C400 windrow formation

Windrow formation is the final step of mower-conditioner functionality. Proper windrow formation is critical to reducing dry down times for dry hay and haylage or providing consistent chopping speeds and cut lengths for forage harvesting applications.

Characteristics of a quality windrow include:

Consistent volume of crop throughout the windrow
No clumping of material that can lead to inconsistent dry down
Square shoulder and even edges

Sized to the width of the harvesting equipment or spread wide to allow for maximum exposure

John Deere mower-conditioners allow you to customize windrows to match your needs.

Crop quality is maintained for higher feed value.
Windrow width can be matched to harvesting equipment.
Spread crop wide to maximize exposure (up to 337.8 cm [133 in.] with a properly equipped C400), further reducing dry down times.

S models - swath board adjustment

C models - swath board adjustment

Adjustable swath boards help direct crop coming through the conditioner assembly, providing a quick adjustment to windrow width.

No tools required for easy in-field adjustments
Used to make large adjustments to windrow width

Forming vanes mounted to swath board

0 Series Mower-Conditioners come standard with forming vanes on the swath board when available. Previously referred to as a wide swath kit, the forming vanes allow the mower-conditioner to increase windrow widths up to 25 percent and can be used to further customize windrow formation to match crop conditions.

Install all vanes directing crop flow outward to provide the widest windrow and fastest curing
Use vanes to direct heavy crop flow for more even distribution and consistent drying
When not in use, forming vanes can be stored on the machine for easy access

C400 wide windrow

The C400 produced the widest windrow when tested against a competitive machine, providing a windrow of conditioned alfalfa that was over 337.8 cm (133 in.). This was over 84 percent of the cut width for the C400 compared to 72 percent for the competition.

C500 narrow forming shield position

C500 wide forming shield position

Forming shields allow fine-tuning of the windrow width. This can allow you to easily match the windrow to your tractor’s tire spacing and prevent driving on cut and conditioned crop.

No tools required for easy in-field adjustments
Allow the operator to fine-tune the windrow width to match equipment and dry-down needs
Operator can easily set windrow width as required because of changes in crop type, conditions, and operating speed

S350 Mower-Conditioner