Ryan Parkes of M & D Contracting with the 10.2 m Hibiscus rake operating near Te Awamutu this spring
Hibiscus offers huge capacity with simple design
Ryan Parkes of M & D Contracting with the 10.2 m Hibiscus rake operating near Te Awamutu this spring.
PREVIOUS problems with swath rakes breaking sent Antony Metcalfe of M & B Contracting looking for a solid, well designed machine that would have minimal down time and maximum productivity.
He found it in the Lely Hibiscus twin rotor rake that has put simplicity and solidness first. He says Lely designers have put solid build quality into a twin rotor design, rather than the complexity of a four rotor configuration.
While offering the huge 10mtre capacity of a four rotor rake, the machine folds down easily for road transport and has eliminated a lot of moving parts that a four rotor requires.
''The fabrication of the main head stock is extremely solid, it makes for a solid back bone to the whole machine,'' says Antony. A simple but solid 'T' frame set up provides a well balanced platform for the twin rotors . The 1015 does not have the long and breakable frame arms often found on machines to support the outer rotors. Lely engineers have designed completely new rotors that offer high performance and strength.
The rotors are fitted with a unique parallelogram pivoting frame which connects into the A frame of the arms. The benefits are greater adjustable working width on the go and the ability to lower and lock the rotor in transport position.
With the two rotors weighing 1.5 tonnes each, Lely have an innovative design to spread the load. The mass of each rotor is divided in two, spread between a hydraulic pressure system and an eight wheel assembly. This minimises the ground pressure and damage, even in softest soil conditions which have been prevalent this spring in the Waikato.
The unique wheel assembly also ensures excellent ground coverage by the 150 tines due to the ball joint suspension providing 'three dimensional' ground hugging coverage. ''The machine has already raked over 1000 ha in its first few weeks and it is surprising to see how well it is able to follow the ground contours on challenging fields,'' says Antony.
''We have found the 1015 is simple to operate, and can be run pretty much from the drivers seat with only a few hydraulic functions and without any electronics on the machine,'' says Antony. The high rotor speeds are achieved at only around 1600 rpm, and operators can expect to cover 6 hectares an hour.
Narrow gate ways are easily negotiated despite the rake's size, with a forced steering system running via a steering rod from the tractor linkage through to the rear wheels. Steering radius has therefore been kept to a minimum at only 4.5 meters.
The forced steering system also means the rake can be turned on headlands in one attempt.
With much of the company's business in the Te Awamutu area, with its combination of busy state highways and country roads, a machine that was safe and easily transported was essential. The detachable tine arm and foldable safety guard keep the Hibiscus under 4m high.
The Hibiscus has its own hydraulic brake system and with large 18 inch rear tyres offers excellent stability on the open road, says Antony.
''We really appreciate having a machine that is this productive, yet is relatively simple and easy to operate, it certainly does a great job for us.''