TRACTOR TEST: Kuhn introduced its rear mounted FC313 mower conditioners nearly 25 years ago, these popular models being superseded by the still current FC314 models in 2016. Popular with farm users, examples of both generations of these 3.10m (10ft) mowers are readily available on the used market.
Although it is the FC313 and FC 314 models that we look at here, it follows that the same broad brush buying pointers will apply equally to narrower 2.40m and 2.80m working width models in the nominal ‘103 and 104’ mower series. This will also include the front mounted models too as all variants share essentially the same ‘100 Series’ cutter bar with six, seven or eight discs. The FC3125 and current FC3115 are not covered specifically here, these heavier-duty models having a different Optidisc Elite bed.
When originally launched in around 2000, the FC313 was only offered with a flexible V-shaped white nylon finger conditioner. From 2012, the FC313D variant was introduced, this having a pivoting steel finger conditioner. In brief, the latter will add around 90kg to the weight of the mower and as a sweeping generalisation, steel finger conditioners tend to be favoured by those mowing heavier crops. If you are after a FC model with a roller conditioner, this was an option on the narrower working width FC243/FC244 and FC283/FC284 models. These have an R added to the model number. An R spec model will be around 30 to 50kg heavier than the equivalent finger conditioner mowers.
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