The R400 and R500 Rotary Platforms offer choices of conditioners to meet producer needs. Varying crop types require different conditioners to deliver maximum performance in terms of window formation, cut quality, and drydown time.

Urethane conditioning rolls

Urethane conditioning rolls

The urethane roll conditioner works well in legumes, especially alfalfa and most all-grass crops. In general, roll conditioners are better suited for thick- stemmed, cane-type, and taller grasses more than 1.5-m (5-ft) tall.
Molded urethane rolls are formed by a cool molding process that does not distort or warp the steel core of the roll, ensuring the rolls are arrow straight and cylindrical, so they can be accurately spaced close together for uniform conditioning along the length of the roll.
The intermittent, recessed-cleat design gives more crimping edges for greater pressure per square inch, which results in superior conditioning and faster crop drying.

An adjustable swath board is included with the urethane conditioner roll option.

Impeller

Free-swinging impeller

Pre-loaded tine impeller

The free-swinging impeller is available only on the R400 Rotary Platform. The pre-loaded tine impeller is only available on the R500 Rotary Platform.

The impeller conditioner works well in grass crops and legumes such as alfalfa. The V-shaped impeller tines produce a scuffing action by pushing crop against the adjustable conditioning hood, which helps remove the waxy surface of the stem to allow for faster evaporation of moisture. It is not recommended to use this conditioner with crops that are 1.5 m (5 ft) or taller.

The adjustable conditioner hood allows the operator to increase or decrease the distance between the hood and impeller tines. A tighter clearance provides more aggressive conditioning, while a wider setting allows for a higher volume of crop or less aggressive conditioning for use in legumes. The impeller rotor speed can also be adjusted by changing drive belt routing.

The R400 has free-swinging impeller tines to help prevent damage to the conditioner if rocks or other solid objects are struck, reducing maintenance in adverse conditions. The R500 has a pre-loaded tine impeller with 162 tines. Tines are individually replaceable as needed for wear or breakage. Machines should never be operated with missing or broken tines, as it can cause an imbalance and vibration leading to damage.

Impeller speeds:

870 rpm – ideal for grasses
630 rpm – suggested setting for legume crops
Increased impeller speed in taller crops may help reduce wrapping of rolls

V-10 steel conditioning rolls

Close-up of V-10 steel conditioning rolls

Close-up of V-10 steel conditioning rolls

The V-10 steel conditioner rolls feature 10 angled flutes arranged in a chevron pattern, or V-pattern, along the length of the steel core.
Steel rolls offer improved wear life over urethane rolls, particularly in adverse crop conditions.

Advantages of the V-10 conditioner roll over the previous straight-flute design include:

Deep intermeshing angles for positive feeding and uniform conditioning throughout the entire length of the rolls
More crimping edges for improved conditioning
Improved feeding
Improved windrow formation

An adjustable swath board is included with the V-10 steel conditioner roll option.

Tri-Lobe™ steel conditioning rolls

Tri-Lobe steel conditioning rolls

Close-up of Tri-Lobe steel conditioning rolls

Close-up of Tri-Lobe steel conditioning rolls

Tri-Lobe steel conditioning rolls are only available on the R500 Platform.

Tri-Lobe steel conditioning rolls have three intermeshing chevron lobes to crush the length of the stem for improved conditioning and faster drydown. The rolls are manufactured using a patented process.
The steel material increases wear life, especially in abrasive crops or soil conditions. Durability is a distinct advantage compared to other crusher-style rolls made of rubber or urethane. The chevron design of the rolls gives positive feeding and improved crop flow.
These rolls are well-suited for use in alfalfa where reduced curing time results in less bleaching of the crop. In heavy, thick-stemmed crops, such as sudan or sudex, the steel construction of the rolls does a very good job of breaking up the nodes on the stems to improve dry down.

Replaceable end shafts

The shafts on the Tri-Lobe rolls are steel forgings that are then machined. These precision parts have minimal runout, which means the rolls themselves rotate precisely around their axis.
This precision enables the rolls to be adjusted to a minimum clearance for consistent conditioning along the length of the rolls.
The machined, forged roll ends are bolted into the core of the Tri-Lobe steel roll. In the event a roll end is damaged, the entire roll does not need to be replaced. Each shaft can be replaced individually, resulting in lower repair costs.
For serviceability, each roll end has two threaded holes so bolts can be used to pull the shafts from the steel core of the roll.

An adjustable swath board is included with Tri-Lobe conditioner option.