Mounted mower conditioner FC 104 LIFT CONTROL

Say yes to work output, say no to impurities!

Available in three working widths (2.40 m, 2.80 m and 3.11 m), the FC 244, FC 284 and FC 314 are ideal for medium to large sized farms and contractors. Make your forage production profitable with the exclusive LIFT-CONTROL suspension system combined with NON-STOP safety.

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Benefits
Equipment
Specifications
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High-performance farms are aware that being cost-effective is of utmost importance. The key to being cost-effective is: making sure the herd gets all the nutritional value from the forage, maximising mower longevity. These are the guiding principles in the design of FC 244, FC 284 and FC 314. Thanks to the LIFT-CONTROL suspension system combined with the NON-STOP safety system, the mower follows ground contours and automatically shifts out of the way of obstacles. Repair and maintenance costs are kept down and excellent forage quality is ensured.
The added conditioner gives you the advantage of a faster drying time.
Choose the LIFT-CONTROL conditioner adapted to the main crop to cut: nylon fingers for multiple cut forage to limit the weight of your mounted mower; with DIGIDRY steel fingers for a higher performance in diverse conditions and especially in longer forage; with polyurethane rollers for delicate forage.

Say yes to work output, say no to impurities!

The LIFT-CONTROL suspension system in action

The key to clean forage: LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension

Reduce the rate of impurities from 4 to 2% per year to save €89/ha/year*. With the LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension system , impurities are no longer a problem. It is much more than just a suspension system, using an accumulator instead of the traditional spring.
When the cutter bar glides across the ground, it is inevitably subject to rearward stress (1). The higher the rearward stress, the more the ground pressure is reduced (2), thus adapting to uneven terrian. There are two advantages to this: plant cover is preserved and less impurities get into swaths.
In addition, the suspension system is very easy to adjust from the tractor cab.
*Researchers at the Weser Ems Chamber of Agriculture (Germany) carried out tests in a forage region in Germany. They compared 2 types of silage, one with 2% of impurities and the other with 4%. The purpose of the test was to determine the financial impact on dairy farms. After measuring the nutritional value in the lower quality silage they calculated the amount of concentrate that needed to be added in order to reach the same level of milk production.

The mower units' pendulum-type articulation enables ground following

The mower unit is suspended from its centre of gravity.
It has a central pivot point that ensures stability and smooth running, even on the most uneven terrain. Ground contouring is perfect, even at high speeds. Grass stubble is protected and impurities are kept to a minimum. FC 104 LIFT-CONTROL mowing units cut at a constant height and follow ground contours almost perfectly, as ensured by the following features:

Unit with pendulum-type articulation,
31° angular offset.

Impressive figures show that KUHN has done everything to improve the quality of your forage!

Mower unit with central pendulum-type articulation

Saving time and money

Travel range of the NON-STOP safety system

LIFT CONTROL and NON-STOP safety

No farmer can allow their mower to get damaged mid-season by hitting an obstacle or a wrong manouvere. These mowers are equipped with an active system that ensures constant ground pressure, up to an angle of 11°. Should the unit come into contact with an obstacle, ground pressure is reduced and the mower unit pivots up to 25 degrees to the rear and passes over the obstacle. The active Non-Stop breakaway system is also effective when the cutter bar is impacted on the left as the arm's pivot point is far enough away from the first discs (A). The mower unit returns to its initial work position automatically with the NON-STOP system. The suspension and NON-STOP safety system combination of this machine is unique in the market.

Maximum reliability and stability

The cutter bar has been designed to cope well with obstacles. Being equipped with the PROTECTADRIVE safety system, in the event of a violent impact between a disc and an obstacle, the shaft holding the disc can shear just above the bearing thanks to a carefully dimensioned shear groove. Therefore the gear wheels are protected. In less than 15 minutes, the machine can back up and running with a low repair cost.
KUHN advantage: Disc-bearing stations are attached by long bolts that pass through the entire cutter bar. This eliminates any risk of the mounts being torn out of the cutter bar in the event of an impact. Top-of-the-range components strengthen the centre piece of the cutter bar:

Special disc-bearing station with a double row of angular contact ball bearings.
Large-diameter gearwheels in high-precision forged steel with 3 cogs engaged.
Forged and heat-treated discs.
Disc skids made from treated steel with the option of adding a bolt on protective layer.

In order to lengthen the machine's service life, shock absorbers are integrated in between the cutter bar and chassis. The structure of the machine is less affected by impacts, especially when working at fast forward speeds.

FAST-FIT quick-release knife attachment

The 100 series cutter bar can be equipped with a bolt attachment or the FAST-FIT knife attachments.
The FAST-FIT system saves you precious time and it is 100 % secure. A powerful leaf spring provides constant pressure on the knife retainer for extra safety. It takes just a few moments to replace the knives.

Quick and easy adjustments

It is not necessary to change the length of the linkage arms to keep the weight balanced when coupling the machine to the tractor. In the work position when unfolding the machine, the cutting height is automatically set to 45/50 mm. The machine folds up rearward and horizontally. The machine is uncoupled from the transport position which makes it possible to park it in narrow storage sheds. It has large parking stands to ensure stable storage.
Practical: The tool box is integrated into the headstock of the machine. You can also keep the operator's manual there!
The machine is easy to clean with all parts being easily accessible.

A conditioner adapted to forage drying

Lightweight nylon fingers

By scratching the protective outside layers of the crop, nylon fingers are perfect for accelerated forage drying.
On mounted machines, any extra weight on the mowing unit requires a larger carrying frame. Consequently, you would need a heavier tractor that consumes more fuel. These V-shaped fingers are not only lighter, they are highly effective too. They are made of flexible but highly resistant material.

