Feed pad with rubber matting hailed as game changer
For Otago farmers Michelle and Rogan Borrie, a newly constructed feed pad on one of their three farms has been a game changer.
These include a high-clearance chassis with fully adjustable track width and ground clearance, allowing it to operate in a wide variety of crops and row spacings.
Track width can be hydraulically adjusted from 2.25 to 3m with a ground clearance of 1.25 or 2.45m, or optionally, an extra wide 3.2m track width with a ground clearance of 1.7m. An optional lift module can be used to raise the Super-L2 boom by a further 70cm, giving it an application height of 3.85m, measured from the lower edge of the nozzle.
“The angled lifting cylinders provide large clearance under the machine whilst still providing tremendous stability,” says CLAAS Harvest Centre product manager – Amazone, Steve Gorman.
The optional SunflowerKit enables the Pantera-HW to be used in tall crops without causing excessive plant damage.
The kit consists of crop dividers, drive wheel gearbox covers and an underbelly cover. The crop dividers precisely separate the plants between the rows directly in front of the tyres, while the profile of the flexible underbelly sheet allows plants to slide under the machine without hindrance.
Meanwhile, the SmartCentre control system offers ease of operation, instead of operating taps, favouring the pressure sensitive Twin Terminal 7.0 touchscreen, that functions perfectly even when wearing gloves.
During operation, the user selects the desired function, and the sprayer adjusts itself automatically. For filling, two different filling profiles can be stored in the job computer, so after the operator has attached the filling hose, the machine will automatically fill the spray agent tank and freshwater rinse tank up to the desired levels.
The operator can also pause the filling of the spray agent tank at any time during the operation.
Three automatic cleaning programs include, boom rinsing, quick clean and intensive clean, so when selected, the Pantera adjusts everything for fully automatic cleaning of the entire machine. In addition, the induction bowl is automatically rinsed after every fill.
The Comfort-Pack plus configuration includes a freshwater pump with an output capacity of 160 l/minute, which can be used to supply the induction bowl with fresh water from the freshwater tank during bowser filling.
Additionally, the freshwater pump can be used to fill the freshwater tank and the spray agent tank in parallel via the suction port, while also offering faster cleaning cycles.
