Pöttinger launches Mergento belt-type rake

Pöttinger has added the new Mergento VT 9220 belt-type rake to its grassland range. With working widths of up to 9.20 metres for a central swath and 8.70 metres for a side swath, the machine is suitable for alfalfa, clover, and a wide variety of crops from permanent grassland to straw.

The Mergento collects the forage using the pick-up. Meanwhile, dirt and stones remain on the ground. Without further contact with the ground, cross conveyor belts transport the forage to the swath. Especially with leafy, dry crops, the Pöttinger belt rake minimizes disintegration losses because the forage is not raked across the ground. The overall result is more energy, more crude protein and less crude ash in the forage.

Optimum crop flow

The heart of the Mergento is the conveyor unit. The system ensures a consistent flow of forage and swaths even with short crop material. The conveyor unit consists of the pick-up, the crop press roller and the cross conveyor belt.

The six-row controlled pick-up delivers maximum collection performance with minimum forage contamination. The crop is gently collected from the ground by the successive pick-up tines and fed to the cross conveyor belt. The cam track makes the tines retract just before the belt. The transfer point is 120 mm higher than the cross conveyor belt. This allows the forage to fall freely onto the conveyor belt. In addition, the flow of crop pushes the forage onto the belt.

The conveyor unit also operates reliably when driving downhill and with a short cut crop. The chassis rollers are positioned very close to the point the tines contact the crop and ensure perfect ground tracking. The complete freedom of movement provided by the centre pivot mounting of the belt units ensures constant weight alleviation over the entire working width. It is also the basis for 3D ground tracking. The ingenious design of the boom with three hydraulic cylinders reacts in a split second to any bumps in the ground. In the centre-swath mode, the vertical freedom of movement is +475 mm to -195 mm while lateral float is +30 degrees to -13 degrees. The inclination in the direction of travel can move from +11.5 to -0 degrees.

The Mergento switches the cross conveyor belts off automatically at the headland, and start running automatically at the beginning of the next pass. This system guarantees each swath starts and finishes tidily. It also saves a lot of time because there is no need to empty the cross conveyor belt at the end of the swath. The delay time for switching the conveyor belts on and off can be conveniently adjusted using the terminal in the tractor cab.

Convenient operation and maximum flexibility

The direction of rotation and the position of the two cross conveyor belts can be adjusted from the comfort of the tractor cab. Depending on the shape of the field, the volume of forage and the follow-up harvesting machine, the new Mergento VT 9220 can place a centre swath, swaths to the left or right, two single swaths, convey from the inside out, and even load forage for a short period.

The machine will be available from 01 August 2022.