Challenger's New TwinMax Hay Conditioner Is On A Roll - Or Two!

DULUTH, Ga. -- Faster drydown and more uniform hay conditioning are just two of the benefits of Challenger's new AHBT TwinMax auger headers, which are the first to feature the revolutionary Challenger TwinMax hay conditioner. Unlike traditional hay conditioners, the TwinMax is unique. It uses not one, but two separate sets of conditioner rolls positioned in-line for double conditioning.

The first pair consists of steel-on-steel rolls that engage for thorough conditioning action on a variety of crops. This ensures efficient crimping along the entire length of plant stems. The second pair consists of intermeshing rubber rolls and sits directly behind the steel rolls, applying a crushing action on plant stems as they direct the crop to the swath shield or windrow forming shields.

"Field trials and customer experience with prototype machines have already shown faster drydown and higher hay quality from the TwinMax conditioner versus standard conditioners," said Art Williams, marketing manager for Challenger hay and forage products. "Reducing drying time by several hours to a full day offers numerous benefits. For one, it provides a larger window of opportunity for producers to harvest high-quality hay and improve profitability. Getting the crop off the field quicker also reduces the chances of it being rained on and allows producers who irrigate to get water back on the field earlier. Less time in the field also means less bleaching, for greener hay," he adds.

For some producers, faster drydown also has the potential to reduce or eliminate additional passes over the field with a rake or tedder, which can reduce both fuel costs and compaction. It can also reduce the amount of preservatives needed to ensure hay quality in certain environments.

Dual conditioner rolls are just part of the TwinMax's secret to success, however. Another is hydraulic tensioning on both sets of rolls, which ensures consistent pressure despite varying conditions, and permits quicker adjustment between crops, fields or customers. The roll gap and hydraulic tension can even be individually adjusted on both the front and back conditioner rolls.

"This allows the operator to make a near infinite number of adjustments for matching conditioning action to virtually any crop situation," Williams noted. "The combinations of roll spacing and pressure on the two sets of rolls are seemingly endless."

For more information on the Challenger TwinMax conditioner or the Challenger AHBT TwinMax auger headers in 14- and 16-foot cutting widths, visit www.challengerag.com.

About Challenger:

Challenger is a worldwide brand marketed and distributed by AGCO Corporation. Challenger brand equipment is sold, serviced and supported exclusively through Caterpillar dealers in North America. AGCO Corporation, headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, is a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. AGCO products are distributed in over 140 countries. AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements through more than 9200 independent dealers and distributors around the world. AGCO products are distributed under the brand names AGCO(R), Agco Allis(R), AgcoStar(R), Challenger(R), Farmhand(R), Fendt(R), Fieldstar(R), Gleaner(R), Glencoe(R), Hesston(R), LOR*AL(R), Massey Ferguson(R), New Idea(R), RoGator(R), SisuDiesel(TM), Soilteq(TM), Spra-Coupe(R), Sunflower(R), TerraGator(R), Tye(R), Valtra(R), White(TM), and Willmar(R). AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance in North America and through Agricredit in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, and Brazil. In 2003, AGCO had net sales of $3.5 billion.