Agri equipment – big bucks vs better value

Every year, Nampo sees the prices of agricultural equipment climbing steeply, which makes South African-manufactured products that much more attractive. Joe Spencer reports.

Agri equipment – big bucks vs better value
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Agricultural equipment costs considerably more every year – as clearly evinced by the products on display at this year’s Nampo Harvest Day. Fortunately, in several cases, local products provide more realistic, better value-for-money alternatives:

  • Radium’s new combination ripper provides cost-effective soil preparation without soil damage when ploughing in warm climates.Coulters at the front of the ripper cut through surface debris so that the hammerhead shares and tines don’t block or pack. Double-acting spiked rollers at the rear level the ground and crush clods. The 17-tine model has an 8,5m working width.
  • Rovic & Leers toolbars have been designed for large-scale maize and sunflower planting. They can be fitted with 3,6m³ air-seeder fertiliser bins or Power Combo 3 600l liquid fertiliser tanks. The toolbars are supplied with Kuhn Maxima II pneumatic large-seed row units as standard, but other row units can be retro-fitted.
  • Agri-Phyto has developed its DBX seeding system with a focus on soil structure, sustainability and profit. The DBX deep-blade, three-slot system results in precision seed placement, deep under-seed cultivation and a shallow bed for seed. All of this ensures a protective environment for germinating seeds.

Mixer/feeders becoming more sophisticated
The Matrix Rover self-propelled, self-loading mixer/feeder has a 2m-wide front milling cutter that loads any kind of feed and supplies it to the mixer via a wide rubber belt. A joystick in the driver’s arm-rest enables easy operation, while a multi-function panel controls the mixing. A scale indicator is also included. The unit, which is powered by a John Deere JD4045 engine, is imported by Rovic & Leers.

Plenty of power
The Challenger MT965C tractor has an 18,1l CAT C15 ACERT engine rated at 391kW, peaking at 422kW. A satisfied customer at the Radium stand said his Challenger had pulled a large Power Combo at speeds of up to 8km/h and depths of up to 500mm.

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Boom sprayers

  • Rovic & Leers imports the PLA self-propelled boom sprayer from Argentina (above). Two models are available – the 4×4 with a 4 000l capacity and the 4×2 with 2 850l capacity. Both are driven by IVECO NEF 6,7l engines. The 30m booms with stainless steel tubing have automatic boom section control.
  • The Stara Imperador 3100 boom sprayer from Brazil has a pantographic boom suspension that reduces up to 75% of vertical impact and 30% of longitudinal movement. The central boom position provides excellent visibility. The boom remains level with the crop even if the unit deflects up to 13,5° laterally when a wheel passes over an obstacle. The sprayer has a 4×4 hydrostatic transmission and under-body clearance is 1,65m. Tank capacity is 3 100l.