Maschio Gaspardo has launched its flagship twin-disc Primo fertiliser spreader, following the eagerly anticipated new product range featured at this year’s Cereals Event.
Part of a line-up which includes machines with working widths from 12m to 36m and hopper capacities from 1270-litres to 4450-litres, the range-topping Primo EW Isotronic has some innovative features that make it one of the most precise, high output machines on the market.
To ensure the greatest possible accuracy while maintaining high work-rates, Maschio’s engineering team have developed a twin shutter system (TSS) with one pair of sliders to deal with rate control and another to shut off the flow of fertiliser at the headlands.
The key advantage of this is that the on/off shutters can work independently of the rate control sliders making for rapid shut-offs without influencing application rates. This means that, as the spreader reaches the headland, it shuts off quickly so that there’s no overlapping with the headland bout. Likewise when spreading restarts, the on/off shutters open instantly, and the rate control sliders are already in the right position to accurately meter the right amount of material according to ground speed. There is therefore no under-dosing as the spreader comes back into work.
Shut-off facility
Primo spreaders also have an 8- or 32-section headland shut-off facility. This is achieved by altering the drop point onto the disc via a three-lobe hopper aperture which helps to achieve uniform distribution across the full working width even at very low application rates. It also means Primo spreaders can handle exceptionally high application rates. Flow rates of up to 640kg/minute combined with hopper capacities of up to 4450-litres (4500kg max. payload) make these latest Maschio Gaspardo machines some of the highest output spreaders on the market.
Isotronic-badged machines have the benefit of being fully ISOBUS-compliant which mean they can be connected directly to the tractor terminal or alternatively to a separate compatible control box. As well as handling GPS-manged section control, having this on-board technology as means variable rate application is also possible with the addition of weigh cells. Not only will this facility vary the amount of product applied across the working width of the machine, it can also apply different rates to either side of the machine, adjusting flow rates to left and right discs independently.
In addition, there is the option to get an even higher level of precision with hydraulic disc drive. With the Primo EWH model, each disc is driven by its own hydraulic motor which means their speed can be controlled independently, making for yet greater section control accuracy. In addition, disc RPM is maintained irrespective of tractor engine speed or forward speed offering the potential for significant fuel savings.
