Shearing legend hooked on CanAm
Sir David Fagan, world-renowned competitive sheep shearer with 642 shearing titles worldwide and a knighthood to his name, now runs beef and dairy operations near Te Kuiti with wife Wendy and son Jack.
One such ‘newbie’ will be the Panterra 7004, with a tank capacity of 6,600 litres. It joins the existing 4504 and, like the 4,500 litre version which is now adorned with the latest Claas supplied cab, the big self-propelled sprayer shares the same ‘wet’ setup controls and spraying hardware.
However, there is some differentiation. It comes with a new chassis that uses a trailing arm linkage at each corner. This is said to ensure that the wheels stay in contact with the ground. However, the hydraulic pneumatic suspension provides slope compensation, working in a similar manner to hillside levelling on a combine – so the machine remains level at all times.
Other highlights include a hydraulic track width adjustment to accommodate different track widths but, that also allows the rear wheels to be extended slightly wider than those at the front, allowing the tyres to travel on fresh ground.
Already seen on the UX01 machine, Direct Inject will also be available on both self-propelled models. The system allows a second product to be added while spraying, where a blanket application approach is not warranted.
When combined with application maps, the system can respond more quickly to maximise chemical saving.
Looking at the trailed model offering, the new Super L3 boom on the UX5201 increases the maximum working width to 48m. Featuring a fourfold design, the inner sections are steel and the outer aluminium to save weight on the 30-45m layouts. For the widest 48m version, the second to last section is constructed from lightweight carbon fibre.
The Super L3 also features a new boom control system to reduce fore and aft movement. With the UF02 mounted sprayers now having the option of swapping out the mechanical control to an active hydraulic setup.
This option will be offered on booms wider than 27m as Contour- Control, bringing independent left and right boom raise or lower movement to maintain an even spraying height on uneven ground.
