Ys and wherefores
Ys and wherefores
ADOPTING the same Y-shaped conditioning steel tines as the 1350 and 1360 trailed mowers, has, according to John Deere, enabled high inertia for a smoother flow of crop on its latest mounted mowers.
Designated the 2.4m (8ft) 324 and 2.8m (9ft 3in) 328, the mowers use cutting discs suspended on a new hydro pneumatic suspension system for float and more precise following over ground contours.
After coupling, the cutting and conditioning unit pivots around a central shaft mounted on a hanging arm attached to the main body. A hydraulic break-away system protects the mower from damage if it hits large objects such as a tree or telegraph pole and for transport, the whole arm and mower deck folds back lengthways behind the tractor, giving a transport width less than 2.5m (8ft 3in).
A single lever is used to adjust the cutting hood through six positions giving swath widths for each machine from 1.1m to 1.6m (3ft 6in to 5ft 3in) and 1.3m to 2.0m (4ft 3in to 6ft 6in).
The mowers, which are priced at £8500 for the 2.4m version and £9500 for the 2.8m, will be available this season in limited numbers with full production starting next year.