THE new Vaderstad Opus cultivator features an operating width of up to seven metres, 80 centimetres of clearance, 27cm tyne spacing and 40cm of cultivation depth.
Väderstad product manager Kevin Bradley said the Opus was ideal for producers who wanted a powerful and flexible cultivator that required only a moderate draught.
“Opus is capable of deep cultivation – right down to 40cm – in all soil types, while its high clearance and wide tyne spacing can cope with huge amounts of trash,” he said.
“Each tyne has up to 700 kilograms of adjustable hydraulic release pressure, enabling perfect depth control even in heavy soils.
“The support wheels on the wings further help to maintain a constant depth across the entire working width.”
Opus can be fitted with 20 different combinations of points and shins, allowing it to be fine-tuned to perform at different cultivation depths, soil types or working conditions.
The tynes are equipped with 50mm and 80mm hard-plated Marathon points and MixIn shins as standard.
“Commercial experience in Europe shows Marathon points last up to 10 times longer than ordinary points,” Mr Bradley said.
“They maintain their shape throughout their entire working life, which ensures precise cultivation and even incorporation.
“The MixIn shin throws soil forwards instead of upwards, mixing and finely distributing soil, while the point angle is optimised to give as little clod formation as possible.
“In effect, soil and residue are mixed several times in the same pass, ensuring thorough incorporation.”
The welded tyne mountings ensure the tynes maintain their position and eliminate the need for bolt tightening.
Opus is fitted with hydraulically adjustable rotating levellers and a choice of two interchangeable packers whose downward pressure can be varied according to soil moisture and texture.
The 575mm Double SoilRunner is a U-profile packer that leaves an open cultivated surface.
The 600mm SteelRunner packer is designed for clod-breaking in medium and heavy soils, leaving a smooth and well-consolidated surface.
The levellers and packers are mounted in rubber cushioning to protect the main frame from stresses.
The main wheels are positioned in the middle of the machine, which makes it easy to transport and gives it a small turning circle on headlands.
All wheels and packers are equipped with hanging scrapers for easy operation during wet conditions.
A tyne is mounted behind each wheel to leave a track-free surface.
Neil Lyon
National machinery writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media.
National machinery writer for Fairfax Agricultural Media.
