Rotary Widrower Is World's First

Rotary Widrower Is World's First HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Mowers (38) 1-6-13 "We plan to build a dozen machines for sale early next spring," says Paul Newsome, manufacturer and developer of the Whirl-A-Row, said to be the world's first self-propelled rotary windrower. "So far as we know, there's not another machine like it anywhere," Paul told FARM SHOW. He heads up Newsome Construction, a division of Morrison & Quirk Grain Corp., headquartered in Hastings, Neb. The firm, which operates alfalfa dehydrating plants, is building 30 of the machines, 18 of which will be used by the company's plants and 12 will be offered for sale to interested farmers and ranchers. "The Whirl-A-Row will walk right thru virtually every type of hay imaginable - whether tangled, matted, lodged, wet or whatever - at 6 to 8 miles per hour," says Paul. ' `It's quality built for heavy use - up to 2,000 or more hours a year. From top to bottom, it's much heavier built than conventional windrowers." Newsome got the idea for the new hay-making machine several years ago when his firm bought and tested a pull type rotary windrower manufactured in Germany and sold in the U.S. by KMN Inc., Westwood, N.J. "We discovered that this rotarytype windrower would run circles around a sickle-type windrower, especially in heavy, tangled alfalfa being mowed while still wet with dew or rain. What's more, it required very little maintenance," Newsome recalls. To get more capacity, Newsome paired up two 7 ft. pull types and mounted them in front of a home built, self-propelled power unit. That first prototype served as the blueprint in building 16 experimental Whirl-A-Row machines which went to the field this past spring and summer. Trouble-free performance of these "experimentals" triggered the company's decision to make the new 14 ft. Whirl-A-Row available commercially. Built to last, it carries a $30,000 price tag. Key features include a 120 lip Perkins diesel engine rated at 120 hp, power steering, adjustable heavy duty rear axles, air-cooled cab and a road speed of 14 mph. The cabcontrolled header raises to a maximum cutting height of 18 in. The Whirl-A-Row makes two windrows as it takes a 14 ft. swath, one between the first and second rotary, and another between the third and fourth. An underslung attachment pulls the two windrows into one. There is no provision on the machine for conditioning hay as it's simultaneously mowed and windrowed. "We quit conditioning hay in our operation several years ago," explains Newsome. "It doesn't do anything that four extra hours in the sun won't do and we eliminated a lot of service problems in doing away with the conditioning attachment," Newsome points out. New Whirl-ARow machines will be equipped with a 14 ft. rotary header being custombuilt by KMN. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Newsome Construction, Division of Morrison & Quirk Grain Corp., Box 609, Hastings, Neb. 68901(ph 402 463-3191).

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