Sitrex 17-wheel rake arrives Down Under
Features larger-diameter raking wheels that give a better lifting motion to prevent roping in hay, Sitrex claimsItalian hay equipment brand Sitrex's Pro 17 V-wheeled hay rake has officially made its debut in Australia, and was recently demonstrated on a property in Kyabram, Victoria, raking lucerne.
Australian distributor Inlon Pty Ltd says farmers and contractors who witnessed the demo agreed Sitrex has "reinvented the wheel" with the new model.
The Sitrex Pro 17 features 17-finger wheels with diameters of 1.5m built at a 70-degree angle. According to Inlon, the larger wheels give a better lifting motion compared to smaller wheels, which tend to cause rolling and roping in hay.
Sitrex installed an uneven number of wheels on each side of the Pro 17 to prevent clumping and eliminate the need for a centre kicker wheel. The short side pulls the crop into the windrow while the long side rolls the crop back to mix and complete the windrow.
"The Sitrex Pro 17 is a really quiet and clean worker," says Inlon's Shane Ryan.
"It delivers a clean pick up, very little dust and, with wheel covers protecting the crop from the wind and lowering the crop friction, you'll get a clean finish too."
An electro hydraulic control panel allows operators to open and close rake frames, as well as adjust raking angle on the go.
The Pro 17 is fitted with replaceable rubber tines for gentle handling of the crop.
"As we watched the demo, it was evident that this is a really solid machine," Ryan says.
"The raking wheels are supported by an overhead frame, rocker axles with large tyres for tight turning areas and smoother raking; that’s a real improvement on V rakes that only have outside support wheels."
Inlon claims the Pro 17 is capable of raking around 15 hectares per hour and performs better than rotary rakes in cereal and lucerne.
A minimum power of 70hp is required to run the rake, which has a working width of 8.7m.
"You can also run the Pro 17 behind a utility, which is not possible with a rotary rake. Overall, the farmers and contractors were really impressed with this Sitrex dynamo," Ryan says.
The Sitrex Pro 17 hay rake is priced at $47,553 including GST. Look for more information on sitrex.com.au.
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