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Grimme NEWSLETTER January 2006
New Grimme GT harvester
options improve output and
flexibility
Interest
in the new GT 170 harvester
range, launched in July 2005, has exceeded
all expectations. Fuelled by a national
programme of open and private
demonstrations throughout the whole
season, prospects for 2006 can be described
as ‘extremely encouraging’.
Replacing the market-leading GZ range, the
GT 170 is available in two basic formats; the
‘M’ version with two webs and the ‘S’ version
which has an additional intake web to
increase separation capacity and flexibility.
The GT range builds on the strengths of the
GZ and moves harvesting technology into a
new era. Key improvements are focused in
the areas of simplicity of design, ease of use,
reduced maintenance costs, improved
visibility and greater flexibility of options.
Three important new options to the GT range
were announced at British Potato 2005 in
Harrogate; each offers significant benefits
and they will be available from the start of
2006.
Vario RS
An RS separator table with adjustable
spacing between the rollers - this obviates
the need to change roller sizes as conditions
and crop sizes alter. The Vario RS makes the
separator much more versatile, especially
when used in conjunction with the Twin-Sep
bypass system above it.
Double Multi-Sep
This new separator option is effectively a
second Multi-Sep fitted in front of the regular
Multi-Sep, in place of the second web. This
new option comes as standard with clod
roller height adjustment, individual angle
adjustment of each Multi-Sep and individual
speed adjustment of each Multi-Sep. The
Double Multi-Sep gives the potential for
significantly greater separation capacity and
more control of separation ‘power’.
Hydraulic Web Drive
This new option has been available on the GZ
range for the last 3 years and is now
incorporated into the GT range. Hydraulic
web drive gives more control of web speeds
relative to forward speed and the ability to
vary the speed of the intake web (GT 170 S)
relative to the speed of the main web. This
effectively gives the trailed harvesters the
same control over web speeds as self
propelled machines.
GT Harvester received two
of five awards won by
Grimme at Agritechnica

Welcome
Introduction
UK growers continue to face
the challenge of operating
profitably in an era of
turbulent pricing and pressure
on margins.
However, as you can read
below, the industry is
responding with more
professional management,
increased use of innovative new machinery and
the adoption of significant advances in
technology.
Our cover story shows how Grimme continues to
innovate in the design of new harvesting
machinery with important advances in planting
and bed-forming equipment available too.
The news pages will bring you up to date about
all kinds of things, including Agritechnica, the
Potato Event and a rising tide of interest in the
self propelled Maxtron beet harvester. Rob
Clayton of BPC addresses the issue of Soil
Management Reviews, posing the question
“How good are your soils?”
The centrefold looks at the detailed approach
Grimme specialists take to machine appraisal and
the economic value of the comprehensive preseason
overhaul that follows. The focus is on destoners
with comparisons of the web machines
favoured in Scotland and the star machines found
south of the border.
At
British Potato 2005 leading researchers
from Britain and the US provided pointers about
how better management can help reduce a
problem that costs British growers an estimated
£26 million per year.
“Drop a potato on to a hard surface from a
height higher than its bruise threshold and the
chances are it will bruise and compromise the
quality of your crop,” says Gary Hyde Professor
of Biological Systems Engineering at
Washington State University. “But the extent of
this damage depends on a range of factors.
Prof Hyde’s research has found it is not only the
height the potato drops from that determines
whether it will bruise. Variety, water content,
temperature and whether it falls on its end or
its side all have an influence.
“There is an optimal hydration for potatoes, for
example – too much or too little water content
will increase the incidence of
bruising,” notes Prof Hyde
(pictured left).
This has significant
practical implications for
British growers,
according to Mark
Stalham, from
Cambridge
University
Farms. “It’s
one thing
An interesting story follows that illustrates the
value of Grimme Multi-Sep technology on grading
lines. Our Tech-Talk section looks at planters, in
particular some new Grimme machines that will
extend your productivity options with a footnote
on funding from Finance from Grimme.
The back page looks at making the decision
between Self Propelled or trailed harvesters with a
theme that encourages you to think cost not price
in making decisions about which types of machine
are best for your business.
Above all on behalf of the team at Grimme UK
and our dealers I would like to wish you a
successful and prosperous New Year.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Alsop
Managing Director – Grimme UK Ltd.
