With the introduction of its model year 2024 line of forage mergers, Oxbo is celebrating 20 years of designing and building continuous mergers, a technology that led to Hay-in-a-Day and higher levels of forage quality over traditional raking.
“We are proud of our twenty-year history in the forage market,” commented Seth Thomforde, Oxbo’s Market Manager for Forage products, “and proud of our newest product developments. Twenty years ago, under the MillerPro brand, Oxbo launched the first continuous forage mergers, changing the way alfalfa was windrowed for forage harvesting operations.”
In 1998, Oxbo built the first prototype double merger and then in 2003 commercialized the first triple merger, branded as a MillerPro 310.
In 2008, the mergers were branded Oxbo and made available through Oxbo dealers. When data from the University of Wisconsin documented a 2.5% ash reduction in wide swath merged forage vs raked forage, the Oxbo 330 and 334 became the most popular complement to triple mowers in all dairy regions. Merging technology proved especially popular in wet climates, supporting the move to Hay-in-a-Day to maximize forage nutrition content. Today, mergers can be found in more forage crops than ever before, from alfalfa to small grains and grasses. With the introduction of the Oxbo 2228, merging technology has now expanded into the dry hay market.
To celebrate the anniversary, Oxbo’s model year 2024 units will feature a commemorative anniversary decal. Also released with the 2024 model year is Oxbo’s PowerMerge technology. PowerMerge technology is a result of the unique cam, tine, and belt design of the pickup heads that allow Oxbo mergers to pick up more crop, faster, create smooth windrows, and deliver the highest quality forage.
