2014 Highland Show Preview

One-pass ‘grain and fert’ combination drill makes its debut

 

 

On display at the Highland Show will be the new Maschio one-pass ‘grain and fert’ combination drill, launched earlier this year by OPICO, and designed specifically to withstand the stony conditions of Scotland.

 

OPICO’s Scottish territory manager Sandy Clark explains: “The ability to till, drill and deliver fertiliser in one-pass continues to grow in popularity here. This new combination from Maschio is both very robust and very accurate.”

 

The combination drill consists of a 3m wide Alitalia pneumatic seed drill mounted onto a heavy duty ORSO power harrow together with a front-mounted fertiliser system.

 

Accurate rate control is achieved using Flexeed metering systems, and the drill’s Perfecta double-disc coulters accurately place seed and fertiliser together.

 

The 1260 litre front fertiliser tank is available with the choice of hydraulic or PTO-driven fans. Metering can either be mechanical (land wheel) or electronic (radar/GPS), the latter being controllable from the cab.

 

The wheels are positioned under the front tank which spreads the weight and also acts as a front press.

 

Fertiliser rate is accurately controlled using Maschio’s patented Flexeed ‘cartridge type’ metering system – the same as is used to control seed rate on the drill. Users benefit from a choice of metering rollers, enabling different sizes of fertiliser granules/seed and different rates to be used. The graduated fluted rollers ensure accuracy and consistency of metering, whilst the simple design enables easy calibration and incorporates features such as hopper isolation.

 

The drive line in the ORSO consists of a heavy duty main gearbox – rated 250 hp – and a higher specification material is used throughout the drive train. Its barrel-type taper roller bearings are 30% stronger than standard taper roller bearings.

 

Maschio power harrows also have a closer spacing of rotors than others - four per metre – and ensure a fine tilth is created.

 

Other useful features of the ORSO include: Quick-fit tines which reduce downtime; stone deflectors which prevent damage; accessible bearings for ease of maintenance; a double skin trough both for strength and to prevent stone damage. It also comes with a three-year warranty.

 

The Alitalia drill is mounted onto the 600mm packer roller of the ORSO and not onto the power harrow itself. This ensures the drill follows the ground contours enabling seed to be placed at a consistent depth for even germination. Since the power harrow is not bearing the weight of the drill or seed hopper, this also prevents damage where stones are encountered.

 

Seed hoppers are available with either a1500 litre or 2000 litre capacity. Seed metering is electronic, and utilises RDS technology to deliver accurate variable rate control.

 

Accuracy is further enhanced by the Alitalia’s Perfecta double-disc coulters – these are large discs, mounted on parallelograms, which combine to give excellent soil penetration and even seed placement. The fertiliser granules and seed are delivered in–between the double discs, which are followed by a Neoprene press wheel.

 

 

Other Maschio-designed features that save time and money and come as standard on the Alitalia drill are: the Genius Lite control box. This has a pre-start function so the drill is primed before it is engaged into the soil so there is no delay at the start of a run, and a pre-stop function so that seed is not wasted on headlands.

 

Another time-saver is the QUICK-MATCH system which enables quick and easy attachment of the ORSO to drill using a 3-point linkage. In fact, the drill and power harrow combination can be detached safely by one operator in just a couple of minutes, so that the harrow can be used alone.

 

The 3m Alitalia/ORSO combination alone costs £44,110 +VAT, and the additional grain and fertiliser kit costs £23,197 +VAT. For details of their local Maschio dealer, farmers and contractors should contact OPICO on 01778 421111.