Two powerful Alpego implements have helped a Waikato farmer make the jump from dairying to cropping.
Graeme Disher says he decided to convert his 100-ha dairy farm at Paewhenua, near Otorohanga, to a purely maize-growing operation.
“I had grown some maize over the last 10 years so two years ago I stripped out some of my fences and converted the whole farm. Last season we grew 80 ha of grain and 20ha of silage” he says.
Graeme does all of his own groundwork for the maize operation and uses contractors to do his spraying, planting and harvesting.
“I start with the Alpego subsoiler around the middle of August. we aim to plant on the 1st of October, give or take five days,” Graeme says.
“The farm is not what you would call flat. We are on rolling to steep country. In a lot of areas the combine has to put on duals to harvest the grain”.
To prep his ground for planting he brought a new 5m folding Alpego DK-Top power harrow. He was so impressed with its performance that when he decided to replace his subsoiler this year, he went with a seven-leg Alpego K-EVO model.
“I absolutely love them both,” he says. “they are very, very good quality machines. They are so heavy duty you might think they are more for a contractor and a bit of overkill for a farmer, but they do a magnificent job”.
Alpego’s DK-TOP power harrow has patented Twin-Force rotors with self-lubricating tapered bearings and gears that get the most from the transmission. this enables it to work at depths of 280mm (11 inches) and get the most out of the available tractor power.
Graeme’s Alpego subsoiler is a rigid, mechanical 3m wide K-EVO model. Its seven shanks can work to a depth of 580mm (24 inches) and are protected by mechanical shear bolts. at the rear of the K-EVO are two franter spiked rollers, which give hydraulic depth control and leave a smooth finish.
He operates both machines with a 200hp John Deere 6195M tractor. He says it has all the power he needs to drive both implements but he would not want anything lighter to operate them in his hilly country.
“The Alpego power harrow does a beautiful job and creates a lovely finish. it weighs about three tonnes, which helps its performance. We run it at 6inches deep and it takes out any humps and hollows”:
His K-EVO subsoiler also gets top marks. not least because it has eliminated one whole pass from the steps he takes to prepare the ground for planting.
“Normally we would disc first, then use the subsoiler and finish with the power harrow. With the Alpego we only have to use the subsoiler and the power harow. It has a double roller system that pushes the trash into the ground and leaves a flat surface.
“The subsoiler is very heavy duty and built to last. It is 3m wide and we would not be able to handle anything bigger in the hills. We only work at 330mm which is about half its potential depth. With its hydraulic depth control adjustment, we can easily adjust the working depth and lift up a bit if we come into the wet ground”
Graeme says he already had a subsoiler but there are lots of rocks on his farm. if he ever hit a big one and broke the shear bolt on a shank “it was a mongrel to change”. he had to drill it out but with Alpego it is a five-minute job to replace a shear bolt.
“Our other subsoiler left the ground in waves, like a potato patch, but the Alpego leaves it perfectly flat – it’s amazing”
Origin Ag is the New Zealand distributor for Alpego and Graeme’s local dealer is Brandt, Cambridge. He says both have been great to work with.
“I am a farmer, not a mechanic. Liam Hines from Origin Ag came out and set up both machines to start with. He was absolutely magic. He put them on the tractor and set them up in the paddock. The job he did setting them up properly is partly why they have done such a great job”
There have been no teething problems for either machine. A Brandt service technician came out and did the 50-hour service on the Alpego power harrow when it was due.
“I just grease them daily,” Graeme says “The subsoiler has eight grease nipples and the power harrow has a few more than that. I just whip around and grease while I am filling up with diesel.”
Words by: Paul Titus; Rural Contractor / Graeme Disher.
