A new Maschio one-pass grain-and-fert combination drill that’s ideally suited to the arable systems and soil conditions of Scotland and northern England has been launched by Opico.
It 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 ability to till, drill and deliver fertiliser in one-pass continues to grow in popularity,” Opico’s Scottish territory manager, Sandy Clark, said. “This new combination from Maschio has been put together specifically for Scottish farmers – it’s not only very robust, but also very accurate.
“And while the front tank fertiliser system may be new in to the UK, Maschio has been making them for over a decade. As a result, it comes with a range of different options.”
The 1,260-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.
The 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, while the simple design enables easy calibration and incorporates features such as hopper isolation.
“Due to the often extreme and stony conditions found in Scotland, the combination utilises an Orso power harrow – one of the heaviest in the Maschio range,” Mr Clark said.
The drive line in the Orso consists of a heavy-duty main gearbox – rated 250hp – and a higher specification material is used throughout the drive train. Its barrel-type taper roller bearings are 30 per cent stronger than standard taper roller bearings.
“Maschio power harrows also have a closer spacing of rotors than others – four per metre – and so create a finer tilth,” Mr Clark added.
Other useful features of the Orso include: quick-fit tines that reduce downtime; stone deflectors that prevent damage; accessible bearings for ease of maintenance; and 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 when stones are encountered.
Seed hoppers are available with either a 1,500-litre or 2,000-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, that combine to give excellent soil penetration and even seed placement. The fertiliser granules and seed are delivered inbetween 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 three-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 (prices correct at March 2014).
For more information visit: www.opico.co.uk.
It 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 ability to till, drill and deliver fertiliser in one-pass continues to grow in popularity,” Opico’s Scottish territory manager, Sandy Clark, said. “This new combination from Maschio has been put together specifically for Scottish farmers – it’s not only very robust, but also very accurate.
“And while the front tank fertiliser system may be new in to the UK, Maschio has been making them for over a decade. As a result, it comes with a range of different options.”
The 1,260-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.
The 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, while the simple design enables easy calibration and incorporates features such as hopper isolation.
“Due to the often extreme and stony conditions found in Scotland, the combination utilises an Orso power harrow – one of the heaviest in the Maschio range,” Mr Clark said.
The drive line in the Orso consists of a heavy-duty main gearbox – rated 250hp – and a higher specification material is used throughout the drive train. Its barrel-type taper roller bearings are 30 per cent stronger than standard taper roller bearings.
“Maschio power harrows also have a closer spacing of rotors than others – four per metre – and so create a finer tilth,” Mr Clark added.
Other useful features of the Orso include: quick-fit tines that reduce downtime; stone deflectors that prevent damage; accessible bearings for ease of maintenance; and 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 when stones are encountered.
Seed hoppers are available with either a 1,500-litre or 2,000-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, that combine to give excellent soil penetration and even seed placement. The fertiliser granules and seed are delivered inbetween 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 three-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 (prices correct at March 2014).
For more information visit: www.opico.co.uk.
