At the cutting edge AGCO

Last year, FELLA, the European leader in forage harvesting machines, presented its latest innovations at the SIMA agricultural technology fair in Paris.

These included the new RAMOS 2650 TLX-RC rear mower, a centrally suspended three-point mower with roller conditioner and the tried and tested FELLA TurboLift system for a floating cut. The highlight of the TLX variant, which has a working width of 2.6 metres, is its ability to be gently and vertically folded into the centre of gravity of the machine during transport.

Also shown among the SANOS hay tedder product group were the classically proven, centrally suspended three-point turner 6606 DN with a working width of 6.6 metres and the trailed version with the 13010 Trans transport chassis with a working width of almost 13 metres.

The JURAS 456 DN single-rotor rake with a working width of 4.5 metres and the JURAS 1603 twin-rotor rake with side swath placement (working width 6.6 metres or 7.7 metres) completed the FELLA product display.

A century of innovation

For more than 100 years FELLA has been known for its innovative harvesting technology. Today, from its production centre at Feucht, near Nuremberg, it offers a huge range of high-quality drum and disc mower units, tedders and rakes that add up to the largest selection of harvesting tools in the world.

In 2011, Fella was acquired by the AGCO Group and became AGCO’s competence centre for green forage harvesting equipment in Europe. The FELLA brand remains independent, but the corporate name was changed to AGCO Feucht GmbH and then, in 2019, to AGCO GmbH.

AGCO is a global leader in the manufacture of agricultural equipment. Through its well-known brands such as Challenger, Fendt,

GSI, Massey Ferguson and Valtra it delivers agricultural solutions to farmers across the world.

Investing in the future

In 2018, AGCO Feucht celebrated not only the 100th anniversary of the founding of the original company - Bavarian Eggenfabrik AG - but also the inauguration of a major plant expansion thanks to a 10.5 million euro investment by AGCO. The core of the expansion was a new 4,000 square metre assembly hall in which the entire range of mowers were to be manufactured. The programme also included the optimisation of the material flow in the plant in order to meet the increasing capacity requirements.

“The new plant layout will enable us to meet the increasing demands of the individual brands on time and also to act more flexibly,” said Uli Nickol, Managing Director of AGCO Feucht GmbH at the time of the opening ceremony.

The investment marked the largest expansion of the company’s facilities in more than 20 years, with an increase in production capacity by up to 40 percent and the conversion of company processes to an SAP system.

It also marked the latest stage of the development of AGCO’s full line strategy. “Thanks to the integration of Lely’s press and loader wagon business and the established forage harvesting machines from Feucht, AGCO now has a complete and very attractive range of products on the market,” said Dr. Rob Smith, Senior Vice President and General Manager AGCO EME. “With the investments in our European competence centre for forage harvesting technology in Feucht, we are securing the planned growth for the coming years.”

A comprehensive range

Drum and disc mowers are at the heart of FELLA’s range of forage harvesting machines. FELLA RADON drum mowers are ideally suited for the efficient production of quality forage - even under the most difficult conditions. The mower drums with five bearings are designed for the highest loads. An exact cut and a large forage passage ensure optimal forage placement in a loose and compact swath. Even large amounts of forage can be mowed quickly and without clogging.

FELLA RAMOS disc mowers are also ideally suited for use in all regions and in all harvesting conditions. The extraction of high quality and clean forage is guaranteed by the precise cut. The durable construction is matched by the low maintenance requirements.

The TurboLift cutter bar relief from FELLA ensures that the contact pressure is always optimal during the entire mowing process. This protects the sward and prevents the quality forage from becoming dirty. The innovative control block enables quick, easy and stepless adjustment of the contact pressure to the most varied of application conditions.

Conditioners, tedders and rakes

By using a FELLA conditioner, the withering process of the mown forage can be shortened by several hours. The wax layer of the forage is rubbed off and a loose, airy swath is deposited. The water discharge is accelerated by intensive air circulation. This not only has a positive effect on costs, but also on the quality of the forage, as the loss of crumbling and forage contamination are reduced to a minimum. This gives farmers a significant time advantage, especially in unstable weather conditions – they get their quality forage faster and more safely.

The wide range of FELLA SANOS hay tedders is characterised by the optimal mixing of the forage and an excellent spread pattern. From alpine hay tedders for use in the mountains to professional hay tedders with transport chassis for large farms, FELLA has the perfect hay tedder for all areas of application and for every purpose.

Robust construction, simple operation, and excellent raking work - these properties are common to all FELLA JURAS rakes. From single-rotor rakes for use in the Alps to professional four-rotor rakes for contractors, the FELLA product range includes rakes for every purpose. FELLA has combined its decades of experience with the latest findings and has developed a wide range of products with practical benefits for the user. n