Congratulations to the
winners of the Drivers
Kits from the last issue!
S.Markillie & Son Ltd,
Cambridgeshire and
Mr J Stockdale, Scarborough
Cross-Atlantic Collaboration Brings Bruising Bonus
getting the tuber to an optimal hydration. But
keeping it there right through to harvest, and
working out when would be the best point to
irrigate, for example, are both harder to
manage.”
His research, funded by the BPC, has looked at
the water status of tubers at various stages
through the season, and what factors affect
this. “The point at which a crop starts to
senesce crucially affects water uptake, for
example. Irrigating at desiccation can take a lot
more water than a single irrigation to achieve a
target tuber hydration.”
Dr Stalham aims to draw the research together
into a management decision system that
growers can use to determine quickly and easily
how likely their crop is to bruise.
Innovations in harvesting technology are also
helping growers reduce bruising, according to
Grimme’s Mike Alsop. “This cross-industry
involvement which highlights a range of
practical solutions is now bringing growers real
benefits in terms of more output and less
damage.
Rounding off the year, Grimme UK presented
its view of new & future developments in potato
machinery in a series workshops within the
Cambridge University Potato Growers Research
Association (CUPGRA) 16th Annual Conference,
- more of this in our next issue.

Beet UK
Agritechnica 2005
New for 2006
The Show in Hanover attracted over 250K visitors,
many from Eastern Europe and in particular from
Russia, showing the interest these emerging
nations have in modernising their agricultural
industries.
Grimme launched a number of new machines
and options – many of these are included in this
issue. Grimme received 5 major awards for
innovation as judges recognised the significant
technical achievements in the design and
manufacture of its new generation machines.
This was the first public demonstration of the
Maxtron 620, which performed well against
other established machines. Visitors were
impressed by a host of innovative features for
example, the hydraulically driven Oppel
wheels with adaptive speed control and “state
of the art” control systems.
As a result, the Maxtron is now in demand for
comprehensive on-farm demonstrations. There
is a similar pattern of interest across Europe.
a recent survey commissioned for the
BPC, 42% of potato growers said that
compaction problems had compromised growth
of their crops in the last three years. Almost
50% admitted to working the soil in less than
ideal conditions and about a fifth had recent
memories of erosion problems including visible
rills and gullies and cloudy ditches and drains
following spring rains. Through recent research,
the benefits of good soil management to potato
production are becoming much clearer and free
rooting crops can use water and nitrogen much
more effectively. As water becomes a more
valuable resource and fertiliser costs increase in
line with oil prices then good soil management
will become key for future production. The
penalties for poor soil management may
however be a little closer than we think. Soil
Management Reviews, formally known as Soil
Management Plans are due to be published by
DEFRA in the New Year. Through Cross
Compliance, the obligation to fill them in and
work to improve soils will be linked with Single
Farm Payments. In other words, those who elect
to opt out of good soil management might
expect a reduced payment. The scale of any
penalty is still an unknown. What we do know is
Among the new machines on
show from Grimme at British Potato
2005 at Harrogate were:
GBF Box Filler
• New generation of Grimme-built box fillers
• Maximum 50t/hour capacity
• Suits boxes from 500kg to 2000kg
• Gentle handling throughout
• Optional ‘Safe Hands’ delivery system
• Can be used solo or connected to RH 14-40
Bedforma
• Designed & built in Germany
• New improved mouldboard shape
• New frame & marker system
• New auto-reset system
• Available single bed and 3 bed
RH 11 Combi Unit grading line
• Optional Multi-Sep pre-grader fitted
• Up to 600t/day capacity
• Fitted with picking table & web graders
• UK specific canopy system fitted
GL 34 T Planter
New options for offset planting:-
• Shaping boards & soil retention plates
• 24” wheels with axle steering
• Offset drawbar with hydraulic adjustment
• 3 point linkage with hydraulic side shift
Maxtron 620 - 65 units sold
New for 2006:
• Euro 3 Engine – increased output to 490HP
• Bunker capacity increased to 22 tonnes
• Claas Lexion Cab
• Hydraulic row width function, digging unit
adjustable from 45 – 50cm
How are your soils? asks Rob Clayton, Knowledge Transfer Manager, BPC
In
that those who own the high risk sites (e.g.
sandy slopes) are likely to be targeted first for
an inspection.
