There’s plenty to be positive about in the grass and tillage machinery sector, according to brothers Heinz and Klaus Pottinger. Despite announcing an 18% year-on-year decline in turnover to €182 million, the company has retained nearly all of its staff during the downturn, and cleared the supply chain ready for growth in the year to come.

The first half of 2010 has been encouraging too, Heinz Pottinger adds, indicating that the down swing has perhaps lost it’s momentum. The company has enjoyed growth in markets like Poland (more than €1.83m year-on-year) and Italy (at €0.75m) while Nordic countries are also showing potential. A Russian arm of the business has also been established, with sales projected to be close to €2m for the current season, more than double that of last year.

Alpha-motion Novacat

Launched in 2006, the Novacat alpha-motion front mower has had an overhaul and now boasts a new, high capacity conditioner, a fibre glass headstock which is 10% lighter and enhance “ground-hugging” properties. The floating headstock allows the entire mower frame to glide over contours, says the company, giving a clean swath even at high speed and in wet conditions. The Pottinger-built cutter bar remains the same, while the conditioner plate has been raised to give a quicker, more even wilt. The toolbox, mounted on the headstock, holds everything needed to keep you going in the field and the conditioner is fully detachable. It’s now available in three widths: 2.6m, 3m and 3.5m.

Mex Trailed forager

The Mex trailed forager range now has a taller, 4.26m fully hydraulic chute, a new in-cab controller and hydraulically controlled drawbar with swivel hitch for safer travel on the road. Internals remain pretty much the same on both the trailed Mex 6 and reverse drive Mex 5 machines, but controls have been tweaked to make the range more user friendly. There’s now a rotary maize header on offer with corn cracker, too, as well as a 1.9m grass pick-up and hydraulic wheel lift. The Mex 6 will be on show at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show 2010 next week at the NEC.

TOP 852 C s-line

Having launched the range-topping 972 CS Line centre delivery rake at Agritechnica, a more UK-friendly 853 C s-line is now available. With 7.75 to 8.55m adjustable width, the model shares the modular design of its larger siblings, meaning that if an arm gets damaged only that piece needs to be replaced.

The rotor lifting system give a ground clearance of 60cm, thanks to the axle being located within the arc of the rotor, resulting in a jet effect when lifting in and out of work. With a rotor diameter of 3.7m and 13 tine arms, transport height is kept below 4m and operators don’t have to remove any arms before going on the road.

Novacat rear disc mowers

Two new high-output rear disc mowers are now available. The 402 and 442 Novacat models cut 3.88m and 4.3m respectively and need in the region of 150hp to pull them. UK farmers have been asking for a high capacity disc mowers, according to Shaun Groom, and the new models are fitted with hydraulic offset so as to not put undue load on the tractor.

Vitasem drill

The Vitasem box-type drill is now available in 3m and 4m widths with a dual disc system, both in piggy-back or trailed denominations. Handed down from the larger Terrasem models, one disc runs in front of the other cutting, while the back disc opens the slit ready for the seed. This takes about 50% less pressure than a conventional coulter system and results in less hair-pinning of trash in the process, says Mr Groom. You can have the coulters in two positions, one for sweeping trash away and one for digging and each cutting disc exerts 25kg pressure. The seed delivery point is in front of the disc hub to ensure accurate positioning.

Servo 25 plough

In response to a strong demand from UK farmers for a price conscious 4-furrow plough, Pottinger now offer the Servo 25. Suitable for tractors around the 120hp mark, it’s fitted with a 100mm by 100mm by 10mm beam, and comes with a choice of solid mouldboards, shearbolt reset and a set of skims for £7900. There is an auto-reset Nova spec available. LandMec Pottinger has sold in the region of 20 so far this year in the UK.