The 2010 silage season may seem a long way off, but grass machinery companies are already announcing their new-season machines. The latest is Vicon, which has introduced its largest tedder to date.

The 10-rotor Fanex 1403C spans a substantial 13.5m working width and tops off the existing Pro Line tedder models that come in 5.5m, 6.8m, 7.6m, 9m and 11m versions.

It uses oil-immersed, maintenance-free gearboxes for its tedding rotors which, the company claims, contributes to lower running costs and improves machine longevity.

Each of the tedder’s 1.76m diameter rotors carry seven tine arms fitted with 10mm diameter tines and 80mm spring coils. These strong tines allow the intensity of the tedding action to be adjusted to suit different crop densities.

The 1403C’s tedding action is adjusted by changing the working height throughout any of three settings for each rotor’s ground wheels, a task that is achieved without the need for tools.

Further adjustability is available for tedding around the field boundary. The end three rotors on the right-hand side can be swung hydraulically rearwards, independently to the rest of the machine, to spread the crop away from the field boundary.

Carried on a trailed chassis with a linkage-mounted swivelling headstock, the Fanex 1403C requires a tractor of just 80hp to operate, despite the tedder’s wide working width.

The trailed chassis also simplifies transport, as the wing sections of the Fanex 1403C are first folded vertically, before the end sections – each carrying the outer three rotors – are folded forward on to a supporting frame.

This gives a transport width measuring less than 3m and an overall height of 3.65m.

List price of the Vicon Fanex 1403C Pro Line tedder is £24,735.