Drills from afar unveiled

24 September 1999




Drills from afar unveiled

By Andy Collings

CULTIVATIONS 99 was the venue for the debut appearance of two new drills for the UK market – the US-built Sukup and the Argentina-built Bertini drills.

Both claim to be capable of direct and conventional drilling operations.

For those familiar with the Great Plains drill, the Sukup design will hold few surprises.

In 3m, 4.5m and 6m working widths, the main body of the drill – the hopper, metering system and coulters – are held in a support frame, a caddy as it is called by the company. Should it be required the caddy can be dispensed with and the drill unit mounted directly on to a tractors rear linkage.

But if the caddy is retained, a set of wavy discs can be brought into operation to pre-cultivate soil before the drill. Seed is metered from the hopper by individual modules down to opener discs, following directly in the path of the wavy discs.

Pressure for the coulters – depth control – is exerted hydraulically, with the operator given a pressure reading from a gauge linked into the hydraulic circuit. Once drilled the seed drills are pressed by a following wheel.

Sukup drills are marketed in the UK by Reed Horsch.

Meanwhile, the appearance of the Bertini drill stand was creating some attention.

A 6m drill having two outer 1m sections which fold in front of the main section for a 4m transport width, it is perhaps the widest non-pneumatic drill available in the UK.

First sight of it is to appreciate its no-frills, simplicity which makes no claims other than an ability to place seed into the ground.

Seed is metered from a 2t capacity hopper by a peg system – a mechanical drive offers 82 different seed rates. At ground level, a wavy disc is followed by double opener discs and a press wheel.

Manual adjustment of the drills pressure system is, claims the maker, able to exert a maximum of 250kg on each coulter.

Imported by Collings Bros of Abbotsley, the 6m Bertini drill costs about £30,000. &#42


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