The long-running equipment innovation competitors run by the Norfolk Farm Equipment Membership (Normac) returned to final month’s Norfolk Present. Listed here are among the highlights.
See additionally: Farmer saves money by 3D printing elements for home-built drill
Charlie Bateman’s fertiliser applicator
Charlie Bateman’s fertiliser applicator © MAG/Oliver Mark
After deciding to modify from liquid to granular fertiliser, 24-year-old Wisbech farmer Charlie Bateman launched into a £9,000 mission to construct a bespoke growth applicator.
Decked out in Amazone livery, the front-mounted system is designed to run together with an influence harrow, and earlier than a go with an AVR mattress former, to provide the fertiliser an intensive vertical and horizontal combine within the soil.
To his home-built, 1.4t-capacity hopper he added an RDS Artemis metering system paired with a Topcon Isoscan price controller. Most software price is 1.5t/ha, giving the potato crop all of the fertiliser it wants in a single go.
Granules are distributed by a hydraulic fan alongside versatile wide-bore hoses to the 5.4m (three mattress) growth. Right here they’re transferred to repurposed irrigation pipes, separate lengths of which serve 12 spreader-plate shops.
These are spaced at 45cm centres – two for every crop row – and the outer pair on one facet might be closed through pneumatic slides for tramlining.
Charlie plans to rebuild the applicator over winter, primarily to extend carrying capability and front-mount the booms to cut back the chance of corrosion on the tractor. He additionally intends to manufacture the growth, tank and brackets utilizing stainless-steel to enhance longevity.
Harry Wiseman’s wildflower harvester
Harry Wiseman’s seed harvester © Oliver Mark
Harry Wiseman tailored the stripper header idea for his telehandler attachment, which is designed to reap grain from environmental margins and gather the doubtless priceless wildflower seed in a field on the again.
Sam Hill’s Entrance Pull traction unit
Sam Hill’s traction unit © MAG/Oliver Mark
Additional tractor energy needn’t value the earth – in truth, solely £5/hp within the case of this front-mounted traction unit. Energy to the drive wheels comes from a once-redundant Sands sprayer engine of 70hp, and it may be lifted out of labor for headland turns – supplied it’s mounted on a entrance linkage able to lifting the two.4t complete weight.
William Weeks’ log splitter
William Weeks’ log splitter © MAG/Oliver Mark
A scrapped Toro greens mower value William Weeks simply £300, and he reworked it right into a self-propelled log splitter.
The three-cylinder Mitsubishi diesel engine runs a hydraulic pump to energy the 2 entrance wheels and steer the rear one – each through a handheld controller.
It additionally drives the splitting mechanism, which is able to chop timber as much as 600mm in size. The operator can work this manually utilizing a small joystick or interact the auto mode that returns the splitting head to the raised place, the peak of which is ready by a moveable sensor.
Chopped wooden can then be slid off a chute along side the platform and right into a bulk bag.
Julian Pearson’s bale handler
Julian Pearson’s bale handler © MAG/Oliver Mark
A do-it-all telehandler attachment has simplified bale dealing with for Julian Pearson. His design incorporates 4 bale spikes, silage sleeves and a hydraulically telescoping headstock into one attachment, leading to a flexible device for dealing with bales of every type and sizes.
Ed and Henry Stanford’s tree planter
Ed and Henry Stanford’s tree planter © MAG/Oliver Mark
Carbon incentives might make the tractor-mounted tree planter devised by Ed and Henry Stanford a sought-after device, having slashed labour necessities, improved tree survival price and doubled output for its proprietor.
The one-row planter was constructed from scratch utilizing widespread elements, with the renovated subsoiler body carrying a trash-cutting KRM disc meeting, Sumo subsoiler leg, and shutting wheels from a John Deere direct drill, plus packer wheels from a Cousins cultivator on the again.
Two operators sit onboard, taking turns to drop naked root inventory down the central slide and into the slot beneath. A trailing size of rubber helps them keep the standard 2.4-3m (8-10ft) intra-row spacing, and dealing pace is 7-8kph.
They estimate that constructing one other unit, with a couple of enhancements, would value about £10,000.
Ron Giles’ forklift ball hitch and trailer angle indicator
Ron Giles’ ball hitch © MAG/Oliver Mark
A doubtlessly time-saving system, Ron Giles’ simple-but-useful ball hitch adapter slots over the telehandler forks and is clamped by pinch bolts, permitting the operator to rapidly manoeuvre a trailer into place.
Ron has additionally developed a bolt-on angle indicator, which may forewarn operators of any inclines previous to tipping a trailer.
Matthew Harrold’s curler mattress
Matthew Harrold’s storage deck © MAG/Oliver Mark
This simple workshop accent permits instruments or elements to be stashed on the ply prime and dragged into the open on the castor wheels beneath. A neat concept that may be replicated by anybody with a couple of spare minutes.
