The brand new Espro seed drills from Kuhn have been developed with high output firmly in mind; but high working speeds don’t mean high-horsepower requirement, in fact with a 6m drill it’s possible to work at speeds of 13km/hr with just 200hp – less than 35hp/m.
At the front of the Espro, two rows of working discs open and mix the soil and also ensure residue is well incorporated into the surface layers. The 460mm disc diameter helps to ensure that a fine tilth is created, while the concave shape ensures high performance even in heavy soil.
Seed to soil contact and consistent seeding depth are vital to ensuring germination and emergence of each and every seed. The Espro employs a row of press wheels in the centre of the drill, each one of which consolidates soil ahead of two seeding elements: the Espro press wheels are offset front to rear that eliminates the bulldozing effect thereby reducing making the drill easier to pull; and the 900mm diameter reduces rolling resistance compared to smaller wheels, while a width of 215mm leaves an 85mm gap between the press wheels for excellent soil flow through the machine.
The tyres of the press wheels are specially designed and made for Kuhn with a perfectly square profile that ensures even consolidation across the width of the tyre. The sharp, deep treads also crumble the soil to create a fine surface tilth.
The Espro features the Crossflex seed bar to bring consistent seeding depth in all conditions and working speeds. Unique to Kuhn, this seed bar consists of coulter arms mounted on polyurethane blocks which are securely held on a specially profiled tube. As the coulter deflects up and down to adapt to the soil surface, the polyurethane blocks act like four little springs; they cannot slide across the surface of the tube. The coulter is returned quickly and precisely to the same position each and every time resulting in precise seed depth placement across the field even at faster working speeds. The Crossflex system uses the same double disc coulters as on the Seedflex coulter bar.
The Espro is an Isobus-compatible machine available with the CCI200 (Isobus) or VT50 (non-Isobus) terminals. A joystick is also available as an option. Regardless of the control box selected, the operator is provided with an easy-to-use interface combining touch screen and soft keys. To facilitate headland turns, the drill is equipped with a headland management mode whereby, at the touch of a button, the working elements are lifted and in sequence on approaching the headland to allow drilling to continue right up to field edge.
The metering unit is stopped with the lifting of the front tools to ensure that seed in the delivery hoses is placed in the soil before the elements are lifted, thereby avoiding seed left on the soil surface. Once the turn is completed, the sequence is reversed. Calibration is equally simple and can be completed in less than five minutes.
Front working discs, seeding depth amd coulter pressure are all set using easy-to-access clips on hydraulic cylinders, and there’s no need to climb in or over the machine to make adjustments.
The Espro has also been designed to be easy to maintain and provide reliability throughout the season. Front working and seeding discs have sealed bearings (zero maintenance) and elsewhere there are a minimum number of pivot points and moving sections that require attention.
Additional options include track eradicators, front press wheels, pre-emergence markers and hydraulic or pneumatic brake systems.
The 3m Espro 3000 and 6m Espro 6000R will be available in limited quantities from summer 2015. Other models and working widths will follow in the coming years.
For more information visit: www.kuhn.co.uk.
