Practical test: Vicon Andex 843 twin-rotor rake Big grass yields, along with equally big forager appetites to gobble up those yields, have resulted in the rise to prominence of centre-swathing rakes. Topping the Vicon twin-rotor range is the 8.4m Andex 843, which offers infinite working width adjustment and a gathering action that gives a refreshingly clean sweep. Here is our test report
What makes an effective rake? Vital performance ingredients run along the lines: A consistent swath shape, clean crop gathering and a density of crop row suited to drawing maximum output from whatever harvesting equipment may be following along behind – a SP forager, self-loading wagon or big baler. And these traits are precisely what we were looking out for from our test Vicon Andex 843.
In terms of overall build, the Andex twin-rotor flag follows the familiar centre-swath theme of a high-clearance beam that trails along behind the tractor and is supported on a pair of wheels at the rear. Each of the two rotors bristles with 12 tine arms that, in turn, use four double tines to carry out the crop gathering job. Machine cam track is steplessly adjustable – a nice but unusual feature on a unit of this size – but down below on our test Andex there was little in the way of fore/aft bogie suspension, hence ground-following tended to suffer in the direction of travel. But more on this later.
Coupling is a simple enough task, providing that the operator sticks to Vicon’s recommended sequence: Connect link arms to hitch points, swing up the handy park leg, slide on the drive shaft and plug in the three hydraulic pipes – one single acting line to lift/lower the bogies and a double-acting supply to alter the swath width adjustment
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