While the battleground for speed tillers has got increasingly crowded in recent years, farmers should focus on results rather than hype when it comes to choosing a machine.
That’s according to Peter Brunt or Finley based EagleI machinery, importer of the US made Kwik Till speed tiller.
The company has taken a slightly different approach to marketing the Kwik Till. They’re letting the machine itself do the talking by hiring them out - and that’s often lead to sales.
“Everyone who has hired a machine has been really impressed with them,” he said.
“There’s a lot of interest from guys looking to incorporate a little bit of tillage into their programs to try and get away from chemicals a little bit and this is another tool in the armoury.
Mr Brunt said the Kwik Till was positioned at the higher end of the speed tiller market with a heavier construction and large flotation tyres designed to deliver results.
“There’s some of a similar weight but a lot of light duty machines around - they are cheaper but they are in a different category. This is one of the heaviest on the market,” he said.
The weight and balance between the front and rear of the machine - where it rests on a drum cage roller - means the machine creates an even tilth across the soil surface, can handle harder clay soils and irons out ridges and furrows for a better seedbed.
With a lot of interest from farmers wanting to hire before they buy, the proof has really been in the performance. We are getting lots of interest and the hiring opportunity has led to blokes saying ‘if it does a really good job I’ll buy it’,” Mr Brunt said.
“It has been a good idea for farmers to try it and see how impressive it is - it does a very good job.”
““When the machine is in float mode it does a very good job on the paddock because the weight is evenly distributed and if it is a little bit wet the flotation tyres will float along the wetter ground maintaining the tillage depth.”
The other advantage of the even weight distribution between the front and the rear is that you can turn with the discs in the ground. “As long as the front inside disc doesn’t go backwards and if you don’t turn too sharp you can - you can turn and do racetrack formations with GPS.”
The 6.0 metre folding model is generating a lot of interest as it configures well with a front wheel assist tractor of about 200 - 220 kW according to Mr Brunt.
“That’s what you need for it to perform properly, so that and the 26 foot (8.0 m) machine are the most popular - they fit the majority of tractors that are around.
“It provides a very uniform cut depth which is what you are after - this will cut from 1” down to 5” and do it easily,” he said.
Collars fitted on the hydraulic rams are a simple, effective way of maintaining depth control and make for fuss free and highly accurate tillage. “It is a very basic system but means you can put anyone on the tractor and the depth is set and forget,” Mr Brunt said.
Results of tillage were evident on Mr Brunt’s own farm. “We found this year a big difference between two barley crops in canola stubble - one we used the Kwik Till on and the other we direct drilled,” he said.
“The Kwik Till crop was like a carpet and the seedbed preparation was far and above in front of the other with all the stubble cut and buried. This year we are going to do all the canola stubble.”
The other factor in the machinery market at present is the pressure from a falling Aussie dollar and Mr Brunt said they are keen to keep pricing in check.
“Our prices haven't gone up too much but at some stage they will have to. We can’t hold them forever.”