TILLAGE REVIEWS
1
tried and true Brent Lilley found the Pöttinger Terradisc compact disc harrow was tough enough to handle rugged conditions in this 2015 review
Pöttinger Terradisc 3001 Working width
3m
Transport width
3m
Number of discs
24
Disc diameter
580mm
Disc spacing
125mm
Power requirement
95hp (70.8kW)
Weight (including roller)
2,080kg
I was about to learn that maintaining a high forward speed is one of the keys to the success of this machine.
A
trend in recent years has been to move away from the power harrow to unpowered mounted and trailing tillage equipment, with higher forward speeds and outputs that leave behind a well-cultivated firm seed bed. Recently, I got to check out an operation in New Zealand that has taken the plunge, largely ditching its power harrow in favour of one such machine; a Pöttinger Terradisc 3001 for cultivation. Stuart Deadman’s Totara Park farm milks cows on around 1,300 hectares north of Taupo in the central North Island. It runs an extensive re-grassing program, involving summer and winter cropping, as well as some conversion of forestry land in to pasture. Since the Terradisc was purchased early last year it has covered around 50ha and so far has proven itself more than capable in the property’s unique conditions. The light pumice soils found in this area aren’t the toughest to work up, but it does have unique challenges. Abrasive on soil engaging equipment, there’s only a minimal amount of topsoil over an infertile, yet free-draining pumice base. While Pöttinger suggests as little as 100hp (74.6kW) is required to pull the 3m Terradisc, for this test I had a John Deere 6210R hitched on the front; possibly overkill on the somewhat flat paddock we were in, but the operator says it is definitely required on some of the farm’s steeper country (and I was about to learn that maintaining a high forward speed is one of the keys to the success of this machine). The ground to be worked was winter crop that had been grazed off. While there was only a small amount of trash left on the surface, the ground was fairly compact after having cows on it. The plan was for one or two passes to be completed in order to create a seed bed for grass that was to be sown with a
Hatzenbichler air seeder mounted on the back of the machine.
A LOT OF GROUND IN A DAY The main frame is made of box section beams, while a sturdy headstock at the front couples the machine closely to the back of the tractor. Category two pins are used with a variety of holes for different mounting positions. Twenty-four scalloped discs of 580mm diameter are arranged at opposing angles in two rows. As each disc is bolted to the bearing housing with four bolts, eventual replacement should be simple while the maintenance-free, sealed twin race taper bearings also helps minimise downtime. Bearings run on a stub axle which, in turn, is mounted to a slim profile cast iron carrier arm with plenty of clearance for soil to prevent blocking. Carrier arms are then mounted in pairs to the main frame with a wide clamp, which will prevent sideways movement of the discs. The four rubber elements that are also cleverly squeezed into each clamp will take the shock away from the frame, allowing the disc to ride up if any large obstacles are struck. Operating at around 10km/h to 12km/h there’s certainly potential to cover a lot of ground in a day. When looking down at the machine from the cab of the tractor, you can see just what a great job the discs do, lifting the soil and breaking it up. Key to its success are the deflector plates down each side, which ensure the soil is contained within the width of the roller; this also guarantees a level surface. Set-up is really important. If the machine is trying to crab sideways or leave a ridge out one side, then it’s probably not set up level with one gang of discs cutting deeper than the other. Although the working width of the machine is 3m, due to the
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