The reviews have been developed in response to
new EU legislation and will help growers
maintain or return their soils to a state of Good
Agricultural and Environmental Condition
(GAEC), essentially a combination of riskavoidance
measures for structure, organic
matter and erosion. Those resistant to taking on
more paperwork shouldn’t be too daunted. One
option appears to be a fairly simple tick box
system and questions like “Do you or will you
sow winter cereals early enough to achieve
good cover before winter?”. The alternative field
based option will ask farmers what problems
are typically encountered for a given field (e.g.
wind erosion) and what actions have been or
will be followed. For those suffering a creative
block some stock answers will be provided.
So your next steps are to think about the risks
on the land that you own; slopes, sands,
compacted soils, what you already do to
mitigate those risks; sub-soiling, using floatation
tyres etc. and what you might dabble with this
year; tied-ridges, Aqueels etc. You’ll probably
find you’re 95% compliant already!
INTRODUCTION NEW FOR 2006 SOIL MANAGEMENT REVIEWS BRITISH POTATO 2005 AGRITECHNICA 2005

De-stoner Appraisals
Based in the heart of the Scotland’s de-stoning area, we asked John Craig
– Grimme Service Manager for Agricar Ltd., for his assessment on de-stoner
service from the point of view of the dealership.
De-stoners handle great quantities of soil and stones during a season’s work –
a fact that is not always appreciated. That’s why the performance of the destoner
is paramount to the whole potato enterprise and is central to the
production of damage free crop.
Maintenance must be a high priority
and John believes that significant
increases in the numbers of machines
being serviced each season is
evidence that professional growers
are starting to appreciate this too.
So, What Happens?
At the end of harvest Agricar sends
letters to all customers offering the
opportunity of an out-of-season
appraisal of their machines. When a
customer requests an appraisal, John
and his service team visit the machine
and visually inspect each area for worn,
damaged or broken parts.
To ensure that nothing is missed they
use an Appraisal Book a bit like a giant
checklist, which categorises each area
of the machine : chassis, drawbar, axle,
wheels, diablo, discs, shares, front roller,
stars, webs, cross conveyor, boulder
boxes, hydraulics, electrics, all drive
lines and all guards. The Appraisal Book
is designed to enable the engineer mark
the condition of essential parts and
systems simply & quickly as they are
checked.
With all the appropriate boxes ticked,
the Appraisal is then priced for parts
and labour and returned to the
customer for approval. John finds that
there are a number of different
responses to the Appraisal. “Many
customers want us to carry out all the
necessary work. So, in return, we offer a
specially discounted price for parts and
labour, and in some cases deferred
payment too.
Other customers prefer to buy the parts
and fit these themselves over the winter
period. While a few will still identify the
replacement parts they need themselves
but often leave it to the last minute to
arrange to have these fitted before the
season starts!”
As John explains, “The incentive to bring
the work forward out-of-season means
we are kept busy all year round with the
winter service work, not only on destoners
but also on harvesters. More
importantly, we try very hard to express
to the customer that if we do the service
work now, then we can be more
responsive during the season to attend
to real problems rather than
preventative maintenance such as
repairing worn out web joiners!”
One advantage of the Appraisal system
is to ensure an accurate valuation of a
customer’s machine when it is offered in
part exchange. Not only do we value the
machine but we also know what’s
involved to get it into the condition
where we can offer it for resale,
confident that it is ready for work.”
John feels that because the whole
industry now relies on fewer dedicated,
skilled people this type of scheme is
mutually beneficial to the dealer and the
grower enabling both to use their time
better and to focus on real issues of
performance and production. “Grimme,
its dealers and the customers must work
more closely together if growers are to
achieve the required returns which, in
turn, enables them to invest in new
equipment.”

De-stoner comparisons
Do you search the web or reach for the
stars? Confused? We hope not, but
putting de-stoning into perspective
should help:-
25 years of de-stoning experience is
reflected in the types of machines that
Grimme offers in today’s demanding
market place. With ever closer examination of
all costs, this very important operation for the
majority of UK growers has to be done
correctly, whether it is the need to remove stones
or clod or both from the prepared bed.
