Australian Kelly Engineering is investigating the possibilities to storm the Dutch market. In Europe, about one hundred and fifty harrows turn to quirky design.

The models for the European market roll in working widths of six, nine and twelve meters from the partner factory in former East Germany. With a disc chain in the form of a pane, the company has a harrow for superficial tillage, which is also suitable for wet conditions. This seems to open the door to the Netherlands.

The diamond-shaped harrow, the Kelly Tillage System, is a striking tool that can be used for multiple operations. From preparing the seedbed or biological weed control to incorporating manure. “We believe this tool is a good alternative to chemical weed control and heavy cultivator techniques,” said Nicolas Doyle, who is product and market development manager in Europe on behalf of Kelly Engineering.

“Chain Harrow”
The discs are attached to a chain. “That is why we also describe the implement as a harrow and not as a disc harrow. If you call it a disc harrow, you are giving people the wrong impression. ” The working width is six meters. “The number of disks depends on the setup.” The version demonstrated in Italy is fitted on the left with 38 front CL2 discs. The back has 55 CL1 discs, plus the associated mounting hardware.

The depth of the discs is adjusted to the soil conditions. “Wet or dry. Soft or hard. Heavy crop residue or not at all. Stones or not. Depending on the circumstances, the depth is a maximum of fifty millimeters. Deeper when the bottom is softer or wetter. It is difficult to promote and explain this properly, because the machine only penetrates to a maximum if the bottom is very loose or very soft. As a secondary tillage, the harrow goes as deep as the associated links in the chain allow. ”

Soak in
The special and light tillage ensures that the most difficult weed remnants are properly processed. By chopping and splitting, the organic matter content is worked properly in the seed bed. “The machine can also be used well for processing stubble or residue management. The light processing is perfect to realize a mulch layer after harvesting crops or to regulate the germination of seeds in biological weed control. The machine is also a good addition to machines for harvesting, for example, cereals, legumes and rapeseed. It distinguishes good seeds and “waste”. Think of material that is small, broken, straw or chaff. This tool is also perfect for incorporating fertilizers or residual flows. ”

The discs are driven by the forward movement of the trigger. The location is adjusted according to the contours of the soil, without the discs getting too deep into the ground. The disc chain peels off the top layer, as it were. The ground is further crumbled with the cutting edge of the discs, the toothed disc and the mandrel chain. “The front discs are heavier and have a replaceable blade. The rear discs are durable and intended for the reprocessed soil. ”….

This concerns part of an article from the trade journal De Loonwerker. Read the whole and more similar articles? Then subscribe to the magazine.

Text: Martin de Vries
Photos: Kelly Engineering
https://www.deloonwerker.nl/nieuwsartikel/2020/aussies-woelen-met-eigenzinnige-eg-in-europese-grond/b24g14c29o2813/