Highland tedders can ted and turn separately

Spelle, 1 July 2020. Complementing its new offering of Highland mowers, Krone also presents a new range of tedders called Vendro that are specifically designed to perform in mountain regions. The new models are the Vendro Highland 420 4-rotor rake, the Vendro Highland 620 6-rotor rake and the Vendro Highland 820 8-rotor model as the first 8-rotor rake specifically for mountainous regions.

All features at a glance
The three Highland rakes stand out for their modern styling and compact, light-pulling design that offers close attachment (two options) to compact mountain tractors thereby shifting only minimum weight to the rear axle. All new Highland tedders share the same 1.38m diameter rotors with 5 tine arms and standard damping rods that provide maximum stability on steep slopes and smooth castering. The headland position is preset and retrieved conveniently from the cab, a boon that prevents the same area being tedded twice and ensures optimum wilting.
As another innovative feature, the Highland tedders have the new Krone OptiTurn rotor concept. This has the gauge wheels on the rotors run in close vicinity with the orbiting Krone OptiTurn tines to the effect of exceptionally close ground hugging. The 3D OptiTurn tines themselves reflect a new and patented design, gathering the material very thoroughly and spreading it with maximum accuracy. The new tedders also score on quick and safe storage in the shed, courtesy of wide front-mounted stands. The stand at the rear pivots in its mounting to compensate for the retracting movement of the damping rods when the machine is being removed from the tractor. This concept of storage position takes the machine weight off the gauge wheels.

Robust and frictional connections for first-class performance
All Highland tedders feature a robust section steel frame in the form of a V which stands out for exemplary load absorption, maximum stability, superb tracking and first-class manoeuvrability. The V-shaped design is also shared by the updated caster-steer headstock which offers four different coupling positions for the top link. A slotted hole is standard and is used when fitting a leading gauge wheel. The pivoting suspension mechanism and the lower link couplers provide the frame and arms with maximum ground hugging flexibility. Perfect lower link and top link coupling also optimises the transport experience behind small tractors.

The hydraulic damping rods ensure the machine follows the tractor accurately and smoothly for a perfect spread and uniform distribution of the material in extreme conditions. In addition to that, the raised machine is stabilised automatically and gently aligned centre so it won’t tilt downhill. In addition, the damping rods control the leading tines so they move up when being raised, avoiding poking into the ground.
The new Vendro Highland tedders are also available with a hydraulic border spreading curtain which is adjusted conveniently from the operator seat. The position of the gauge wheels is altered by a central hydraulic ram that controls the border spreading linkage system. The angle of the rotor wheels is altered conveniently and infinitely variably from left to right for tedding uphill and counteracting drift. This way, the forage is tedded in the best possible way even in the steepest of fields and across the full work width.

Like all other Krone tedders, the new Highland models have an all-mechanical driveline which was optimised in terms of efficiency and weight for effortless work on the slope. The driveline comprises the main gearbox with overrunning clutch, the driveshafts, the OctoLink finger clutches and the gearboxes on the rotors. Krone tedders do without universal joints that would require daily lubrication. Instead they have maintenance-free 8-finger OctoLink clutches which provide frictional connections for dependable operation at all times. Like all gearboxes on all Krone tedders, the sealed rotor gearboxes are maintenance-free and run in liquid grease for minimum service and maintenance. All components are lighter-weight now to reduce the overall machine weight – a detail that contributes to the extraordinary light pulling experience without compromising on stability and functionality.

The new Krone OptiTurn technology separates tedding from turning
The new Highland tedders feature the Krone OptiTurn technology as standard. This arranges each gauge wheel very closely to the orbiting rotor tines, ensuring exemplary contouring, minimal losses and uncontaminated forage in very uneven terrain. The two new and three-dimensional tines in each pair are of unequal lengths for clean gathering and precise spreads. Another boon for precision contouring is the relatively small 1.38m rotor diameter.
As another asset, Krone OptiTurn allows operators to use the machine either exclusively as a tedder with conditioning effect or as a turner that merely turns the forage for optimum drying. The preferred mode is set by altering the angle of throw, choosing from four different positions to suit the application at hand. Setting the rotors to a steep angle results in intensive conditioning, setting it to a shallow angle will turn the forage and promote wilting.

Specified to needs
All Vendro Highland models are available with a headland lift-out feature which is either standard or optional depending on the model. This raises the machine to a fixed headland position, which prevents turning the same material twice. Another clever feature is that the machine weight is shifted to the tractor during the headland turn, reducing the risk of tractor wheels scuffing and slipping on slopes.
Further optional specifications are warning panels complete with LED lights (with integral Krone logo) for safer road transport and also an extra leading gauge wheel – a bonus in extremely uneven and bumpy terrain.
What’s also available is a push-on gearbox that reduces the rotor speed so that one rotor pair is producing narrow night swaths. This version is recommendable for hay production where farmers seek reduced swath surfaces for the night to minimise dewfall and cut wilting times.