[UPDATED: April 20, 2022] As AGCO celebrates 75 years of the Hesston brand, which under that company’s ownership is now known by the “Hesston by Massey Ferguson” moniker, it is marking the occasion with the introduction of an updated line of windrowers. Hesston has been a well-known name in the hay and forage business for a long time, and the updated windrower line is designed specifically for that market as well.
*The company claims the new WR series windrowers can increase efficiency over previous Hesston by Massey Ferguson models, providing improved power and speed to get hay crops on the ground much faster. A good deal of that efficiency gain comes from equipping the WR models with a more efficient closed-centre hydraulic system. The hydraulic system can syphon off a lot of horsepower from an engine. Because closed-centre pumps draw less engine power than open-centre designs, they not only allow for potential reduction in fuel consumption, they also leave more engine power available for running the header and moving the machine down the field.
The WR series models also get a large 150-gallon fuel tank, which is an increase over what previous models were equipped with. And that, of course, means less downtime for refuelling.
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Under the hoods, the new machines get AGCO Power engines capable of putting out up to 265 horsepower at 2,100 r.p.m. and more than 280 at 1,950 r.p.m. The WR197 uses a 4.9-litre, four-cylinder diesel while the WR235 and WR265 run with a bigger 7.4-litre, six-cylinder engine.
A large tandem hydraulic header drive pump allows the windrowers to handle higher power demands up front with their increased hydraulic capacity. That gives producers the option of running either disc or draper heads.
Up in the cabs, the WR series get Massey’s Datatronic 5 terminal, which consolidates all the machine functions and data in one place. AGCO says using the Datatronic 5 is intuitive and easy for operators to learn and use. It can also be easily customized based on operator preferences.
And owners can use MF Guide and the brand’s other smart farming technologies, which can help reduce overlaps and can save even more fuel. The brand’s Vision Cab boasts high visibility with lots of glass area, including a rounded front windshield and tinting on the rear glass. A suspended rear axle, which AGCO calls the oscillating GlideRider, minimizes bounce and shock to make things a little more comfortable for the operator. And that can be paired with the optional OptiAir four-point air bag cab suspension to smooth out the ride even more.
AGCO used the World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., to pull the wraps off of these new models in early February.
*Update: a percentage claim regarding efficiency was removed.
