Kuhn Farm Machinery has released a new 13m tedder, the GF 13003 T, which reportedly folds twice as fast as the outgoing GF 13012 and is fitted with new rotors and tines that are expected to last twice as long. It also features a new reversible drawbar that will allow the machine to be hitched to a wider range of tractors.
“With this new tedder Kuhn has concentrated on saving time and extending the life of the machine. It still has 12 rotors, but these have been upgraded to reduce wear,” said product specialist Thomas Ferrand.
The new tines are expected to last twice as long due to an increase in the tine diameter to 10mm and uprated springs which are 80mm, instead of 70mm. “The wider tine with a larger and stronger spring makes the GF 13003 T more resilient than the previous model which is expected to double the life of the tines,” Mr Ferrand added.
The single-movement folding mechanism works directly off of the tractor spool with no control box or electric sensors needed, with folding and unfolding times said to be just 20 to 25 seconds.
An anti-loss function on the tine is now a standard feature, enabling the tine height to be set hydraulically. The GF 13003 T also offers improved ground adaption thanks to a choice of new wheels which will reportedly help operators calibrate the machine to ground conditions.
The company’s Ground Save Control (GSC) system will also enable the rotor train to move independently of the carrying frame.
When in use the weight of the chassis is supported by the large transport wheels while the small-diameter rotors are independently suspended, allowing each unit to follow the ground without scraping the soil. This not only reduces contamination but also tine tip wear.
To improve transportation, Kuhn has also reduced the length of the GF 13003 T by almost 50cm to just 6m, making the machine easier to manoeuvre and minimising the storage space.
For more information go to www.kuhn.co.uk