A tungsten carbide coating not only prolongs the service life of Schumacher’s latest straw chopper knives but also promotes a self-sharpening effect to maintain performance.

The PrimeLine knives added to the manufacturer’s Radura product group have a tungsten carbide coating applied using laser cladding technology to the upper side of the knife only.

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As the carrier material wears, the blade retains a sharp smooth or serrated cutting flank, with strong resistance to the edge being rounded off.

Improved performance

Dull straw chopper knives significantly increase power requirement and therefore fuel consumption, while also reducing the effectiveness of putting material through a chopper to leave a fine, evenly distributed material that will break down rapidly in the soil.

The PrimeLine knives are designed to last longer overall and to maintain an effective cutting edge through their service life.

Schumacher’s Radura range of individual knives and fitting kits is reckoned to cover all combine straw chopper makes and models.

Knives come with smooth or serrated edges and in straight and Paddle versions, the latter being slightly twisted to set the cutting section at an angle.

Mounted in pairs in a mixture of the same and opposing angles, the design is said to create sufficient increased airflow through the chopper assembly for straw and chaff to be spread more evenly across widths of 6.5-9m behind the combine.