Performance - Kongskilde FCT 1260 Operator's Manual

1. INTRODUCTION

PERFORMANCE

The precision chop forage harvesters FCT 1260 and FCT 1460 offer highly versatile
performance, which, when used with the correct equipment, enables grass and whole
crops to be chopped.
The FCT 1260 and FCT 1460 have a high capacity compared with other similar
products because of the "DIRECT CUT" system that they use. "DIRECT CUT"
minimises power loss when cutting the material, thus ensuring maximum utilisation of
the available tractor power.
However, capacity is difficult to define and compare, as the capacity of a forage
harvester will be dependent not only on the type of crop being harvested, but also on
the way the crop has been treated prior to being harvested or cut by the machine, in
addition to the cutting length used by the machine.
In practice, it is desirable to operate the forage harvester in the highest possible
tractor gear without causing frequent blockages. However, the quantity of grass in a
field will always vary, for instance where the mower conditioner has had to turn or
change forward speed or direction of travel. Therefore, it is often appropriate either to
drive with a power reserve so that the machine will not become blocked, or to
continuously adapt the driving of the precision chop forage harvester to the
conditions.
The pick-up unit and feed rollers are both protected from overloading. The pick-up
unit is protected by means of a friction clutch, and the feed rollers with shear bolts in
the drive shafts. In addition, the entire feed intake section is protected against the
blocking of the pro-tec coupling driving the harvesting gearbox. The precision chop
forage harvester also has a reverse function, which allows blockages to be cleared
without you having to leave the tractor seat.
Inexperienced users should start by increasing the speed of travel gradually until the
pick-up becomes blocked, before then releasing the blockage by reversing and
choosing a tractor gear at a suitably lower level to eliminate the risk of blockage.
However, it is not the intention that the clutch function of the feed rollers be released.
The clutch adjustment of the pick-up must be reduced if this happens. The same
applies if the main friction clutch between the tractor and the machine releases
during normal operation. The machine is incorrectly adjusted if it is not the pick-up
unit that becomes blocked.
The torque setting of the friction clutch of the pick-up unit can unfortunately
sometimes be increased to the point when the main friction clutch between the
machine and the tractor releases frequently. The main friction clutch is not designed
to be released frequently, and is only intended to provide a starting shock or when
foreign objects enter the machine. The same applies to the shear bolt clutch for the
feed intake rollers. The main clutch simply cannot absorb the heat generated during
these long releases. The power transmitted at the main clutch will be at least 10
times greater than the output required to drive the pick-up unit.
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PIGB-206B-02 FCT 1260-1460 0218