Spelle, June 2020. Swadro TC 1250 is Krone’s new rake for professional farmers who seek an entry-level machine. Accordingly, standout features of the new model are its simplicity and ease of operation without electronics. The modern-style rake swathes material from 9.80m to 12.50m widths, taking the necessary oil from only one da and one sa spool.
Tractor power is transmitted mechanically by a patented sliding gear transmission and drive shafts that ensure the power flows in a straight line. The tried-and-tested Krone Easy-Line drive concept stands for an economical material flow through the rake where the leading rotors operate at a higher speed than their rear counterparts, spreading the material in front of them for uniform and boxy 1.40m-2.20m swaths.
The front rotors measure 3,300mm in diameter and have 11 tine arms; the rear rotors measure 2,960mm in diameter and have 13 tine arms; the number of tines is 22×4 on the front rotor and 26×4 on the rear rotor.
Practical and low-maintenance
The Swadro TC 1250 is packed with Krone features that have proven thousands of times over: the rugged build, the cardanic rotor suspension and the Krone Lift Tines with angled tips which bring the tines vertically to the ground, lifting the grass instead of dragging it into the swath (Krone Lift Effect), minimising contamination and producing consistently higher-quality forage.
Further well-proven Krone modules are the maintenance-free gearboxes on the rotors and the durable and equally maintenance-free DuraMax cam track which comes with a three-year warranty from Krone. Another standard feature is the cardanic suspension which ensures optimum ground hugging in and across the direction of travel so the material is lifted cleanly even in difficult soil conditions for zero contamination.
The so-called Krone Jet Effect is naturally also implemented on the new Swadro TC 1250. The technology attaches the rotor ahead of its centre of gravity, a design that ensures the tines do not poke into the ground – neither when lifting nor when lowering, because the leading wheels lift out first and touch down last.
The front rotors on the Swadro TC 1250 have hydraulic suspension the level of which is controlled from the tractor spool and the current setting is indicated on the on-board scale. This means that operators are able to alter the suspension quickly and easily to varying ground conditions. The rear rotors have tension springs for mechanical suspension.
As an option, Krone offers independent lift-out also for the rotors of the Swadro TC 1250 – a boon in wedge-shaped fields for precise lifting and lowering.
The height is set quickly and easily on a crank handle. Each rotor has a narrowly stepped scale for precision settings. Of course all four rotors can be adjusted to individual heights.
Last but not least, Swadro TC 1250 also scores high marks in terms of protection and road safety. For example, a cover on the frame protects the sensitive components from dirt and debris and a lighting unit on the warning panels and also LED lights (incl. Krone logo) offer reasonable road safety.
Useful accessories
As an additional accessory, Krone offers a central swath deflector for the Swadro TC 1250 which is raised automatically into transport position when the rotors fold up. The curtain makes for boxy swaths also in awkward corners and when grouping material from one side. In addition, the new rake can also be equipped with LED work lights for exemplary illumination of the area of work even when working at dusk, at night or in poor visibility conditions.
Swadro TC 1250 All features at a glance
Work width: 9.80 to 12.50m
Swath width: 1.40m to 2.20m
Transport width: 2.99m
Transport height: 3.99m (without folding the tine arms)
Weight: approx. 4,900kg
Power requirement: from 59kW (80hp)
Hydraulic requirements: 1 sa 1 da