Would you hire a drainage plough for DIY drainage?

Farm X

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I want to see what the people think. We've been selling Soil-Max drainage ploughs to farmers in the UK for the past couple of years. Due to farm size, it doesn't make sense for some to purchase a plough. We're considering the idea of offering this type of machine for hire for farmers to install DIY drainage systems. It would be much less than using a contractor and possibly less than purchasing a plough yourself, depending on how much drainage you need to do.

I've included some videos and pictures below. As a farmer, would you feel comfortable and inclined to hiring this type of machine to install your own drainage systems? Why or why not?


 

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tr250

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Do you have ones that can backfill will gravel? do they come with a laser to get the levels? And what sort of tractor do they typically need would a 200hp wheeled tractor do anything or is it quadtrack/ crawler job?
 

Farm X

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Do you have ones that can backfill will gravel? do they come with a laser to get the levels? And what sort of tractor do they typically need would a 200hp wheeled tractor do anything or is it quadtrack/ crawler job?
That black box you see on the back of the plough, that allows you to backfill with gravel. Here's a picture of one that was modified.

We recommend using RTK GPS for sub-inch accuracy. However, if you're keen on using a laser, it's possible to do. One of our customers in Scotland is planning to install laser on his plough.

200hp wheeled tractor should work. It's not so much about the HP but more about the weight and traction. The smallest Soil-Max plough requires a minimum of 4.5 tons for installing 130mm pipe at 1 meter deep.
 
From what I have seen on Brian’s Farming Videos on you tube it’s not rocket science but you do need 1 or 2 big tractors, having said that, big by my standards. I think he had it on his Fendt 1050, the biggest limiting factor being grip I understood. He had another big John Deere on standby for a tow.
 

Farm X

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From what I have seen on Brian’s Farming Videos on you tube it’s not rocket science but you do need 1 or 2 big tractors, having said that, big by my standards. I think he had it on his Fendt 1050, the biggest limiting factor being grip I understood. He had another big John Deere on standby for a tow.
Brian definitely has one of the larger ploughs. Soil-Max makes the ZD1200 and ZD1600 specifically for the UK and European markets which allow for smaller tractors. Check this one out. He's pulling with a JD 4450, max weight of those is about 6.5 tons.

 

Farm X

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How much are you looking at for the ZD48?
The ZD1200 (ZD48 in the USA) ranges anywhere from $30,000 up to $65,000 USD depending on what add-ons you get, if you have RTK GPS, if you get the technology, etc.

I see you're in France. We have a plough up in Normandie right now and another one leaving for La Bigorrtiere this week.

How many acres are you farming there?
 
The ZD1200 (ZD48 in the USA) ranges anywhere from $30,000 up to $65,000 USD depending on what add-ons you get, if you have RTK GPS, if you get the technology, etc.

I see you're in France. We have a plough up in Normandie right now and another one leaving for La Bigorrtiere this week.

How many acres are you farming there?
That’s good. We are nowhere big enough to justify anything close to that. We are farming around 350 acres at the moment a hobby farm by your standards I would guess, less than 100 acres cereals and the rest grass.
 

Farm X

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All,

Thanks for your input on this.

I wanted to let you know that after the Cereals farm show, we'll be hosting a demonstration of our Soil-Max ZD1200 drainage plough at a farm near Ware.

If you're interested, you can go to this link and sign up. Make sure to reserve your seat as they will be limited.

Let me know if you have any questions!
 

Farm X

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I thought people following this post might like to see a video recap of our demo day we hosted in the UK.

We installed 4" pipe at 32" deep with a Soil-Max ZD1200 being pulled by a Valtra T 174.

 

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