When it comes to sowing catch crops into stubble ground, we want a versatile machine that has the capability of breaking up any compaction after the harvest while at the same time providing suitable seed soil contact for a high germination rate.
The Irish Farmers Journal took a trip to Wexford to have a look at a machine that seemed to tick all the boxes.
Clinton and Jonathan Leech run an arable farm in Clonroche and also carry out some hire work for surrounding neighbours.
Last year they made the decision to switch from conventional tillage to a min-till system.
They felt the Horsch Joker 3CT was a suitable machine to make this switch a success and they haven’t looked back since.
Speed, depth and
horsepower
When the Irish Farmers Journal visited the Leech’s they were using the Joker to sow a fodder rape/stubble turnip mix into a wheat stubble in one pass for the GLAS. The Joker was being pulled at a speed of 13km/h. The five legs on the TG bar were set to a depth of six inches while the discs were set to a depth of three inches.
Clinton and Jonathan Leech sowing catch crops in Clonroche, Co Wexford with their 3m Horsch Joker 3CT.
The Joker was being pulled by a Claas Arion 650 rated at 185hp which pulled the machine at its ease. The three metre machine was comfortably covering 5-6ac/hour while leaving a very smooth and level seedbed for the establishment of the crop.
Weight, specification and cost
The overall weight of the machine is just over 2t. This is broken down into 1.6t for the disc harrow and rollflex packer, 400kg for the TG bar and five legs, 70kg for the air seeder and 100kg for the tine bar.
This machine is equipped with the APV PS300 seeder fitted with the 5.2 control box which is fully automatic. This comes at a cost of €4,000 plus VAT.
The TG bar, APV air seeder and the tine bar are all optional extras.
The TG bar which is fitted with durable 50mm carbide tips is also an extra coming in at a cost of €8,000 plus VAT. Jonathan remarked that to date the TG bar has been used for 700-800ac and he expects it to serve for up to a total of 1,000ac before replacing the carbide tips.
This TG bar has the option of hydraulically adjusting the working depth through to simultaneous rams.
The Joker is fitted with 52cm discs which have so far covered over 2,000ac with a remaining lifespan of another 500ac.
The working depth can be adjusted from the cab hydraulically by adjusting the rollflex ram. The total cost of the well-kitted machine is €28,000 plus VAT.
Maintenance
The Leechs have been very impressed with the minimal level of maintenance which the machine requires. In total, there are only four grease nipples on the Joker, two on the linkage between the TG bar and the disc and two on the side boards. The machine is fitted with sealed oil-immersed bearings with a long lifespan.
One year after purchasing the Joker and the two brothers are very happy with their decision. The recent harvest on the Leech farm was the first to be sown by an entire min-till system and with yields higher than previous years it has proved to be the right choice in their opinion.
When it comes to sowing catch crops into stubble ground, we want a versatile machine that has the capability of breaking up any compaction after the harvest while at the same time providing suitable seed soil contact for a high germination rate.
The Irish Farmers Journal took a trip to Wexford to have a look at a machine that seemed to tick all the boxes.
Clinton and Jonathan Leech run an arable farm in Clonroche and also carry out some hire work for surrounding neighbours.
Last year they made the decision to switch from conventional tillage to a min-till system.
They felt the Horsch Joker 3CT was a suitable machine to make this switch a success and they haven’t looked back since.
Speed, depth and
horsepower
When the Irish Farmers Journal visited the Leech’s they were using the Joker to sow a fodder rape/stubble turnip mix into a wheat stubble in one pass for the GLAS. The Joker was being pulled at a speed of 13km/h. The five legs on the TG bar were set to a depth of six inches while the discs were set to a depth of three inches.
Clinton and Jonathan Leech sowing catch crops in Clonroche, Co Wexford with their 3m Horsch Joker 3CT.
The Joker was being pulled by a Claas Arion 650 rated at 185hp which pulled the machine at its ease. The three metre machine was comfortably covering 5-6ac/hour while leaving a very smooth and level seedbed for the establishment of the crop.
Weight, specification and cost
The overall weight of the machine is just over 2t. This is broken down into 1.6t for the disc harrow and rollflex packer, 400kg for the TG bar and five legs, 70kg for the air seeder and 100kg for the tine bar.
This machine is equipped with the APV PS300 seeder fitted with the 5.2 control box which is fully automatic. This comes at a cost of €4,000 plus VAT.
The TG bar, APV air seeder and the tine bar are all optional extras.
The TG bar which is fitted with durable 50mm carbide tips is also an extra coming in at a cost of €8,000 plus VAT. Jonathan remarked that to date the TG bar has been used for 700-800ac and he expects it to serve for up to a total of 1,000ac before replacing the carbide tips.
This TG bar has the option of hydraulically adjusting the working depth through to simultaneous rams.
The Joker is fitted with 52cm discs which have so far covered over 2,000ac with a remaining lifespan of another 500ac.
The working depth can be adjusted from the cab hydraulically by adjusting the rollflex ram. The total cost of the well-kitted machine is €28,000 plus VAT.
Maintenance
The Leechs have been very impressed with the minimal level of maintenance which the machine requires. In total, there are only four grease nipples on the Joker, two on the linkage between the TG bar and the disc and two on the side boards. The machine is fitted with sealed oil-immersed bearings with a long lifespan.
One year after purchasing the Joker and the two brothers are very happy with their decision. The recent harvest on the Leech farm was the first to be sown by an entire min-till system and with yields higher than previous years it has proved to be the right choice in their opinion.
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