DRILL MANUFACTURERS
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WHY BUY A DALE DRILL By James Dale Despite the challenges faced in 2020, drill sales have been very good this year, with drills being sold throughout the UK and Norway.
20-30hp/m). Many users view this feature as a key benefit to the drill as they can pull a wider working width machine (often significantly wider when considering HP requirements for drills with cultivation elements) with the same size tractor, boosting their output without having to invest in more horsepower. What is more the wider working width reduces the amount of trafficked soil in a field (for example a 3m drill on a tractor fitted with 650 tyres will traffic over 43% of the field, the same tractor on a 6m drill will reduce that number to 21.6%, whilst a 9m drill brings it down to 14.4%). One new customer has switched from a 3m Strip Till drill to a 9m Eco XL, and is able to use the same drilling tractor. Tripling output whilst reducing trafficked soil by around 30% is a real no brainer.
there will be more time to devote to the other businesses on the farm.
he Future of Efficient Crop EstablishmentOne Pass, More Applied
Making our drills as versatile as we can is a key aim for us. With all the various features available on a drill, it is always interesting for us to hear which particular element ‘clinched the deal’ for new customers and the answers are often varied…
Low Draught, High Output, Less Wheelings The Eco range of drills are fitted with our low disturbance, 12mm wide tungsten carbide tipped tines. The tines open the soil down to drilling depth, making the drills relatively easy to pull (at between
As farm margins are squeezed, reducing costs and diversifying into new revenue streams is more important than ever. Our Eco range of drills not only allow users to reduce cultivations by moving towards a No-Till establishment system, but also allow you to increase drilling output by going wider, meaning the retiring farm hand may not need to be replaced, and
We have been offering drills capable of drilling two different products for nearly 20years. Most commonly used to apply fertiliser alongside the seed, improving establishment, whilst reducing the risk of volatilisation of the fertiliser and increasing the efficacy of the nutrients. The Eco drilling assembly is fitted with two tines whose position can be adjusted quickly to alter the row width from 12.5cm to 25cm. When in the 25cm position the two tines are effectively lined up, allowing fertiliser to be placed by the first tine and seed to be positioned next to the fertiliser. More recently we have added options to allow customers to be able to place both seed and fertiliser at 12.5cm spacings, ideal for crops that prefer tighter row widths. We have seen a significant increase in the number of customers wanting drills fitted with additional applicators over the past few years. The ability to apply a dose of pellets, or control blackgrass with a dose of Avadex at the same time as drilling improves farm efficiency, saving time and money. Our drills utilise RDS Topcon’s Isocan Artemis system, which allows up to 4 channels to be controlled through the drills control box, meaning up to 4 different products can be applied at the same time, their application all automated by the drill. Furthermore, the Isocan system is Isobus compatible so can be run through the tractors screen, decluttering the cab and saving setup time.
Accurate Depth Control Many new customers opt for an Eco drill due to its ability to establish and maintain an accurate drilling depth. Drills with coulters mounted rigidly to the frame suffer from not being able to follow contours across their width meaning seed can end up too deep or too shallow. The Eco drilling assemblies parallel linkage and depth setting press wheel ensure that
20 DIRECT DRILLER MAGAZINE
ISSUE 11 | OCTOBER 2020
