| 2016-09-19 |    |
Kuhn Ranges Featured at Tillage Live
Kuhn Farm Machinery displayed a wide selection of its minimum tillage, drilling and spraying equipment at this year’s Tillage Live event held in Warwickshire on 14th September.
The following Kuhn machines, amongst others, were on display.
Kuhn Performer
PERFORMER – non-powered deep tine-disc cultivator
The PERFORMER is KUHN’s most popular range of non-powered cultivators.
Currently available in 4 and 5 metre versions, the PERFORMER can
be operated in
a) disc, tine and roller
b) disc and roller
c)
tine and roller
d) disc only, or
e) tine only formats.
The PERFORMER comprises twin disc gangs (10cm working depth), four rows of tines (35cm working depth), levelling discs and a 700mm diameter HD-Liner roller.
The disc gangs function independently of each other and comprise 510mm diameter serrated discs, with 30 in total on the 4 metre model and 38 on the 5 metre machine. Discs are mounted to afford 560mm underbeam clearance, allowing free flow of crop residues.
Tines are arranged in four rows with 280mm inter-tine spacing and 850mm underbeam clearance. Tines are curved for optimum mixing and operate with non-stop hydraulic safety at 800–1,200kg pressure. A choice of shares is available for different functionality.
Levelling discs are mounted on curved arms and have elastomer protection and there are height adjustable border discs. The HD-Liner roller is notched for better rotation and provides 225kg/m downward pressure. The roller can be lifted out of work when not required, for example when carrying out non-consolidation work.
Robust in construction, the PERFORMER is designed for low maintenance in the toughest conditions. All discs are mounted on maintenance-free hubs and the tines are drop-forged for added strength. The machine is fully hydraulically adjustable and folds to a transport width of 3 metres.
ESPRO – minimum tillage seed drill
Capable of being pulled by a 200 hp tractor and drilling accurately
at forward working speeds of up to 17km/h, the 6 metre KUHN
ESPRO offers high levels of productivity and drilling accuracy without
the need to invest in ultra-high power tractors.
Two rows of 460mm concave discs open the soil, incorporate all residues into the surface layers and create a fine tilth, even in heavy conditions. These discs are followed, in the centre of the drill, by a row of 900mm diameter press wheels which create an evenly consolidated soil profile for consistent soil-to-seed contact.
The large diameter of the press wheel helps to reduce the overall rolling resistance of the ESPRO, with the deep-treaded tyres also augmenting improved soil crumbling for a finer tilth. The tyres also feature a specially designed square profile to ensure uniform consolidation across the machine’s full working width. The press wheels are also arranged in a front-to-rear offset design to further reduce rolling resistance, with 85mm inter-wheel spaces helping to minimise soil bulldozing and maintain good soil flow.
The ESPRO uses KUHN’s CROSSFLEX seed bar and double disc SEEDFLEX coulters for precise seed placement and is ISOBUS compatible. It can also be operated via KUHN’s VT50 (non-ISOBUS) terminals, with a joystick option also available. A headland management mode lifts the ESPRO’s working elements in sequence on approaching headlands to allow drilling to continue right up to the field edge.
Calibration is simple and quick to complete, and the front working discs, seeding depth and coulter pressure can all be set and adjusted using easy to access clips on hydraulic cylinders; there is no need to climb in or over the machine to make adjustments.
The ESPRO has also been designed to be easy to service with sealed bearings used throughout and a minimum number of pivot points and moving sections minimising the amount of maintenance required.
Additional options include track eradicators, front press wheels, pre-emergence markers and hydraulic or pneumatic brake systems.
LEXIS – 3,000 litre trailed sprayer
The new LEXIS 3000 has been designed as a lower cost, simpler
sprayer, but one which still offers the same efficiency and
ease of use as KUHN’s high end models such as the METRIS and
OCEANIS.
The new machine is fitted with a 3,000 litre polyethylene tank (actual capacity is 3,150 litres) and a 320 litre rinsing tank, and is available with MTA2, MEA2, RHPM and RHPA folding aluminium booms ranging from 18 to 24 metres in width. TRAPEZIA or EQUILIBRA suspension systems maintain a stable spraying height on rough terrain while an independent anti-whiplash system protects the boom from damage during sudden bRaking and acceleration.
The LEXIS features KUHN’s MANUSET valve system which uses two ‘steering wheel’ type valves to control the machine’s main spraying and flushing circuits and requires 30-50% fewer valve operations compared to many competitor machines. A centralised maintenance area provides easy access to key filling, suction and bowl filters as well as the spraying pump for easier and quicker machine maintenance. Two sealed storage units provide a safe, clean and secure place to store essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
The LEXIS can be controlled via RPB or REB3 control boxes and can also be used with KUHN’s full-colour VISIOREB terminal which provides full set-up control and enables automatic, GPS controlled section cut-offs to be programmed.
The LEXIS 3000 has a hitch to axle length of 4.05m and an overall width of 2.23m. When fitted with standard 9.5 x 48 tyres (other tyre sizes are available) the sprayer has a transport height of 3.08m (18m boom) or 3.50m (24m boom). The 24m version has an unladen weight of 2,057kg.
