Launched at Agritechnica, Strautmann’s latest large capacity Magnon forage wagon is brimming with new features … from a moving headboard to plastic fingers on the pick-up. We caught up with one of the pre-production units in Germany earlier this season.
Pivoting headboards seem to be the ‘must-have’ feature on large-capacity forage wagons since Lely started the trend in 2013. Strautmann is the latest maker to join the club with its Magnon, but that’s certainly not the only new feature on the three-model 42-52mÑ range. For example and most notably there’s a redesigned chopping system fed by a completely new pick-up with plastic fingers. To see how these various components perform we took the opportunity to work the smallest model, the 430 CFS, in a low-yielding, third-cut crop of grass.
On first appearances, two things jump out: the new styling and new pick-up. The latter boasts new flexible tines made from elastomer plastic. These 10mm wide flexible tines are a bespoke design made in a special spray process for Strautmann with a different number and spacing compared to a conventional steel spring tine design. The visibly stronger tines give the pick-up a beefier appearance.
Each tine sits against a keeper plate, with a single bolt locking tab used to complete the fastening process. There is no need to remove the bands, so it takes less than a minute to replace a tine. Brilliant. Not only that but Strautmann also claims a longer service life, reduced wear and better contouring from the new design.
The camless pick-up is retained, but it is now hydraulically powered. The diameter is also the same, and it sticks with two depth control wheels. What is new is the optional accelerator roller tucked between the pick-up and rotor
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