When Kuhn North America announced it was going to develop a new series of reel total mixed ration mixers, customers gave the company one clear message: don’t mess it up.
So says Kuhn product manager Aaron DuMez, adding that while some adjustments have been made to the Kuhn Knight RC 300 series compared to the company’s previous products, the new mixers retain such constants as its popular Helix reel, the company’s proprietary open-centre mixing reel.
“One of the big pieces of feedback that we got from customers when we were looking to do a new reel mixer series was, ‘we love the 200 series machines.’ There’s not a lot we could change. So we provided some of those key things that are going to provide nice incremental upgrades.”
The RC 300 — available in trailer, truck and stationary models — also retains the same 500- to 950-cubic foot capacities as the previous series.
“For dairy and beef producers mixing rations with high percentages of roughages or distillers grains, this design gives them the ability to efficiently handle a wide range of materials,” Kuhn says on its website.
Here’s what’s new
Rubberized wipers: The reel wipers – or sweeps – on the Helix reel have been upgraded to rubber. “That’s going to help us get really good clean out of the mixer and provide great reliability,” says DuMez.
Stainless steel option for mixer doors: Kuhn’s mixer doors have been strengthened over the years, says the company. The 300 series includes a new option for a quarter-inch stainless steel door “for even longer life.” Says DuMez: “We have always offered stainless steel liners. We’ve expanded that by offering a stainless-steel door option as well, so that’s going to help increase the lifetime of the mixer door significantly.”
Front panel additions: The trailer model front panels now feature a hose horn for “better hose management up front,” says DuMez. Also new is improved access to the power take-off for maintenance and a swinging scale arm for scale viewing on either side of the mixer.
Brakes and axles: All models in the 300 series feature brake options. The RC 350 through 370 trailer models can run on a single axle while the RC 360 through 395 can be in a tandem axle configuration. Another option is a single high flotation feature “for tough farm conditions.” Single-axle trailers with truck tires can include bolt-on fenders to “keep things clean.”
Hydrostatic drive truck mounts updated: Hydrostatic drive truck mount models now have a couple of different drive options: hydrostatic and mechanical, says DuMez. “We’ve made improvements to the mechanical driveline for increased performance and reliability.”
Updated control interface: This includes mix counters, machine monitoring and service reminders. “Customers have some more advanced control over things like a mix timer. They’re able to monitor machine parameters — things they were not able to do before on the 200 series.”
More options: Fenders are available from the factory for single-axle trailer models, says DuMez.
So why should some producers choose a reel TMR over the vertical and horizontal versions Kuhn also sells?
“If you’re mixing all pre-processed ingredients, the reel mixer is definitely a great option with the low power requirement, fast mixing, even discharge — all those things,” says DuMez.
“Where the reel mixer can’t be used is if we’re putting in entire bales or maybe other large, bulky material.”
A vertical mixer is the best choice for bale mixing, he says.
“If you’re not doing that, the reel is definitely a good machine to consider.”
Includes files from Bruce Derksen.
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