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Add-On Conditioning Rollers "Crush" Stems To Cut Drying Time In Half
"This is the best method ever developed to condition hay," says Circle C Equipment of Hermiston, Ore. The company has just unveiled it's new "Crusher" conditioner rollers that completely crush plant stems, allowing moisture to evaporate quickly through cracks in the sides of the stems instead of leaking slowly through "kinks" which are made by most conditioners.
  The new "Crusher" rollers are designed to replace rollers on most models of swathers and mower-conditioners. A unique air bag pressure system holds the rubber-coated steel rollers tightly together. As the crop feeds through the rollers, the stems are flattened completely, laid out like ribbons. Cracks in the sides release moisture over the full length of the stem.
  Work started on the new rollers in 1995 and final prototypes went to the field in 1997. Production units were first released late last summer and the product has been generally introduced to the public this winter. During prototype testing the rollers have been used in 12 states on thousands of tons of forage under nearly all conditions, according to the company. After all the testing in side-by-side comparisons, the company concluded that under all conditions hay conditioned with Crusher rollers dries out faster than hay crimped by conventional conditioners. In some cases, it dries twice as fast.
  The bottom roller is in a fixed position. The air bag system exerts tremendous down pressure on the top roller. Because of the much higher presssure exerted on the rollers, they are built many times stronger than standard rollers and are fitted with the highest quality bearings available, according to Circle C Equipment.
  Air bags on the roller pressure system are simply pumped up to the desired pressure before you head to the field.
  Crusher rollers are available to fit most all New Holland and Hesston/Case-IH swathers with wide conditioning rollers. The company is working on models to fit MacDon, John Deere, and other models.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Circle C Equipment LLC, 333 East Feedville Rd., Hermiston, Ore 97838 (ph 800-367-1847 or 541-567-2992; fax 541-567-8520).


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1999 - Volume #23, Issue #2