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First-Of-Its-Kind 16-Ft Swath Turner
"We saved up to 50% of our crop with it a few falls ago when it rained for three weeks after we cut hay. By the time the rain finally stopped, there was a lot of new growth coming up through the swaths, but we were still able to pick them up. Otherwise, we'd have lost the whole crop," says Doug Finlay about a prototype
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First-Of-Its- Kind 16-Ft Swath Turner HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Rakes (44) 19-6-3 "We saved up to 50% of our crop with it a few falls ago when it rained for three weeks after we cut hay. By the time the rain finally stopped, there was a lot of new growth coming up through the swaths, but we were still able to pick them up. Otherwise, we'd have lost the whole crop," says Doug Finlay about a prototype one-of-a-kind center-pivot swath turner his company built a few years ago.
The swath turner features a 16-ft. wide pickup, which is a full 10 ft. wider than that on the biggest commercial swath turner available. Finlay built it to match his 16-ft. wide New Holland 116 haybine.
"It lets us pick up one swath and lay it on top of the adjacent one to make a bigger swath for faster hauling in wet or dry conditions," explains Finlay, who raises alfalfa and brome near Rapid City, Manitoba.
Built entirely from scratch, the swath turner's pickup trails 10 ft. behind the tractor it's pulled with, thanks to the gooseneck hitch attached to a unique hydraulic center pivot on top of the machine's frame.
"The hitch swings the swath turner the same way a hydraswing haybine does so you can pull the header off to either side of the tractor or directly behind it," says Finlay. "That way it doesn't matter where your swath is. You can always pick it up without riding over it with the tractor."
The pickup uses three 4-in. dia. rollers to gather hay. Belts, made out of standard pickup canvas laced together in a 16-ft.
width, handle the hay coming off the pickup. Belts are driven hydraulically, as is the pickup. It can be run flush with the ground or can be raised up to 2112 ft. high.
With pickup rollers turning at 175 rpm's, the turner will stand the swath on end, while at 350 rpm's it'll turn it completely over, Finlay says. Swaths can also be dropped off either side of the machine with a bi-directional belt control system that's operated from the tractor cab.
"We've been fine-tuning it for three years and have all the bugs worked out. It works equally well in wet or dry conditions," says Finlay. "We think there's a real need for it in the marketplace."
Selling price of the machine, which could be available as early as next season, will be an estimated $18,000 (Canacian). -
Contact: D K Manufacturing, Box 176, Rapid City, Manitoba, Canada ROK 1 WO (ph 204 826-2226).
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