The Claydon Evolution Drill Toolbar

Claydon’s first toolbar drill – comprising a rear-mounted coulter frame and a front-mounted hopper – is now in production.

Separating the frame and hopper distributes their combined weight so that smaller tractors with less lift capacity can handle wider widths, from 3m to 6m, and allow tractor rear tyres to run at lower inflation pressures.

Like the other mounted Evolution and trailed Hybrid drills in the Claydon range, the Evolution Toolbar and Front Hopper combination aims to establish crops with minimal soil disturbance to preserve soil structure and the beneficial organisms that live in them.

Using the same principles as the mounted and trailed Evolution drills, the blunt leading tine forms a vertical drainage and rooting channel, and provides an opportunity to drop fertiliser below seeding depth or seed from the back of the tine for a companion crop.

The following duck foot share has twin outlets to place seed on either side of the channel, forming a band that results in individual plants having more space than when concentrated in a row.

Front discs can be added to cut through trash, create fissures in the top couple of centimetres of soil and ease the passage of the leading tine to minimise upheaval at the surface.

Twin metering units deliver either mixed or separated seed/fertiliser flows to the rear-mounted drill, a simple airline box selector diverting the flow of material to the distribution pipes or combining the total output into one pipe.

An ISOCAN terminal controls all front hopper functions and allows variable rate seeding, depending on the task controller and licence key.

ISOBUS compatible, the Evolution Front Hopper is supplied with small, medium or large diameter interchangeable metering wheels to suit a wide range of seeds and fertilisers.

Weighing 730kg, it measures 2476mm wide, 1803mm high and 1619mm long, incorporates two hopper sensors providing ‘low level’ and ‘empty’ warnings, work lights, two road vision cameras, a toolbox and foldable front footstep.

Options include 550kg of ballast, plus packer wheels with passive steering and wheel scrapers.