Whole-crop harvest offered Chanpion choice
Whole-crop harvest offered Chanpion choice
THOSE involved in whole-crop harvesting now have a new direct cut header range to consider.
The Champion range, available from Anker Machinery, is said to be suitable for use with most makes of self-propelled harvesters and offers cutting widths from 4.1m to 6.0m.
The crop is cut by a Busatis double reciprocating knife – hydraulically driven on the 6m header – with material being conveyed to the centre of the table by a 625mm-diameter auger. A variable speed reel helps to feed the crop on to the table and, to achieve an even cutting height, the table is supported on steel rollers. For the 4.1m and 4.7m headers there is an option of a disc mower.
One of the first users of the Champion direct cut header, which can be used in grass, whole crop cereals and peas, is Essex-based contractor, John Burden.
He reports that, having used the header to cut 120ha (300 acres) this year, overall performance has been good and his 600hp forage harvester has been working to maximum output.
"The build quality is generally good but we have had problems when adjustment to the rake of the reel resulted in the tine bars being twisted," he says. "The hydraulic motor mounting driving the reel also cracked but we managed to sort things out."
Even so, Mr Burden feels that the Champion headers, with their low power requirement, number among the best headers for whole crop work available.
Prices for the Champion range of direct cut headers start from £18,000 depending on specification, make and model of forage harvester. *
Whole-crop harvesting with the Champion direct cut header now available from Anker Machinery.