GISBORNE GROWER PLEASED WITH 6.0MTR HEAVY OFFSET DISCS

Newman & Newman Ltd took delivery of a 6.0mtr set of 4AG DVi 970 heavy offset discs in the spring of 2013.

Tom Newman says “our previous 5.0mtr discs were 25 years old, so we were keen to have as good a run out of the next set we bought.  We did some thorough research and the 970’s ticked all the boxes.”

The Newmans have farmed north of Gisborne for the past 50 years, growing maize for seed and for grain, along with fattening beef and lambs.  Their farming operation totals 500 hectares.  Tom says “we mostly pull the 6.0mtr 970’s with a 305Hp CASE Magnum tractor, but we have hitched them to a 245Hp Magnum as well.  We find it is more efficient to pull a big set of discs like this with the larger tractor as it has duals all round, so we get less compaction, and discing at 9-10km/h it comfortably ticks along at 1700rpm, so we are getting good fuel economy also.”

One feature of the new discs that really impress Tom is the ability to tune the angle of cut on each gang separately and from the tractor seat.

“We have very heavy soil here, and we adjust the cut angle a lot to get the perfect discing finish.  Sometimes just a couple of degrees can make the difference, and it also means when we change from the primary pass to a lighter finishing pass, the disc setup can be altered in seconds. Every single adjustment on this machine is hydraulic, so we don’t have to leave the tractor for anything”.

Even though they are such a big set of discs the 970 design is very compact for transport.  Folding to a 3.0mtr transport width on the road, and running large 500/45-22.5 tyres, the machine is stable and travels well on the road.  “We tow a 6mtr set of Cambridge rolls behind the discs, which is very typical of this region to help to consolidate our heavy soils and prevent moisture loss”.  “All in all we are very happy with the discs, and they are doing everything we expected of them,” says Tom.