Machinery
New Topcon precision products from LH Agro
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LH AGRO, A TOPCON authorised distributor in the UK, recently launched two new pieces of precision farming equipment: a heads-up lightbar guidance system for manually steered tractors, and a new electric steering wheel system for non-autosteer ready machines.
The easy-to-install Topcon SI-21 Lightbar is a costeffective, user-friendly system designed to provide machinery operators with better visibility of the steering correction cues required to stay-on-line during field operations.
The SI-21 complements all existing Topcon X-series control consoles and uses a series of coloured LEDs which activate in the same sequence as the lightbar displayed on X-series consoles.
By placing the lightbar in the machine operator’ s line of sight, the SI-21 avoids the need for operators to view an offset or side-mounted console, instead providing a heads-up visual guide to enable rapid line acquisition when turning off headlands and to maintain an accurate operating course.
The new lightbar also features a full colour graphic display with integrated Horizon Software Dashboard items for additional heads-up information.
The Topcon SI-21 Lightbar retails at just £ 365 including a suction-cup mount.
TOPCON AES-35 ELECTRIC STEERING SYSTEM
The AES-35 is a brand new high-torque electric steering system for non-steer-ready tractors.
This retro-fit system joins the proven and popular Topcon AES-25 steering system and provides the very highest levels of steering accuracy thanks to the use of high specification electrics in a convenient and cost-effective package.
Designed for non-steer-ready and other specialty vehicles, the AES-35 boasts a fully weatherproof and exceptionally rugged design which can be used in open-platform or non-cab environments.
The AES-35 is compatible with a wide range of equipment, including tractors, sprayers, spreaders, swathers, and combines, and makes the benefits of GPS / RTK autosteering available to operations that do not use cabbed vehicles.
Key features of the new AES-35 include a high torque electric motor which operates in both forwards and reverse, RTK levels of steering accuracy( accurate down to 2cm) and an optional wheel angle sensor for increased accuracy at slow speeds and when operating front mounted implements.
The Topcon AES-35 electric steering system retails from £ 2,995.
NEW FROM MZURI- PRECISION SEEDER OPTION
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MZURI, SPECIALISTS IN conservation farming equipment, recently launched a precision seeder option for its Pro-Til range of striptill drills.
The new precision metering feature on the Pro-Til drill offers accurate seeding depth and spacing from a single pass system, resulting in impressive cost savings.
Pro-Til’ s advanced precision seeding option eliminates the need for prior cultivations and enables users to precision plant crops directly into previous crop residue or grassland, thus conserving moisture and soil’ s natural structure.
Retention of moisture, fertiliser placement and soil reconsolidation at seeding time have been proven to play an essential role to successful establishment of precision crops. The Pro-Til precision drill places the seed into moist, friable and nutrient-rich seeding environment and reconsolidates for maximum soil-to-seed contact, creating a perfect environment for successful germination.
Independently operating leading discs cut through surface residue. A breaker leg prepares a strip of clean, friable soil and places a band fertiliser to provide a nutrient boost for the developing roots. Each band is reconsolidated by a following press wheel to remove clods and air pockets. The seed is precision placed behind Mzuri’ s latest design low disturbance coulter which is followed by a second reconsolidation wheel for perfect soil-to-seed contact.
Each Pro-Til seeding unit boasts its own individual height and depth control.
Hydraulically-operated seeding legs exert constant down pressure that can be adjusted on each individual leg.
The system uses adjustablepressure vacuum metering to accurately space crops, regardless of seed size. Each unit contains a metering disc and a singulator to prevent skips or doubles and is driven by an electric motor which maintains the same seeding distance at variable speeds.
A bulk fill system continually replenishes the mini hoppers on each metering unit directly from the Pro-Til’ s dual 3400 litre tank( split 2040 litre seed / 1360 litre fertiliser capacity) for reliable non-stop drilling.
The precision seeding kit should be available for the 2018 season as an option on new Pro-Til drills or for retrofitting to older models, further extending the drill’ s versatility to carry out striptill, direct drilling and now, precision seeding operations with one drill.
112 Autumn 2017 www. farmers-mart. co. uk