“We’ve been running a pair of 13m tedders, but needed a bit more reliability and durability from our kit,” explains James Seaton. “We’ve tried pretty much all of the wide models on demo, and the Kverneland model seemed to be the most well-engineered of the lot.”
As a forage contractor, James says that the business needs plenty of tedding capacity, but recognises that every year’s weather patterns, are different.
“Most of the time, we need a lot of tedding capacity for our hay and haylage workload,” he says.
“But in some of the catchy years, like this one, we’ll also be asked to ted grass for silage. In this instance, the key to hitting dry matter targets is to get the grass flipped over and spread out as soon as possible after mowing, so it can start to dry out. And to do that efficiently, you do need wide kit.”
Wide Tedders and the Advantage of Slower Forward Speeds
James says that the wider models, such as the Kverneland 85156C, create the opportunity to travel at a slower forward speed, typically that of a brisk walking pace.
“There are several advantages for going slower,” he says.
“Firstly, it doesn’t shake the kit to pieces and secondly, it gives time for the rotors to properly handle high volumes of grass. Tedding is a job that does not need lots of horsepower, it’s a very fuel-efficient job.”
Supplied by local Kverneland dealer Battlefield Machinery, James' new Kverneland 85156C trailed tedder features 14 small-diameter rotors that create generous overlap and maintain high performance even in heavy crops.
With a its 15.6-meter working width, the 85156C ensures consistent, even crop distribution across the entire swath.
“That extra 2.6 meter working width, over our old 13 meter model, is worth having” he says.
“Field sizes vary so much, but with auto-steering we can make the most of what we have. This machine will easily cover 30 acres/hour.”
TerraFlow Ground Following System, Contamination Control, and Ease of Adjustment
Thanks to the Kverneland 85156C’s TerraFlow ground-following system and flexible frame design, each rotor unit can move independently of the trailed chassis, ensuring precise contour following across uneven terrain.
This independent flotation makes the tedder able to maintain a horizontally constant tine working height, across its entire working width.
A hydraulically operated swath board can also be used to prevent over-spreading on the first run around the outside of the headland.
“I really like the way this tedder hugs ground contours, and it leaves nothing behind – yet it stays well clear of the ground, reducing contamination,” he says.
“Rotor height adjustment is easily changed using a spool valve, and the whole machine is worked from the tractor hydraulics, rather than a complicated control box. And I like that.”
Transport, Manoeuvrability, and Ease of Use
“The Kverneland 85156C is a very simple tedder that anyone could use,” he adds.
“And the whole lot folds up neatly onto a trailed chassis that keeps the transport width under 3m, which is great for the distances we travel for our customers.”
