With two models for tractors big and small, Horsch’s new Cultro TC double knife roller has something to suit everyone
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The Cultro TC double knife roller is designed to thoroughly crush organic material
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Used in no-till farming to cut through canola and sunflower stubble and cover crops, knife rollers have become an essential tool for farmers big and small – and Horsch has a new model for both.
The Cultro TC double knife roller comes in two sizes – the 3m wide 3TC, which can be towed by an 80hp (60kW) tractor, and the 12m 12TC, which needs 270hp (201kW). The roller body on both sizes is 30cm in diameter, allowing for a high number of revolutions and a high number of cuts per revolution. Its design of six knives arranged crosswise on the roller generates a crosscut for what Horsch says is a guaranteed intensive crushing of organic material.
Horsch Australia sales and marketing manager Steve Robertson says the company has some knife rollers operating in Western Australia and more machines on order for the East Coast.
“We are pretty excited about that product, we think it has got some big advantages for canola cropping areas and cover crops. I think it has got a big future,” he says.
Both models can be used at speeds of up to 20km/h, with the new frame design pushing the complete weight of the unit onto the roller. Buyers of the 3TC can choose between a packer-free version for a tractor’s front attachment – which Horsch says is perfect for a combination – or one with a packer for the rear attachment, with a three-point linkage version available. The 12 TC model has four 3m-wide sections, each overload-protected and equipped with its own suspensions to guarantee an optimum contour following, says Horsch. Horsch says the 12TC can be equipped with either a packer or a grass type harrow, adding that the latter is better if a lot of organic material is to be distributed on the surface.
It can also fold to a 3m transport width.
The Cultro can be equipped with a Crossbar in front of the knives, making it suitable for seedbed preparation.