The Kubota, Kverneland and Vicon tedders we consider as a used buy in this article differ from one another in two ways. Model number and paint colour. This must be good news if you like these tedders. There are potentially more dealers out there with a used buy to consider. 

KEEPING IT BRIEF

  • Kubota , Kverneland and Vicon branded tedders are the same
  • Kverneland Taarup branding was phased out by 2016
  • Mounted Pro Line 8076/8576 and 8090/8590 7.60m and 9.00m strong sellers new and sought after used
  • Trailed Pro Line 85134C and 85156C 13.40m and 15.60m increasingly popular but few have yet to make it to the used market

As is increasingly the case these days, potential choice and actual availability are two different things, the more so when you start to look for a used buy at the start of the grass growing season. When it comes to the Kverneland-Kubota-Vicon branded tedders we consider here, the models that have been the strongest sellers will obviously make up the key potential used market finds. Or at least that is in theory. 

In the UK and Ireland mounted eight rotor, 8.0m Kverneland Compact Line 8480 and heavier duty  eight and 10 rotor 9.00m and 11.00m Pro Line 8590 and Pro Line 85112 (and the Kubota and Vicon branded equivalents – see table) are now the strongest sellers new but you will struggle to find used examples. 

Factory cut-away showing the design of the sealed rotor gearbox fitted to all Pro Line tedders. Designed to be maintenance free, the gearbox itself bolts to the frame and does not form a structural part of the rotor mount. This is claimed to reduce stress on the rotor bearings for increased durability. When looking over a used buy, see if you can pick up any play in the rotor. If you can, it shows the machine has done a lot of work. Best to find something else!
Data plate on the main frame will show model number and date of manufacture. When ordering replacement parts, the model type number and machine ID may be needed to ensure any spares are the right ones for a specific model year.

Current models

In broad outline, the current range on offer from these three brands are the Compact Line mounted models spanning 5.20m to 8.05m, Pro Line heavier duty tedders spanning 5.50m to 11.00m and Pro Line Carrier / C trailed models of 13.40m and 15.60m. 

NOTE: Except for the wide 13.40m 85134C and 15.60m 85156C, Carrier Frame models with a C after the number are a rare UK spec. 

Compact Line and 8000 series models have pivot points that do need a routine shot of grease to keep them in good order; remember the pivots are integral to contour following and not just there for folding for transport. New bushes and pins can be fitted to take up any wear.
Hydraulic headland spread adjustment was made available as an option on Pro Line tedders from around 1997 and is increasingly specified on current 8500 models. Easy to see if it is fitted.

To avoid confusion, we will use Kverneland 8000 series (current 8500 models are still called 8000 series) as examples, so refer to the tables for the Kubota (which started to appear from around 2016) and Vicon equivalents.  As a side note, earlier Kverneland tedders include Taarup branding, the latter starting to disappear from around 2012 until finally being phased out by 2016. Further, the tables outline models available from the listed year, with some variants launched between these periods. 

Double UJ joints, which are maintenance free, take drive between each rotor section. Tedders put relatively light loading on the driveline but still check for play here. As with play in the rotors, wear here would suggest the tedder has done a great deal of work.

Summary

Tedders are simple bits of kit that can last many seasons with minimal maintenance. This does mean first owners tend to sell this kit on only when moving to something wider. As a used buyer, the chances are you are also looking for a wider tedder than the one you already have. Join the club. The wider the tedder, the harder it will be to find a used buy.

Reduction drive gearbox gears down the input speed to reduce rotor speeds. Slowing the rotors as the crop dries may compromise output but can boost forage quality.

With thanks to: Chandlers Farm Equipment, Cheshire Farm Machinery, T H White and David Perry, Kverneland Group UK.

James de Havilland

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One of the simplest settings on these tedders is adjusting the rotor angle. As a rough guide, the most severe setting is suited to the first pass to spread rows of a heavier, sticky grass swath, the shallower settings suiting a second pass and a drying crop. On a used buy, it is worth moving the rotor settings to ensure the rotor wheel arms are free to move. Check for damage.
Kverneland Super-C 10mm tines are of an even length. A plastic link as pictured is favoured by those tedding heavy crops as it can help spread the load between the tines as well as help keep a broken tine affixed to its neighbour if one breaks. More subtle are the shims that can be added to alter the tine angle by plus or minus 4°, with a more aggressive setting for heavy silage. On a used buy, check the tine mounts to see if shims have been added.

PRO LINE 8000 SERIES V LATER ‘8500 SERIES’?

Model numbering and product updates can help separate previous and current machine generations, and in the case of the Kverneland Pro Line models considered here tedders with an 80XX model number were replaced with those with an 85XX number, with the last two numbers giving an indication of their working width in metres.

As sweeping generalisation, the later ‘8500 series’ can make a better longer term used buy as they are stronger, fold better for reduced height in transport and need less maintenance. 

The Compact Line have seen little change, narrow working width models selling in reducing numbers year on year. If you are considering one of these variants as a used buy, condition will be of more importance than age.

