Celebrating 50 years of Kuhn’s GMD disc mowers

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Kuhn GMD disc mower’s launch.

Kuhn will commemorate this by displaying an original GMD 4 at Grassland and Muck 2017, at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, in the UK.

The model to be displayed was built in 1969, and was in constant use until it was retired 12 months ago.

The machine has recently been acquired by Kuhn in France, and is destined to become a key feature in the company’s museum.

The latest generation of GMD machines is available in working widths ranging from 2.6 to 5.2 metres.

It offers many of the same benefits as the original machine with which Kuhn lived up to their promise of an entry-level, affordable and efficient machine which can produce highest quality forage.

The latest added features include Kuhn’s Lift-Control and Protectadrive systems.

The Lift-Control suspension and non-stop safety system are designed for excellent ground contouring along with a 31-degree range of travel which maintains a consistent mowing height, even at high forward operating speeds.

It also ensures the machine’s mechanical components are protected against impacts whilst operating on uneven ground, by reducing ground pressure, and allowing the mower to pivot away from obstacles by as much as 25 degrees, while also lifting clear of obstructions.

The Protectadrive safety system adds a further element of safety, by protecting the Optidisc cutter bar’s internal components, which include Kuhn’s Fast-Fit knives, from impact damage.

In the event of a violent impact between a disc and an obstacle, the shaft holding the disc will shear just above the bearing, thanks to a carefully dimensioned shear groove, thereby protecting the disc’s moving parts.

The shaft can subsequently be replaced in less than 15 minutes, reducing downtime and expensive repair bills.

The GMD is also available in an RS version which delivers forage into a narrow swath, to avoid driving over cut grass.