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Pöttinger, four rakes for wide areas

by Giacomo Di Paola
July - August - September 2020 | Back

Pöttinger recently presented four new rake models, two single-rotor and two two-rotor models. The single-rotor machinery, TOP 422 A and TOP 462 A, half-carried, are available in working widths of 4.2 and 4.6 meters. As far as two-rotor applications are concerned, TOP 632 A has a working width from 3.4 to 6.3 meters for the single side swath and 6.3 meters for the double swath. The TOP 692 A model, with two rotors as well, stands out for its “first-class” performance thanks to a working width from 3.7 to 6.9 meters for the single side windrow, and 7.4 meters for the double windrow. The single-rotor rakes - the manufacturer’s technical note states - have been designed to be combined with medium-low power tractors because, being towed models, they do not require lifting force. A further asset is a system of hooking and unhooking from the tractor.

This system uses a parallelogram drawbar to connect the application to the drawbar using the coupling plate. When planning the new rakes, the Pöttinger designers have also given special attention to the operator’s comfort. This is why the German company has provided for handling the hydraulic lifting of the machinery, designed for road transport, directly from the driver’s seat. The hydraulic cylinders mounted on the chassis and drawbar ensure 50 cm clearance from the ground. At the same time, Ballon 18.5 x 8.5-8 tires provide a smooth ride both on the road and in the field.

The distinctive features of the semi-mounted models TOP 632 A and TOP 692 A with two rotors and tandem axles are their mobility, frame strength, and ability to adapt to the ground’s morphology. This is made possible by the double feeler wheels and the MULTITAST feeler wheels positioned in front of the rotors. Furthermore, the chassis has been designed to allow both rotors to adapt - one independently of the other - to the ground outline, also thanks to the cardanic hooking system of the rear rotor and to the wide gaps between the joints of the chassis itself, which allow a three-dimensional adaptation of the rotors to the ground irregularities. The joint behind the angular motion box handles the vertical adjustment, while the frame joint and the cardan joint between the frame and the impeller manage the transversal adjustment of the rear impeller. The Austrian manufacturer’s specific construction architecture is beneficial as it protects the tines and does not leave unprocessed forage behind. Another plus of Pöttinger’s two top-of-the-range products is their stability on the slopes. From this point of view, the technical solutions envisaged by the Grieskirchen-based company concern the carriages of the (large-sized) rotors, the AS-profile tires on the rear axles, and the positioning of the frame of the second rotor, which has been placed 650 mm in front of the central point of the first one (so the rake keeps the track, offering sufficient overlap when cornering). The big rudder support plate also helps to improve the stability of the TOP 632 A and TOP 692 A and is effective not only on slopes but also in bends.

 

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