rear flap can be opened to place an airier blanket of material across the full width of the mower.
Fuel saving and large windrows
By combining a Novacat A10 Cross Flow mower with a 3m-wide front-mounted
mower, a farmer can mow up to 19m in two passes. The two windrows can be blended in a single pass with a two-rotor centre swath rake or a four-rotor rake.
This results in significant fuel saving while producing large windrows to take full advantage of the capacity of the high-powered forage harvesters now coming onto the market.
Joe Spencer is the mechanisation editor of Farmer’s Weekly.
