Lely’s annual field day event in Hanover last week showcased new mowers, a new variable chamber baler and first sight of the company’s newly acquired forage machinery, not to mention what is claimed to be the world’s largest tedder.

Lely recently acquired a minority holding in Mengele, which gave it the marketing rights to the company’s products. The deal provides Lely with a welcome and planned entry into the forage wagon market and also the trailed forage harvester scene. But UK farmers and contractors will have to wait until 2011 for their chance to buy them in Lely livery when the existing Mengele contract with RECO ends.

On the mower front, newest additions include the Splendimo 460 P, at 4.6m, and the larger 5.4m 540 P. Both models are trailed centre-pivot machines and use two Lely-built cutterbars (2.4m and 2.8m) in a Vermeer chassis. With no conditioner unit, the individually pivoting cutter bars with their hydraulic floatation systems are free to follow ground contours. Power requirement for the 460 P is said to be only 90hp with outputs of up to 7.5ha/hour (18.5 acres). Its one possible downfall is that the mower’s wheels run on the cut grass.

It’s the widest tedder in the world, claims Lely for its new 15m-wide Lotus 1500 model. Outputs of 20ha/hour are possible, says the company.

Lely also introduced a new design of its Splendimo MC and M mowers, which centres on a new headstock that reduces the weight of the mowers by more than 200kg and provides a non-stop break-away system. If the mower meets an obstacle, the cutterbar moves backwards and also lifts the machine to cut the weight on the cutterbar so that it can pass over the obstacle.

For transport, the cutterbar folds over-centre to bring the weight directly behind the middle of the tractor for a smoother ride. Mower height can be reduced by folding down the cover.

The new design will be available next season for the Splendimo 280, 320 and the new 360M and, in mower conditioner MC range, as the 240, the 280 and the new 320MC.

For those looking for a new tedder that eats acres, Lely’s new Lotus 1500 with its 15m working width could be useful. Reputed to be the biggest in the world, output is rated at 20ha/hour (50 acres) and there is news of a 20m model making an appearance next year.

Not just an extended smaller model, the 1500 has a new headstock and a twin driveline linked to an overload protection system that retains the synchronisation of the rotors.

Completing the new machinery line-up is the Lely Welger V160 variable chamber baler, which Lely describes as an entry level model. Producing bales with diameters from 0.9-1.23m (35-48in), the crop is fed into the chamber by a rotor system – there are no knives available. The bale is formed using endless belts with no connectors and a constant pressure system helps to ensure even density throughout the bale.

Lely says it is aiming the V160 at smaller acreage farmers who want an economically priced baler that can handle silage and straw.