Continuous improvement. In the Japanese tradition, it’s called by the exotic term “Kaizen,” or more prosaically, in the Italian way, it’s framed by the old but still valid adage “Never rest on your laurels.” Even when those laurels are abundant and might justify a moment of rest. In any case, it’s a business mindset that Krone has always embraced by continually launching new solutions in all its fields of activity. These innovations range from new technologies to product line expansions, the latter recently pursued in the segment of “Vendro” tedders and “Swadro” windrowers. The “Vendro” series was, in fact, expanded at the end of 2022 with four new trailed models, bringing the range to 13 machines, covering working widths from a minimum of 4.7 meters to a maximum of 11.2 meters. In 2024, the bar was raised further with the “Vendro C 1340” model, a new top-of-the-line machine with 12 rotors and a working width of almost 13.4 meters.
The “Swadro” windrowers series also saw a technological upgrade with the “Swadro S 460 Db” model, which improved upon the “Swadro 46 T” model, standing out for greater stability in the field and on the road thanks to the presence of a dedicated chassis. This series, it should be noted, consists of single-rotor mounted and semi-mounted machines, therefore compact in size, but it also offers trailed models with two, four, or six rotors, covering working widths ranging from 10 to 19 meters. This size is reserved for the “Swadro 2000” models, the top-of-the-range machines with six rotors that form central swaths up to three meters wide. Thanks to these new additions, the “Swadro” windrowers are now available in the “S” models, rear-mounted with a single rotor, and the “T” models, trailed with one or more rotors, a product line further divided into two sub-series: “Ts” for side delivery and “Tc” for central delivery
Gentle and Guaranteed Aeration
To promote rapid drying of forage, it is necessary to aerate it with one or more turnovers, while preserving its structure and cleanliness as much as possible. This mission is at the heart of Krone’s “Vendro” series, which recently expanded with the addition of the new “Vendro C 1340” model, offered in two versions and aimed at maximum productivity thanks to its 13.34-meter working width. Featuring a modern and functional design, the new model ensures maximum ease of use and handling.
The “Vendro C 1340” comes standard with a reversible drawbar complete with a 40 mm hitch eye suitable for upper or lower hitching. The tedder is also equipped with a two-point hitch as standard, complete with a traction spring, but can be optionally supplied with a “K80” ball hitch or a drawbar hitch. One of the advantages of the “Vendro C 1340” is its excellent load compensation, both during operation and during field edge maneuvers, ensuring maximum stability and safety even in less-than-ideal conditions. Despite its large working width, the equipment can also be paired with medium-powered and medium-sized farm tractors. The machine’s working components are the “OptiTurn” rotors, with a diameter of 150 centimeters, of which there are 12 in total.
Each rotor is equipped with six tine arms, arranged to ensure correct overlap of the tine paths during rotation, a feature that ensures high operational efficiency in the tedding process. Additionally, this allows the machine to always adapt to the terrain, even on difficult and uneven ground. Further enhancing the efficiency of the “Vendro C 1340” are the rotor-mounted gauge wheels.
Positioned close to the tines, they help collect the product entirely and then spread it evenly for better aeration. Depending on different operational needs, the spreading angle can also be adjusted through four settings, ranging from a minimum of 13 degrees, ideal for intensive treatment, to a maximum of 19 degrees, suggested when the gentlest treatment is required.
Wheeled is Better
The new “Swadro S 460 Db” windrower completes the update of the single-rotor windrower range. This new model features a 3.6-meter diameter rotor and 13 tine arms, seven of which are foldable, allowing for a working width of 4.6 meters. Lightweight and compact, the machine is equipped with a height-adjustable drawbar via a parallelogram system, while the presence of a chassis facilitates road transfers. The reduced mass and dimensions make the “Swadro S 460 Db” compatible even with tractors as small as 30 horsepower, which can be hitched via the drawbar or parallel linkages.
The lifting and lowering of the windrower are managed by a hydraulic cylinder positioned between the drawbar and the main frame, working in conjunction with a second cylinder located in the chassis. The coordinated action of the two cylinders also ensures an optimal “Jet effect” during forage pickup, allowing the “Krone Lift” series tines to effectively lift the product while minimizing losses and contaminants.
Title: Krone “Vendro” and “Swadro” series, masters of rotation
Translation with ChatGPT
