Aug. 25, 2019 07:08 PM

New design offers smooth crop feeding, better windrow formation and simplified service points

This item has been supplied by a forage marketer and has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hay & Forage Grower.

  • The Hesston by Massey Ferguson® Model MF1316S RazorEdge™ pull-type disc mower conditioner is built to optimize crop throughput and quality, helping operators cut and condition more acres in a day.

  • New, easy-to-service belt-drive augers at the ends of this 16-foot, center-pivot mower conditioner move the crop quickly to the conditioners, minimizing double cuts, crop wrapping and buildup. The result is uniform windrows that dry faster and more evenly, enhancing the operator’s ability to form a heavy, dense, evenly shaped bale that preserves the quality of hay and forage.

  • The MF1316S replaces the MF1395 as the largest of the heavy-duty, fully welded-frame 1300 Series of RazorEdge pull-type disc mower conditioners.

  • The machine’s unique RazorEdge cutterbar ensures a smooth, clean cut; the industry-exclusive hydraulically tensioned conditioner system reduces drying time to optimize crop quality; and the optional quick-change knife system, with the only one-handed quick-change tool in the industry, enhances operator convenience and safety.

Hesston by Massey Ferguson®, the industry-leading hay equipment brand from AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), introduced the new Model MF1316S RazorEdge™ pull-type disc mower conditioner to North American producers during Farm Progress Show 2019. The new 16-foot, center-pivot mower conditioner is built to optimize crop throughput and quality as well as serviceability, helping operators cut and condition more acres in a day.

The MF1316S replaces the MF1395 as the largest of the heavy-duty, fully welded-frame 1300 Series of RazorEdge pull-type mower conditioners. New, easy-to-service belt-drive augers at the ends of the header move the crop quickly to the conditioners, minimizing the chance of double cuts, crop wrapping and buildup. The result is uniform windrows that dry faster and more evenly, enhancing the baler operator’s ability to form a heavy, dense, evenly shaped bale while preserving the quality of hay or forage.

The unique RazorEdge cutterbar ensures a smooth, clean cut; the industry-exclusive hydraulically tensioned conditioner system on the MF1316S reduces drying time to optimize crop quality; and the optional quick-change knife system, with the only one-handed quick-change tool in the industry, enhances operator convenience and safety.

“The new design of the MF1316S disc mower conditioner improves the machine’s performance for maximum crop throughput and a uniform, quick-drying windrow behind the machine,” says Matt LeCroy, hay and forage product marketing manager at AGCO. “Our goal is to help producers create a wide, flat windrow for fast drydown. The result is higher quality hay and forage for your livestock and your customers.”

Improvements help move more crop faster

Several new design elements help operators of the new MF1316S disc mower conditioner take full advantage of the increased throughput capacity:

New belt-drive stub augers at the ends of the header improve crop feeding into the conditioner rolls. Fully enclosed crop conveyers (cages) outside the augers prevent crop wrapping and buildup.

Moving the crop quickly from the outside discs to the conditioner means a cleaner cut, less chance for double cutting, better windrow formation and less opportunity for leaf damage.

Operators can get to the drive belts for the new auger headers through a new side panel for quick and easy servicing.

The innovative new drive-belt system uses a self-adjusting spring tensioner so operators can more easily set and maintain optimum belt tension.

The MF1316S and all the pull-type mower conditioners in the 1300 Series are equipped with the RazorEdge cutterbar. Its spur gear design provides a thin profile and close cutting without tilting the header to minimize scalping, thereby limiting dirt and debris in the crop to optimize feed value. Operators can remove the gears easily without having to split the cutterbar. Counter-rotating discs provide improved cut quality while minimizing crop streaking.

Each RazorEdge mower conditioner comes factory-equipped with 18-degree “high lift” bottom-bevel Radura™ knives. These sharp, durable knives are created with a special cold-rolled process for a wear-resistant edge that maintains its sharpness longer than ground-edge knives.

“Everything about the MF1316S and the 1300 Series is designed to give operators reliable, trouble-free hay-cutting performance,” LeCroy says. “We strive to always improve on Hesston’s 70-year legacy of delivering hay and forage harvesting innovations, and we work hard to ensure hay growers have the tools needed to harvest forage at its highest quality.”

For more information about Hesston by Massey Ferguson hay equipment, including the new MF1316S RazorEdge pull-type disc mower conditioner, or to find a dealer near you, visit masseyferguson.us.