Industry
A handy container on the machine for the operator's manual
Wavy discs on the Turfco Triwave produce a square seed slot
“There was not really a bad machine among them,” he states. “Each had their own strengths and weaknesses, and some were clearly designed for a specific job - cricket outfields or golf greens and tees for example. You could make a great machine if you combined all the best elements from the different seeders in the test!”
Chris has one suggestion for
manufacturers: “Some machines include seed charts and guidelines for different seed types and this would be useful on all of them as a starting point. It doesn’t have to be a definitive guide, but just to get you started.”
Comments on individual machines
The Blec and Vredo disc seeders were very similar and set up in similar way, using tray with sliders or dials for calibration, with ground wheel drive. Operators found both equally effective.
The Blec Multiseeder and Aeraseeder were also similar, and gave equally good results.
The smaller machines lacked nothing in terms of productivity, time taken or costs, but were clearly designed for smaller areas such as greens and tees.
The TIP sorrel roller would be a great machine for fine turf such as greens.
The Amazone GBK was the surprise package - we were very unsure of it as it seemed very aggressive but, ten days later, the sward had recovered, you couldn’t see where it had been and the new seeds were growing well.
The Rotadairon was very popular - it’s very compact, but places seed to a good depth and produces very tidy seed runs.
Operators liked the floating discs which create the seed slots on the Turfco machines and suggest that it would be ideal on firm ground or in thatchy conditions.
Tractor lights have to be switched on for the Vredo Super Compact’s hydraulics to work - not a problem once you had got used to it!
The high output Charterhouse 1803 is still in prototype form, but impressed all round with its output and performance, although you need a serious tractor on the front, unless you have a wheel kit!
I would personally like to thank all the companies for their time. I am most grateful for the
opportunity of using their equipment.
Chris Parry
Cartridge tray metering system on the Amazone GNK
Charts with seed rates - here helpfully printed on the lid of the hopper by Turfco - are a useful guide when setting up the seeder
PC JUNE/JULY 2014 I 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156