KVERNELAND HEADLAND NEWS
EASY PLOUGHING
Suffolk grower MJ Easey based at Hoxne, was one of the first to take delivery of the new range of Kverneland 3400B shearbolt ploughs, bought to replace an LO model.
position, compared to being sat on an angle, when working in-furrow.” “And ploughing on-land lets me make the most of GPS,” explains Liam. “The plough is set to a 3m working width, and I always leave a 12m headland, so it’s only four runs around to finish off. We run on a 32m tramline systems, and working this way means
Cultivation practices across the 2,100-acres it farms places great importance on the plough, as the farm seeks clean, level seedbeds from its soils which range from sand to heavy clay. Cropping includes sugar beet, winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape and spring beans. “Ploughing gives us a fresh start, and does a great job of aerating and levelling our soils, which gradually slump throughout the year,” says farms manager Ian Savage. “It’s an essential part of our cultivation practices with around half our acreage going across the mouldboards each season. The remainder is min-tilled.” The seven-furrow 3400B, supplied by local dealer Tuckwells, continues the farm’s on-land ploughing approach. Specification includes number 28 bodies, 100cm point-to-point clearance for increased trash clearance, hydraulic rear depth wheel and Kverneland’s innovative TTS – Trailer Transport System. “The 3400B is a better plough than our old model,” he says. “There’s double stays on all the mouldboards, a better push-pull framework for the hydraulic vari-width, and the central skimmer adjustment for each pair is brilliant.” Up front is an 8RX 370, with enough muscle to cover six acres/ hour working at a depth of 8in with a 17in furrow width, and operating at a forward speed of 8kph as operator Liam Baker, pictured, explains. “I only ever plough on-land even though this plough can be run in-furrow,” says Liam. “It’s a far more comfortable seating
I always pull through the headland tramline.” Liam reckons the 3400B is a big step forward.
“Number two and number six skims run behind the tracks, and not only is this a higher wear point on metal, but the skims need to be set deeper than the rest, to accommodate the tread marks,” he says. “With central adjustment, it’s very easy to do, and this helps to maintain a high-quality finish.” “There’s much more scope for adjustment,” he says. “I can almost keep the rear three furrows out of work, just by making the most of the hydraulic depth wheel.” With plough functions set-up on the tractor’s CommandPro joystick, Liam says headland turns are effortless. “I can lift the front, then the rear, which keeps headlands short and tight, and it’s the same when dropping back in,” he says. “And when it comes to transport, the 3400B follows like a trailer thanks to TTS and the rear wheel. It’s really safe, because there’s no swing-out when turning and it also keeps the weight off the tractor when running down the road.”
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