Machine
Types
Grimme offers
three separator
systems within
the de-stoner
chassis to give
the grower a
solution that is
tailored to
individual needs.
1: Star and Web 3: All Web
This layout consists of share, intake
roller and 7 rows of stars followed by a
web. The star spacing has to suit the
requirement and so does the web. The
star system also offers the optional
facility to increase separation by
altering the relative height of 3
alternate star shafts within the bank of
7. This feature is extremely useful where
the machine works in varying soil types.
This layout is preferred where declodding
is the norm. The more stars in
a machine, the more separation can be
achieved. However, Grimme recognises
that the star section needs to be kept
full to prevent unwanted material being
extracted into the bed. As a result, 7
rows of stars and a web combine to
prevent this and to enable the machine
to work more efficiently where some
stone is present.
2: Star - Web - Web
This layout consists of share, intake
roller, 3 rows of stars and then two
webs. Both the star spacing and the
web spacing must be configured to suit
the individual grower’s requirement.
Fitted with or without spacers the star
pitch matches the web pitches. In
principle, the rear 2 webs operate in
the same way as the rear webs of the
All Web machine.
This system has a stronger share
assembly, well suited to stony
conditions and with the intake roller
improves the feed into the machine,
especially on downhill work.
Note Web – Star – Web: The
positioning of stars behind a web within
the machine was found to slow soilflow
through the machine and created
the further problem of marrying the
web/star/web combination to prevent
material loss – Note: Grimme rejected
this system at the development
stage.
This layout consists of a share followed
by 3 webs. The web pitches (sizes)
remain the same or reduce in pitch
through the machine. The progression
of the sieving requires smaller pitches
that keep in unwanted material, which
is then buried in the trench.
The All Web system suits land with
abrasive stone content, or where star
type systems are not accepted or
required. In the early days of de-stoning
all machines were produced in this
format.
The need for clod removal rather than
stone removal was responsible for the
introduction the newer concept of star
systems, all based on Grimme’s original
harvester star separation systems.
The Future – What
does it hold?
Multi-bed de-stoning systems do not
provide the advantages seen with
bed openers and multi row
planters.
The three bed system has been tried
but it is now accepted that using a
machine in varying soil types and
trying to dispose of varying amounts
of stone/clod is impracticable as a
reduced cost system.
The one man - one machine scenario
glosses-over the practicalities. Similar
difficulties exist with a two-bed
system as does the fitment of a
power unit to match the wheelings.
Given these constraints we must
continue to develop the existing
single bed system.
With technological advances in
design, construction and material
development we look forward to a
future of stars, webs and
combinations of the two.
Still confused? – watch this space!
DE-STONER APPRAISALS DE-STONER COMPARISONS 1: STAR & WEB 2: STAR - WEB - WEB 3: ALL WEB

Pooling Resource Supports
Investment in Handling Equipment
A decision
by two
neighbouring farmers to unite their
potato growing enterprises has resulted
in a pooling of resources and the ability
to purchase the latest potato handling
equipment – including a Grimme prestore
cleaner and grader unit.
Based on the Cheshire/Staffordshire
border, near Holmes Chapel, the
farming companies of F and TL Stanier
and JL Carter and Sons used to each
grow about 300 acres of potatoes.
“It just made so much economic sense
to work together,” insists Gary Stanier.
“We were now able to purchase
planting and harvesting kit that was
more in tune with the larger acreage
and our costs/acre were reduced as a
result.”
Working together, the two companies
now grow about 620 acres of potatoes
– the vast majority on contract for
Walkers Crisps.
“We rent ground from farmers, mainly
within a 20 mile radius,” explains Lee
Carter. “And to store the potatoes we
use four of our own stores and two we
rent. One of these is a box store.”
Harvest of the varieties Rosetta and
Saturna starts in July and continues
through to October. Two trailed Grimme
two-row machines are used to lift them.
It was not long after these two
machines started to lift their first crops
that Gary and Lee realised that the
capacity of their pre-store cleaning
system was way below that of the
harvesters. “We just did not have the
throughput capacity we needed,”
explains Lee.
