Front mower to the back, and you’re off!

11.08.2008

In spring 2007 it was time for Jussi Salmela from Perho, Finland, to replace both his mower conditioner and his tractor. Valtra’s N141 Advance seemed like the ideal tractor for the needs of his dairy stock farm. Since the tractor was available with the TwinTrac reverse-drive system, Jussi began to think if a 3.2-metre mower that usually attached to the front linkage could be driven in reverse.

“I enquired from Elho and was told that it was easy. All that was required was to reverse the angle transmission on the Elho NM320F front mower,” Jussi Salmela explains.

The changes to the mower did not create any additional costs whatsoever. Moreover, the front mower was so much less expensive than a pulled mower or front linkage that the savings paid for the TwinTrac reverse-drive system. Most importantly, the mower is considerably more effective and easy driven backwards than when driven forwards.

“There’s not a lot of negative things that can be said about this set-up. Visibility is better when driving in reverse, which improves precision along edges. The reverse-drive mower is also more handy in corners, as the mower does not crush the hay when turning but is always moving forwards. The improvement in comfort is also considerable. At my age I don’t feel like twisting my neck around the whole day,” Jussi explains.

In their first summer with the new mower, Jussi and his sons Jarkko and Lasse mowed over a hundred hectares, 44 of which was their own grassland that they harvested twice. The rest consisted of dry hay for the local stables and a little contracting work for feed. This summer they expect to do much the same work.

Three hectares an hour
on a good field

“Reverse driving is faster than working with a pull-type mower. I usually drive in H1 gear, which gives me a speed of 14-15 km/h. The PTO spins at 1000 rpm. On a good field I can easily mow three to four hectares in one hour,” Lasse says.

For the tractor itself, pushing the 3.2-metre mower is light work. Even the smallest N Series model would have plenty of power, and a wider mower could also be used. The Salmi family consider their N Series to be an ideal tractor for mowing thanks to its light weight, power and agility. Using 650mm Michelin XeoBib tyres with the right pressure, the hay does not suffer even in tight turns.

The mower has eight cutting plates that spin at 3100 rpm. There is one way to increase the speed to avoid stripes. When driving too slowly, the airflow from the spinning blades can blow down the hay before the blades have a chance to cut them. To avoid this problem, Lasse has driven at speeds up to 28 km/h while mowing, which has created a tidy swath. After this the feed is baled.

“The mower weighs 1100 kilos, of which just 50 to 60 kilos are supported by the skids. The mower is very stable when driven on fields and roads, but to stabilise fast changes of direction I like to use front weights,” Lasse says.

The Salmela farm has just under a hundred head of livestock, including 33 milk cows plus calves. Although most of the hay and crop fields are in the direct vicinity of the farm, some fields that were purchased later are located 10 kilometres away. The Salmi’s N141 is therefore equipped with front-axle and cab suspension plus a 50 km/h transmission. The family has an older Valmet 665 tractor for front-loader work, spraying and forest work.

“The 665 has been driven for 12,000 hours and been with us for 10 years. It has been serviced regularly but until this spring, when I changed the track rods and swivel joints, it has never had to be fixed,” Jussi says.

In addition to the N141 Advance and Valmet 665, the farm has a fine restored Valmet 502 and Valmet 15. The farm’s first tractor, which was bought in 1954, was also a Valmet 15, albeit not the same one as they now have. Ever since then, the farm’s main tractor has always been a Valtra or Valmet, although some other brands have been tried for the farm’s other tractors.

“With the tractors we have now, we can work well for quite a few years. Eventually the farm will go to the younger generation, and they can decide about new tractors and expanding the farm. The boys seem to be interested in keeping the farm going,” Jussi Salmela admits.

Atgal

Additional pictures