Mulgrew grows 20ha of turnips each year as a supplement and says the Landplane not only allowed him to work up soil for planting but also re-contour it for better drainage.
Mulgrew commissioned the 5.4m Landplane after using his brother-in-law’s 3.05m model and deciding he needed something that could work across a larger area.
“The old man says bigger is better so I asked for it,” says Mulgrew.
Mulgrew’s Landplane is the largest the company has made and the biggest commercially available in New Zealand says Newman Engineering managing director John Bishop.
The unit has an effective width of 5.4m when fully extended but a travelling width of 3.2m. The remaining 2.2m is made up by wings either side controlled by hydraulic arms which allow the Landplane to be transported on the road without the use of flags or a pilot vehicle.
Having folding wings also means the operator can choose how much of the machine he uses, says Mulgrew, making it useful in situations where a wider implement is not necessary.
“The beaut part is that the wings fold up out of the road if you don’t need them so you don’t shift as much dirt.”
While tractors with 200hp or greater are recommended Mulgrew says he has been able to use the Landplane behind his 195hp machine.
“It can shift so much dirt that it stalls the tractor but it’s just a case of setting the hydraulics right.”
The Landplane can also be used to clear and level drain tailings, repair pugged land, level silage stacks, reduce hillside cattle ruts and repair farm tracks.
And Mulgrew says he is impressed with how quickly it was able to get metal spread on farm races.
Tel. 09 439 5065
www.landplane.co.nz