After considering a number of options
the partners decided to purchase a
Grimme RH 2460 which, with a
reasonably clean crop could handle
about 50t/hour.
According to Lee, the key feature of the
2460 – and the one, which swung the
deal – was the inclusion of the Multi-
Sep cleaning unit.
“It’s exactly the same as the Multi-Sep
unit fitted on the harvesters – only
wider,” he says. “The adjustment of the
rollers both in rotational speed,
direction and distance is quite
remarkable and enables us to produce
a good clean sample that will hopefully
store well.
“The only point I would make is that
while it’s simple to make adjustments to
all the components in the cleaner – you
just press buttons on the control box -
it’s also easy to make adjustments
which can actually damage tubers. You
need to know what you are doing.”
Trailers full of potatoes arriving at the
store tip directly into the reception
hopper, which has a hydraulically driven
Gary Stanier & Lee Carter
conveyor to elevate them in to the
cleaner.
To ensure a constant and even flow of
tubers a sensor unit above the intake
elevator monitors crop flow – if the
volume reduces, as it can when the
hopper is nearly empty, the elevator is
speeded up to compensate and viceversa.
Once through the Multi-Sep unit the
tubers pass onto a bank of spiral rollers
that can also be adjusted for speed and
give the crop a final clean before they
exit onto conveyors, which take them
into store.
As with all spiral rollers there is a
tendency when
working in damp
conditions for the
spirals to become
blocked with soil. A
neat solution to this
problem is a ‘spiral
clean’ mode, which
diverts extra oil to
the hydraulic
motors so that the
spiral rollers rotate
quickly enough to
shake off the mud and soil.
“It’s not a good place to be standing
near when this is happening,” says Lee.
“But it is a very effective way of
cleaning the rollers, none-the-less.”
When Lee and Gary ordered their
cleaner they specified it with a platform
at the front so that a couple of staff
could pick-off any unwanted debris that
may have survived the cleaning
process.
It is a system that has worked well this
year due to the clean harvesting
conditions and the quality of the sample
but there is doubt whether or not it
could cope in more difficult conditions.
“We really feel that we should have a
proper picking table facility to ensure
there is the ability to pick-off unwanted
tubers and rubbish,” says Lee. “In
another year we could really get caught
out.”
As a result, a decision has been made
to trade in their current machine and
replace it with a new version, complete
with a picking table, which could, if
necessary, allow up to eight people to
work.
“We have absolutely no problem with
the cleaner – it does a first class job for
us, but we really do need that picking
table,” he insists.
With six stores to fill – and a total of
about 12,000 tonnes to clean – the
Grimme RH 2460 is a machine much in
demand during the potato harvesting
period – transporting the machine with
its road-legal width is not seen as being
a big problem.
“Overall, it’s fair to comment we have
the confidence in the machine to work
efficiently and do a good job – and
when you consider the value of the crop
passing through it, that’s probably just
as well,” concludes Lee.

TECH TALK ON PLANTERS
As demand for improved crop quality and higher yields increases, so
does the need to improve planting efficiency.
The range of Grimme planters has grown rapidly with a choice of
options and accessories to match. Here are some basics:-
Planting Elements
• All GL models use the same ‘3’
series planting element; positioned
at the heart of each machine this
maintains consistent accuracy.
• The large diameter drive roller at
the top of each tower ensures a
positive and even drive, while the
small diameter roller at the bottom
gives a clean and consistent delivery
of the seed into the furrow.
• Drive to the belts is via chains &
sprockets; this provides accuracy
and the flexibility to select a wide
range of seed spacings.
Choices of cup sizes & inserts:-
Green cups:
• Standard – 36 cups/belt
Black inserts for 30-50mm seed
• White inserts for up to 30mm seed
Red cups:
• No-cost option – 40 cups/belt
• Blue inserts for up to 30mm seed
Blue cups:
• Extra-cost option with enlarged
trunks for large seed
Furrow openers
Various options exist to suit the
different models or different
applications and soil types; Standard
& optional openers vary according to
model in the UK. A quad opener
system is available on all models
Control systems
As the number of adjustable and
controllable functions on planters has
increased, so too has the need to
simplify the operations for the driver.
Most tractors are limited to 3 or 4
individual hydraulic services, beyond
this the planter will need its own
hydraulic block with electronic
controls.
