Butterfly mower with a twist

Irish company Keltec is well-known for its shear grab that slices upwards through a bale, allowing the material to fall while the bale wrap and netting is held at the top for easy disposal.

The company’s new twin rear mower system has both conditioner and grouping elements, with a layout that keeps weight close to the rear of the tractor that is said to reduce comparative weights by 150 - 200kg against competitors. 

The compact design is achieved with a transfer system after the conditioning element that uses augers, rather than the more conventional solution of belt conveyors that tend to impart heavy weight. 

The screw-type auger design is not new but has been avoided by other manufacturers due to a perception that augers ‘twist’ rather than layer the crop in the swath. This is said to create difficulties in crop feed into following machines, particularly balers or forage harvesters. Keltec claims to have addressed this problem by directing the post-conditioner grass flow over the top of the grouping augers rather than underneath the units. 

The conditioning element has heavy-duty, v-shaped steel tines, said to be more aggressive on the crop and ultimately reducing the wilting period. 

For large crops where grouping is not required, a deflector plate is installed allowing grass to bypass the auger units and return to the ground.