A HexaLink ‘finger clutch’ enables the outer wings of 8576, 8590, 85112, 85134C and 85156C tedders to uncouple and fold to 180°, this reducing the transport height of these models to under 3.50m, previous generation models folding to nearer 4.0m.
One of the simplest settings on these tedders is adjusting the rotor angle. As a rough guide, the most severe setting is suited to the first pass to spread rows of a heavier, sticky grass swath, the shallower settings suiting a second pass and a drying crop. On a used buy, it is worth moving the rotor settings to ensure the rotor wheel arms are free to move. Check for damage.

IS WIDE AND SLOW IS THE WAY TO GO?

These days it is common for a tractor with far more power than is necessary to be hooked up to a tedder. This can lead to the temptation to ‘push on’ with the job. Up the forward speed and spin the rotors faster in other words. As mentioned in the set up panel, the optimum forward and rotor speeds are just that. Start to speed things up and the quality of spreading can be compromised. Not only can this lead to an uneven spread that will affect the rowed up swath it can also impact upon how the crop dries, with wet patches due to poor aeration compromising forage quality. Anyone faced with making a good swath from a poorly tedded crop knows this.

A point everyone also knows, but often chooses to overlook, is that as the crop dries its spread characteristics alters. If it is suggested you may ‘get away’ with faster than ideal first pass spin of a heavy swath, a fast second pass of a spread crop will be less forgiving. 

Long winded way of saying the only way to increase performance without compromising the job is to buy a wider tedder. 

If you compare 8076 and 8090 tedders with the later 8576 and 8590 you will spot two key changes, the taller transport height of the older models and changing from steel to alloy rotor guards. Less obvious is the stronger build of the later models. In terms of the job done, both generations will do much the same job, but later variants will typically be easier to set up and operate.

SETTING TIPS

Spread angle adjustment

Kv-Kubota-Vicon branded tedders feature three-way adjustment of wheel height to alter the spread angle of the rotors. In simple outline, the steepest setting can be used to spread damp and heavy crops. As this setting will tend to be more aggressive, it is recommended that a shallower mid-point setting is used in lighter crops and for a second tedding pass. In grass destined to be baled for hay, this mid-setting is typically better suited to spreading long, tall grass swaths. The shallow lowest setting is gentler and should help produce a more even spread of material ahead of the rake, with a reduced chance of clumping.

Working at an angle to previous pass

Working along the line of the previous tedding pass is best avoided, working at angle reducing the chance of lumps forming when rowing up. 

Forward speed and rotor speed

Tedding is a job that does not like to be rushed. As a rough guide, a forward speed of 6-7km/hr should be seen as a maximum, at least with Kv-Kubota -Vicon branded tedders, with the manufacturer also suggesting rotor speeds need to be kept reasonably low, a pto speed of between 400 and 500rpm typically delivering the best results.

Keep an eye on the sway blocks

It is all too easy to over tighten the sway bars when trying to reduce the movement on the tedder as it is raised out of work. As the machine is lowered into work, too tight a control will compromise performance and cause the sway blocks to wear. Slackening off the sway bar by a modest quarter of a spanner turn can make a big difference.

Headstock wheel

As an option, some models can be fitted with a headstock wheel, to allow  top link to be mounted in the central elongated hole. This helps ensure the tedder runs more evenly over undulating terrain and is a good choice when the tedder is worked by an operator who may not always pay attention to the job.

Compare an 8.0m, eight rotor, five tine arm Compact Line 8480 with a 9.0m 8 rotor 6 tine arm ProLine 8590, the extra tine arm on the latter suiting both hay and silage tedding. In the metal there are numerous design differences, with the ‘Pro’ having stronger build and lower maintenance demands. A clue to buildstrength is in their respective weights of 920kg versus 1,260g.
Pictures taken some 20 years apart. Two related tedders powered by tractors with rather different power outputs. The temptation to up rotor and forward speeds these days can be hard to resist, but the only way to boost output is to buy a wider tedder.
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Simple table to show the range of tedder models on offer and how various swath patterns can be spread. As a used buyer, this can be used to help you decide which models to look out for to match specific mowing widths.
It is easy to spot if border tedding adjustment is fitted, a mechanical lock enabling the tedder to be set to adjust the throw toward the adjacent passes. Kverneland and related Kubota and Vicon tedders favour smaller diameter rotors with fewer tine arms. This is claimed to enable setting up for less aggressive handling of lighter and drier crops destined to be baled for hay but with the versatility to handle heavier crops. Border tedding is standard on all models to include older models such as 8052 and 8076.
Kverneland produce a simple list of pre-season check tips on its website, with the key points to look out for equally applying to the points to look over on a used buy. Hook the tedder up to a tractor and unfold it to do a proper check. In brief, if its turns, bends or folds, check it. Don’t overlook each tyre. It is cheaper to replace the lot if they show signs of ageing than suffer repeated failures in the field.