The GBT control box is obligatory for
options such as hectare meters, miss
indicators, electric power switch-off
and other automatic functions such as
depth, hood pressure & hopper tipping.
Depth control & hood pressure
For greater accuracy with seed depth
& coverage the two options of
No machine pays for itself on Day 1
- but it will do as you use it.
Budget to match its cost to the income the
machine helps to generate over a number of
seasons. Finance from Grimme can help
you match the size and timing of payment to
the cash-flow of your individual business.
Model Overview
2 row GL32 B
Fully mounted for
bed planting only
4 row GL34 F
Fully mounted for
conventional planting
only
4 row GL34 T
Trailed for planting
conventionally in-line
or
can be offset for bed
planting
6 row GL36 T
Trailed – rigid for
bed planting only
automatic depth sensing and
automatic pressure sensing on the
hood are valuable choices.
Shaping Hoods & Soil Retention
Plates
• All bed planters employ the same
style of shaping hood and soil
retention plates.
• Adjustments to the hood include
height & pitch as well as internal
adjustments of the deflectors to
match row widths & ridge profile.
• Adjustable soil retention plates link
from the shaping hood through to
the front of the machine to minimise
soil loss into the wheelings.
• 4 and 6 row planters also have
covering discs as standard behind
the planting elements to ensure
consistent coverage of the seed.
Additional operations
For a combination of economic &
agronomic reasons, more & more
growers are looking to carry out
additional operations at the same
time as planting. For this reason
Grimme now offers options such as
fertiliser boxes & spraying
attachments.
FINANCE FROM
Call
0845 40 45 59
for details
Chafer Amistar
Sprayer
GL 32 B
planter with Chafer
sprayer for Amistar. Designed to
apply Amistar in furrow for the
prevention of black dot.
• Front three point linkage mounting
frame and demount legs. Quick
and simple mounting and
demounting. Doesn’t have to be
fitted to planter. Allows easy filling
of chemical into tank
• 900l fibreglass tank
Large capacity compared to other
kits on the market. Less time spent
refilling tank. No need to store
chemical in the field
• 100l integral cleanwater tank
Allows jets, pipework and tank to
flushed out at the end of the day
avoiding pipe and jet blockages.
• Hydraulically driven 450l/min 7
bar centrifugal pump. Quick filling
rates. High flow rate for good
agitation in the tank especially
important for Amistar
• Tank agitation system. High
volume system to ensure contents
of tank are thoroughly mixed
• Rotary valve for liquid suction and
pressure control Allows operator
to: Fill the spray tank from a
bowser. Spray from main tank
through jets. Clean jets and pipe
work using on board clean water
Clean tank with washer nozzle
using on board clean water
• Pressure filter - Helps to prevent
jet blockage
• Pressure Control System
Air diaphragm set maintains a
constant pressure in spray line.
Easily upgraded to a fully speed
related application rate control
system
• Amistar Jets: Two jets positioned
to cover soil underneath seed and
onto soil that will cover the seed.
Optional extras
• TeeJet 844 automatic rate control
system - Maintains a constant
application rate regardless of
tractor forward speed.
• Flow guard nozzle blockage
warning system - Audible and
visual warning system to alert
operator to jet blockage.
3
SHARED INVESTMENT IN HANDLING EQUIPMENT TECH TALK ON PLANTERS CHAFER AMISTAR SPRAYER

Profitable
Trailed or Self Propelled?
harvesting relies on lifting potatoes at
the right time and with a minimum amount of damage.
These two growers believe there are real benefits to self
propelled harvesters but not in all circumstances.
Cost justify the decision.
While self propelled harvesters can carry a hefty price tag, like all
new investment if it can be realistically cost justified then it’s
probably worth considering.
Andrew Miller, based at Kellie Castle, near Anstruther in Fife
grows over 500 acres of potatoes including 200 acres of salads.
Harvesting can be a protracted operation.
“We reckon to begin lifting at the start of July and keep going
until October,” he says. “And as any grower worth his salt will tell
you, harvesting potatoes is all about taking care not to bruise
them – because nobody wants bruised potatoes.”
