“The forward speed and accuracy have been brilliant,” says Ed Goadby of D Goadby & Sons, Manor Farm, Ansley. “So we opted for an identical model from TH White, after the first one had covered around 5,000 acres in three years.”
“I really like the integral fertiliser hopper, and as a six-row mounted unit with a hydraulically adjustable frame, it lends itself to smaller field sizes, narrow lanes and available tractor power,” he says.
While Ed accepts that he should probably be considering an eight-row trailed unit, he likes the compact nature of the mounted Optima V, and the ability to easily work field corners.
“I don’t want a front hopper for fertiliser, so this outfit is quite compact, yet fast and effective, no matter what the conditions,” he says. “Flotation tyres get fitted when conditions are less than favourable, reducing the risk of compaction.”
But what was once an 1,100-acre workload for the Warwickshire contractor, plus 350 acres sown at home, has now expanded to around 2,000 acres of maize drilling.
“It’s a lot of work for one six-row drill,” says Ed. “So we bought our original Optima V back from TH White to pick up the slack. It has effectively doubled our output potential, and we can comfortably plant 170 acres/day.”
“It’s now much easier to keep up with demand from new customers, and we’re never more than 24 hours away from taking a booking to getting the job underway.”
He says that having two six-row mounted drills takes the pressure off an intense maize drilling period. The older model is used mostly as a back-up, with Dad Jonathan stepping in when needed, using his New Holland T6.180.
“I’ve drilled almost 1,500 acres with the new Optima V this year, while Dad has done around 500 acres, which is not too bad for a back-up machine,” he says. “And where we’ve ran both in the same field, sharing an A-B line, you can’t tell the difference. Sowing depth and pressure are simple to adjust and very effective.”
Forward speeds are around 12-14kph, though Ed says that having increased tractor power with a New Holland T7.225 this year, there’s more capacity in reserve, particularly on sloping ground.
“I’ve plenty of power now, rather than working my old T6.180 hard all the time,” he says. “There’s better oil flow for the fan drive, and everything just runs easier, with forward speeds held consistently on the steeper banks. Neither the drill, nor tractor, are limiting factors in ensuring maize is planted quickly and accurately in any conditions.”
With electric seed metering drive and GECONTROL automatic section control operated via RTK through a Tellus GO in-cab terminal, Ed says the technology is a no-brainer, and is very easy to use, thanks to the plug-and-play connectivity of ISOBUS.
“Seed singulation is great, and we’re typically sowing 75cm rows using a 45,000 seed count and with 125kg of fertiliser/ha,” he adds. “And with AutoCommand, my T7 runs at around 1,300-1,400pm, so we’re also sipping fuel.”
“For us, having two six-row Optima V’s is currently the best solution for our maize drilling workload,” says Ed. “We have output and precision, without needing to spend more on a bigger, heavier maize drill.”
Want to speak to a specialist?
E-Mail Simon Wills, Kverneland seeding specialist: info-uksales@kvernelandgroup.com
