Spearhead has rolled out its most technologically advanced ProPilot control system on new Twiga Pro and Flex models.
Developed by Spearhead following customer feedback, the new system features a market-first 10in touchscreen to provide ultimate operator visibility of machine settings, while functionality enhancements ensure operators enjoy pin-point precision, less fatigue and faster cutting speeds.
Exclusively developed by the brand’s engineers, Auto-Level maintains the cutting head angle automatically. It’s the answer to a consistent and accurate finish. No longer must the operator do this by eye. Instead, they can preset up to three fixed angles and let Auto-Level take care of it. This is far less tiring process, and for complete flexibility they can manually slide Auto-Level through degree changes too.
Auto-Level even stays in play when the arm height is changed, and is a game-changing function for technology driven contractors and large-scale farmers.
“Precision is crucial for operators choosing high-performance equipment like the Twiga,” the director of sales and marketing at Spearhead Machinery, Antony Prince, said. “Head angle is a big contributor to this, so we’ve evolved our existing technology to provide the most effective functionality possible.”
Another significant improvement for the 2023 ProPilot system is the electronic Autopilot. Spearhead led innovation with the first automatic verge float system, and now it’s replaced the mechanical process with an electronic pressure monitoring method. This enables faster forward speeds while also prolonging the life of the machine and reducing the weight of the arm by about 70kg.
“Our new Autopilot monitors the pressures to adjust cutting height every few milliseconds,” Mr Prince said. “With less weight on the roller and less strain on the arm, the machine is better protected, whatever the reach. And the operator has less functionality to control manually. It makes their life much easier.
“The big win from this improvement is faster forward speeds and higher productivity. When ground conditions allow, you can travel at more than 20km/hr. This is ideal for heavyweight contract work such as cutting verges on major highways.”
Operators can switch Autopilot on with one click from the joystick or touchscreen. Should they need to handle an obstacle, one click disengages it momentarily, before it seamlessly re-engages.
Offering further flexibility, Autopilot can run at three levels, depending on ground conditions.
With a built-in control panel, fault finding is faster on the new ProPilot system. Operators suffer less downtime by accessing live diagnostics. This is a major improvement on the typical ‘laptop plug-in’ method of previous systems.
The 2023 ProPilot can also record activity on up to six jobs at once – an excellent way to track time and profitability during the day.
“We’ve listened to what our customers are telling us,” Mr Prince said. “When we could incorporate a desired function, we have done. These things make their lives easier and more productive.”
Will Clarke from Direct Enviro Services has been putting the new Twiga ProPilot control system through its paces for 18 months. Under pressure to cut miles of road verges in the South-East of England at speed, the new ProPilot helps his business.
“I really like it,” he said. “It’s user-friendly for our operators and the touchscreen tells you everything. If problems do occur, the system gives you error codes to ensure a faster fix. This saves us time and money.
“The biggest thing for us is the electronic Autopilot. We’ve got front fold-down flails and barrier mowers. You have to keep an eye on them. Given other implements and a tractor to operate, you normally need three arms.
“But with the electronic Autopilot, you can put the mower down on the grass and let it automatically follow the contours. It takes away worries around cutter level. The operator can just concentrate on cutting the barrier and the grass behind it in one pass.
“And this speeds everything up,” Mr Clarke added. “When we’re not using front mowing machines we can operate faster depending on the terrain.
“I like having three settings for the float. As you reach further out you can put more pressure on the head. And when you come in close you can make it lighter. More responsive than Spearhead’s previous Autopilot, if you’re going over humps it reacts instantly. Again, this means you can go faster and keep up with the speed of the tractor.”
