Best Of Both Worlds

New from Sunflower® for 2018 is the SF6830NT (Narrow Transport) Series of high-speed rotary finishers. Released in 2015, the 6830 Series already has proved its ability to make one-pass, high-speed seedbed preparation a reality across a variety of field and soil types. Now, however, the 6830 is available in two models that fold to an exceptionally narrow, 9-foot, 10-inch width for safer, more convenient road transport and easier field entry.

“We’re really excited about what this machine has to offer our customers,” says Tom Draper, AGCO seeding and tillage strategic marketing manager. “The tool has greater working width, yet is a tool that folds to a very narrow package, which is a major benefit for those producers who have to deal with narrow bridges, public roads or have to travel through metro areas. That all translates into improved safety with high productivity and greater return on investment for the producer.”

Available in two models—the SF6830-18NT (17 feet, 8 inches) and SF6830-21NT (21 feet, 5 inches)—both tools transport at the same narrow width. Both apply Sunflower’s rotary finisher multi-step tillage technology to quickly prepare seedbeds to stay ahead of high-speed planters while promoting even germination and emergence for top yields.

“First, the SF6830 high-speed finisher uses a gang of 20-inch low-concavity blades set at an 8-degree angle that provides lateral soil movement to level soil and anchor residue,” Draper says. “Behind those blades is a set of disc gang reels that turn at twice the speed of the disc blades to aggressively break up clods and root crowns without the soil ridging that normally results with single-gang tillage tools. Next in line is a gang of wavy coulter blades that continues to size crop residue, even in thick, high-yield stands, and breaks up the soil, providing the ideal environment for root development.”

The final element is a pair of intermeshed gangs composed of Sunflower’s exclusive Rotary Spider Tines. These tines are designed to ensure the soil is leveled and that crop residue is equally mixed across the entire width of the tool. In effect, the spider tines define the seedbed, as they lift the soil and blend it with crop residue, producing uniform soil density and level profile from top to bottom.

“However, unlike other seedbed preparation tools, the SF6830 Series incorporates a unique hydraulic leveler gang, composed of four wavy center blades, which can be adjusted by the operator from zero to 10 degrees,” Draper says. “By adjusting the angle at which these blades engage the soil, the operator has more exacting control of the tool, and can match soil conditions and ground speed of the implement to achieve a smooth, even seedbed with each pass.” Equally important, because all the ground-engaging tools on the SF6830NT finishers are rotary, the soil and crop material flows more efficiently at higher speeds than is possible with shanks and sweeps.