Four years ago Mr Miller (pictured
left) invested in his first selfpropelled
harvester – a Grimme SF
1700, which was specified with a
track drive – and, earlier this year, a
second machine arrived – an SF
150-60.
“So why run two self-propelled
harvesters? First because basically
we grow two crop types – salads
and main crop with a smattering of
other varieties to spread the work
load,” he explains. “These include
the varieties Charlotte and Nicola
with Maris Piper and King Edward.”
The 1700 is set with lifting and separation gear to cope with the
more mature main crops - similar to the company’s GZ harvester -
complete with a Multi-Sep unit plus a picking table and cart
elevator.
For the salads however, the SF 150-60 has been specified with
smaller webs – the first main web delivers onto the de-viner web
which takes the long pieces of haulm out of the back of the
harvester and allows the potatoes to fall through onto the second
main web where hedgehog-type separators, with their powered
rollers complete the cleaning before the potatoes are transferred
to a bunker.
Control is the next reason, “It is a lot easier to harvest a crop
properly without damage. Sitting on board the machine enables
you to see and tweak settings and speeds to cater for different
harvesting conditions.”
He points out that the machine’s bank of cameras keeps him
informed of how all the harvester’s components are performing
and adds that on a trailed machine it is not always possible see
how the crop reacts to changes to the settings.
So, there are advantages for quality but how do the operating
costs stack up?
“As we are harvesting for about four months of the year, the
argument that a tractor and trailed harvester enables a tractor to
be used for other jobs doesn’t really hold water,” he explains. “The
tractor is always in use on the harvester.”
“There are also occasions when the pack house requires just a
couple of loads harvesting. It‘s easy & cost effective to send out
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Boston , Lincolnshire PE20 3PS
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just one man with a tractor and trailer and the self-propelled
harvester to complete the order. A trailed harvester gang would
need probably four times this amount of labour.”
For Mr Miller’s enterprise, the overall operating cost of self
propelled is similar to trailed harvesters, but the main cost
advantage is in being able to lift potatoes in a much more
controlled way with fewer damaged tubers – and significant
savings in labour.
“Horses for Courses”, says Philip Benzie
Philip Benzie grows and contract harvests more than 1000 acres
of salad and main crop potatoes around Aberdeenshire. His fleet
of potato harvesters comprises three trailed Grimme GZs and, for
the first time this year, a self-propelled, two-row Grimme SF 150-
60, which has had its intake web widened to cope with a 72in bed
quad system.
“We need this number of machines to cope with our contracting
obligations,” he explains. “I am not so much concerned about
output as being able to harvest potatoes without damaging them
– that is the important part.”
His decision to purchase a self-propelled potato harvester was
based on the work it would be doing lifting his salad crop, yet he
maintains he would not have purchased it if he was growing, for
example, all main crop.
The machine has a de-viner web and a hedgehog-type cleaning
system, which is designed to be gentler on the potatoes and will
hopefully keep the small salad potatoes in the machine. This is
unlike the conventional machines fitted with haulm separators,
which could pull the small potatoes out with the haulm.
Like Mr Miller, Mr Benzie is convinced that having the operator so
close to the machine and able to tweak adjustments so accurately
results in another 0.25t/acre to be lifted, when compared with his
trailed machines – an extra 25t for every 100 acres harvested.
“Not only is this good news for me as a grower but also for the
owners of the land we grow the crop on,” he says. “When they
plant their next crop of cereals or what ever, they do not want to
be troubled with an excessive number of keepers in the ground.”
Mr Benzie also feels the self-propelled harvester scores over
trailed machines when he is asked by the packer to lift between
one and four lorry loads of salad potatoes per day. “We use a
cushion box loading system in the field so it’s just a matter of
sending up a couple of chaps and harvesting the required
amount,” he explains. “It’s a real saving on labour costs.”
The actual harvesting rate of the self-propelled when compared
with the trailed machines is about the same, but as Mr Benzie
observes, “The important part is lifting potatoes carefully – not
just getting them out of the ground. The job’s not done until the
potatoes are in the store.”
Just how the operating costs compare between the self-propelled
and the trailed machines is difficult to say just yet. “I feel there are
savings – certainly in the labour required – but I think it is too
early to be too specific. I’ll know more after we’ve completed the
first year.”