THE OPTIDISC® ELITE CUTTERBAR

The Optidisc^® Elite Cutterbar: A Clean and Consistent Cut

Lubed-For-Life Optidisc® Cutterbar

The Optidisc® cutterbar provides a flat, streamlined profile so that soil and crop residue do not accumulate and material flows smoothly, even in heavy, difficult crop conditions. These mowers come standard with the Fast-Fit® quick release knife system. Optidisc cutterbars are designed and tested with a zero oil change interval. The highly-polished gears and synthetic gear oil ensure that this system does not require any regular internal maintenance, eliminating the need for cutterbar oil changes throughout the life of the machine.

Differential Disc Spacing

The innovative design of the Optidisc cutterbar offers exclusive differential disc spacing.

1. Less Distance for a Clean Cut - Narrower spacing at diverging discs provides greater knife overlap, which results in a clean cut, even when the grass is short or light.
2. More Distance for Easy Crop Passage - Wider spacing at converging discs provides more space for the crop to pass. Cut crop is quickly carried away from the cutting area, greatly improving the cut quality.

Standard Fast-Fit® Knives

The Fast-Fit® quick-release knife system allows an operator to rapidly change out cutting knives with the use of a simple tool, yet still retain optimum cut quality and knife life. With Fast-Fit, an operator can achieve up to 50% time savings over a standard system.

Protectadrive® Disc Bearing Stations

• Protectadrive® Safety: Every minute saved during the hay season is precious. Ultimate protection, from the externally removable Protectadrive disc bearing stations, provides maximum reliability and quick service. In the event of an impact between a disc and an obstacle, the shaft holding the disc can shear just above the bearing. This is thanks to its carefully dimensioned shear groove. As a result, the gear teeth are protected.
• Extra Rigidity Where it Counts: Disc bearing stations are attached by bolts that pass through the entire cutterbar. This is an exceptionally strong and secure attachment with no risk of mount being torn out of the cutterbar in case of shocks. The disc drive pinion is held precisely in place, all resulting in excellent reliability and reduced maintenance costs.
• Gear-to-Gear Power Transmission: Gear-to-gear power transmission, a staple of all KUHN disc mowers, allows for maximum power to be transferred through all gears in the cutterbar. Unlike other gear cutterbars, equal sized gears throughout reduces torque on the gear teeth and leads to unsurpassed reliability and longevity.

EXCEPTIONAL GROUND ADAPTATION

Exceptional Ground Adaptation and Maneuverability

Lift-Control Hydropneumatic Suspension

Lift-Control is much more than just a suspension system with a nitrogen accumulator replacing the traditional spring. The main advantage of the Lift-Control system is derived from the exclusive way in which kinetic forces that act on the cutterbar are utilized. KUHN engineers have succeeded in making a dynamic suspension system, as opposed to the passive system most commonly used.

With the Lift-Control system, as the force exerted on the cutterbar increases, the suspension system automatically lightens the cutterbar. The greater the force, the lighter the cutterbar.

Benefits include:

• Constant ground pressure
• Non-stop safety breakaway
• Excellent terrain following
• Less soil in the crop
• Minimize torn up turf

Active Non-Stop Safety Breakaway

No farmer can afford to damage his mower during the peak of the season because of an unnoticed obstacle or maneuvering error. On the new rear units, the mowing unit pivots rearward around the bracing pin when hitting and obstacle. In this moment, oil is transferred toward the suspension cylinder. The resulting pressure increase facilitates the mowing unit raising to clear the obstruction. Return to the initial working position is carried out nonstop.

Separate Hydraulic Lifting of Units

The possibility of lifting both rear mowing units individually via hydraulic cylinders is a big advantage on wedge-shaped fields and permits quick and easy maneuvers. This can be done directly from the cab. At the same time the system ensures a reduced ground pressure: beneficial to plant regrowth, cutterbar wear and power requirements.

Transport with Ease

Transporting a triple combination, in an upward folded position, leaves it closer to the tractor and allows the machine to have compact dimensions on the road, a center of gravity close to the tractor and a reduced load on the rear tractor axle.

UNIFORM CROP CONTIONING

DigiDry® Finger Conditioner

The DigiDry® finger conditioner provides consistent drying of grass and legume crops in various conditions with little maintenance. Wide rotor, fingerstyle conditioning increase crop-on-crop rubbing to strip off the waxy cuticle helping the steams dry at the same rate as the leaves. The built-in breakback feature normally protects against damage from rock and other foreign materials.

Diamond Block® Conditioning

Diamond Block® conditioning rollers stand out from the competition as the only rubber roller set designed exclusively for a disc mower. The horizontal staggered diamond pattern gives more points for the crop to be crimped as it flows off the disc at an angle. Adjustment of the roll pressure and roll gap is simple and can be done quickly in the field.

Direct Drive Design

The direct drive design to the conditioner provides easy access for servicing and fully eliminates belts. Reliability is greatly improved when working in longer crops such as ryegrass.

Built-In Rotor Protection

To help prevent damage to the conditioner gearbox in the unlikely event of an overload or ingestion of a large foreign object, the shear bolt hub allows the operator to clear the obstruction from the conditioner, quickly rotate the inner hub into position, install the new shear bolt and return to mowing.

Conditioning Adjustments

Easily adjust between two rotor speeds, 755 or 1,000 rpm, via a handle on each unit. Single-point conditioning intensity adjustment speeds up and adapts to differing crop types or volumes. Conditioning hood adjustment is also very simple as it is at one single point per head.