When in contact with a foreign body, their lateral flexibility enables them to move out of the way before returning to their initial position, without being damaged.
They are rigid in their rotational direction so they produce regular and airy swaths.

Conditioning intensity can be modified by:

Adjusting the deflector plate.
Adjusting the comb.
Adjusting the conditioner's speed.

LIFT-CONTROL mower conditioners with flexible fingers are capable of wide spreading, without having to remove the swath shields.

High-performance DIGIDRY steel fingers for diverse conditions.

The rotor conditioner with steel fingers is highly effective in long, heavy and mature forage as well as in short forage. Its high-capacity intake produces smooth forage flow though the machine. Power requirement for this type of conditioner is kept low with quicker forage passage and no need for recirculation. Well-structured, airy swaths are created by the position of the fingers that fluff up the forage, sending it up in the air before it comes down to form the swath. The resulting forage has higher energy and nutritional value owing to accelerated drying.
Steel fingers can also work in alfalfa. Conditioning intensity is adjusted to preserve the leaves on the stems in order to retain the nutritional quality in the forage.
Modify conditioning intensity by:

Adjusting the deflector plate.
Adjusting the comb.
Adjusting conditioning speed.

Conditioner with a polyurethane roller for delicate forage.

Integrating legumes in a ration reduces the quantity of concentrates to purchase.
A test carried out by Arvalis (the French agronomical institute) with the Chamber of Agriculture and the machinery cooperative FD in 2016 highlighted the drying patterns of different mower conditioners (finger or roller, in nylon or steel). The mower conditioner with a polyurethane roller came out top:
- Saving of approximately 100 Euros / ha/cut with the rollers
- Drying close to 80 % of DM from the second night comparing to the other methods which obtained this result after the third night.
Is this ennough to justify the purchase of a roller conditioner?
Thanks to the specific tread of the polyurethane rollers, the plants are crimped through a regular movement. Their large diameter provide significant capacity to evacuate the forage rearwards and prevent its wrapping around them.
The upper roller is driven by a simple chain while the lower roller is driven by three belts. The two rollers are synchronised at a speed of 1,000 min-1 to ensure optimum functioning in all conditions and a long operating life with limited maintenance.

Equipment

Raised skid shoes

Cutting height adjustable from 60 to 120 mm.

Stroke limiters

Lift-stroke limiters

Long forage kit

1 large cone and 1 adaptor for standard or FAST-FIT versions

Flow limiter

To reduce speed of mower raising or lowering when turning on headlands.

Shield extension

To reduce width to 0.80 m (FC 244) / 1 m (FC 284)

Specifications

Technical characteristics


Working width (m)
Number of discs with heat treated protection skids
Blade attachment
Removal of disc bearing units from the top of cutter bar
Gear train protection system
Ground following
Suspension
Safety breakaway
Conditioning system
Conditioner speed (min^-1)
Hitch
Adjustable hitch offset
Setting into transport position
PTO speed (min^-1)
Secondary PTO shaft
Free wheel
Theoretical tractor power requirement (kW/hp)
Required tractor hydraulic connections
Required tractor electrical connections
Road lights and signalling on rear
Approx. weight (kg)

FC 244-FF	FC 284-FF 1000	FC 284 D-FF 1000	FC 314-FF	FC 314 D-FF	FC 244 D-FF
2.40	2.80	2.80	3.11	3.11	2.40
6	7	7	8	8	6
FAST-FIT	FAST-FIT	FAST-FIT	FAST-FIT	FAST-FIT	FAST-FIT
As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard
PROTECTADRIVE system	PROTECTADRIVE system	PROTECTADRIVE system	PROTECTADRIVE system	PROTECTADRIVE system	PROTECTADRIVE system
Pendulum articulation	Pendulum articulation	Pendulum articulation	Pendulum articulation	Pendulum articulation	Pendulum articulation
LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension	LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension	LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension	LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension	LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension	LIFT-CONTROL hydro-pneumatic suspension
Non-Stop safety	Non-Stop safety	Non-Stop safety	Non-Stop safety	Non-Stop safety	Non-Stop safety
Flexible V-shaped nylon fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb	Flexible V-shaped nylon fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb	Steel fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb	Flexible V-shaped nylon fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb	Steel fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb	Steel fingers, baffle plate with adjustable and retractable comb
888 or 615	888 or 615	888 or 615	888 or 615	888 or 615	888 or 615
3-point Cat. 2	3-point Cat. 2	3-point Cat. 2	3-point Cat.3	3-point Cat.3	3-point Cat. 2
2 positions - 190 mm offset	2 positions - 190 mm offset	2 positions - 190 mm offset	2 positions - 190 mm offset	2 positions - 190 mm offset	2 positions - 190 mm offset
Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking	Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking	Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking	Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking	Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking	Hydraulic pivoting at 90° to the rear with automatic locking
540	1000	1000	1000	1000	540
With torque limiter	With torque limiter	With torque limiter	With torque limiter	With torque limiter	With torque limiter
Integrated into side gearbox	Integrated into side gearbox	Integrated into side gearbox	Integrated into side gearbox	Integrated into side gearbox	Integrated into side gearbox
37 / 50	43 / 59	43 / 59	49 / 66	49 / 66	37 / 50
1 SA + 1 DA	1 SA + 1 DA	1 SA + 1 DA	1 SA + 1 DA	1 SA + 1 DA	1 SA + 1 DA
1 x 7-pin plug	1 x 7-pin plug	1 x 7-pin plug	1 x 7-pin plug	1 x 7-pin plug	1 x 7-pin plug
As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard	As standard
1010	1060	1130	1235	1325	1070