Automatic tine height adjustment to ensure a clean sweep at high working speeds in heavy crops is a new feature of the flagship model in the Fendt Former grass rake range.

The Isobus-equipped Former 14055 Pro four-rotor machine – adjustable to cover working widths from 11.5m to 13.8m – compensates for the tines being bent back by the weight of crop at higher speeds with the aim of maintaining consistently clean raking performance.

When lowered into the working position, each rotor adjusts to the operator’s pre-set tine height.

Once under way, sensors monitor the load on the tines and, if necessary, the “flexHigh” system lowers each rotor a touch to maintain the required tip height above the soil surface so that no forage is left behind.

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After coming to a standstill, the rotors lift beyond the working height for added clearance – and in each case, the tine height is shown on the tractor’s Isobus terminal.

The display also shows the overlap between the front and rear rotors and sounds an alarm if it is insufficient through turns to gather up all the grass.

In addition, a new memory function enables operators to log working width, swath width and tine height settings for later recall.

LED lighting, new guarding to protect hydraulic components and improved hydraulic couplings also feature on the latest version of the machine, which is priced £92,000.

Conditioner options

Fendt’s Slicer 860 rear-mounted butterfly mower covering 8.3m to 8.6m widths in combination with a front unit can now be had with a choice of conditioning systems in addition to the existing plain disc-mowing version.

While the “RC” inter-meshing roller option caters for delicate leafy crops, the “KC” pigtail tine conditioner is best suited to grass, bruising the stems to encourage a faster wilt in the field.

A counter-knife comb is adjustable to one of five positions to vary the intensity of this action and, like the roller conditioner, the tine version is driven from the main gearbox with shear-bolt protection.

The Slicer 860 KC is priced £53,625.

Fendt Slicer 860 © Fendt