Seed Drills for minimum tillage: ESPRO 3000 & ESPRO 6000 R

<<High Output Doesn’t Mean High Horse Power>>

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The brand new ESPRO seed drills have been developed with high output firmly in mind – but high working speeds don’t mean high horse power requirement, in fact with a 6m drill, it is possible to work at speeds of 13kph with just 200hp – less than 35hp per meter!

At the front of the ESPRO, two rows of working discs open and mix the soil and also ensure residue is well incorporated into the surface layers. The 460mm disc diameter helps to ensure that a fine tilth is created whilst the concave shape ensures high performance even in heavy soil.

Seed to soil contact and consistent seeding depth are vital to ensuring germination & emergence of each and every seed. The ESPRO employs a row of press wheels in the centre of the drill, each one of which consolidates soil ahead of two seeding elements:

1. The ESPRO press wheels are offset front to rear which eliminates the bulldozing effect thereby reducing making the drill easier to pull.

2. The 900mm diameter reduces rolling resistance compared to smaller wheels, whilst a width of 215mm leaves an 85mm gap between the press wheels for excellent soil flow through the machine.

3. The tyres of the press wheels are specially designed & made for KUHN with a perfectly square profile which ensures even consolidation across the width of the tyre. The sharp, deep treads also crumble the soil to create a fine surface tilth.

The ESPRO features the CROSSFLEX seed bar to bring consistent seeding depth in all conditions and working speeds. Unique to KUHN this seed bar consists of coulter arms mounted on polyurethane blocks which are securely held on a specially profiled tube. As the coulter deflects up & down to adapt to the soil surface, the polyurethane blocks act like 4 little springs; they cannot slide across the surface of the tube. The coulter is returned quickly and precisely to the same position each and every time resulting in precise seed depth placement across the field even at faster working speeds. The CROSSFLEX system uses the same double disc coulters as on the SEEDFLEX coulter bar.

The ESPRO is an ISOBUS compatible machine available with the CCI200 (ISOBUS) or VT50 (non ISOBUS) terminals. A joystick is also available as an option. Regardless of the control box selected, the operator is provided with an easy to use interface combining touch screen and soft keys. To facilitate headland turns, the drill is equipped with a headland management mode whereby, at the touch of a button, the working elements are lifted and in sequence on approaching the headland to allow drilling to continue right up to field edge. The metering unit is stopped with the lifting of the front tools to ensure that seed in the delivery hoses is placed in the soil before the elements are lifted thereby avoiding seed left on the soil surface. Once the turn is completed, the sequence is reversed. Calibration is equally simple and can be completed in less than 5 minutes.

Front working discs, seeding depth & coulter pressure are all set using easy to access clips on hydraulic cylinders and there is no need to climb in or over the machine to make adjustments.

The ESPRO has also been designed to be easy to maintain and provide reliability throughout the season. Front working & seeding discs have sealed bearings (zero maintenance) and elsewhere there are a minimum number of pivot points and moving sections which require attention.

Additional options include track eradicators, front press wheels, pre-emergence markers and hydraulic or pneumatic brake systems.

The 3m ESPRO 3000 and 6m ESPRO 6000 R will be available in limited quantities as from summer 2015. Other models and working widths will follow in the coming years.