There are many factors to getting the best performance from your drill and cultivator, but when it comes to wearing parts, it’s all about choosing the right parts for your machine, the conditions and regularly checking for signs of wear of your points, discs and coulters.
While wearing parts for your machine will be based on your specific requirements (our parts team can help, get in touch here or check out the Vaderstad points configurator here!), our Vaderstad machine specialist, Cameron Brace gives us his top tips when considering replacement of the wearing discs on the Rapid drill, Carrier & Topdown cultivators.
For Vaderstad Rapid
The Rapid drill boasts the world leading coulter system and is perfect for creating even emergence in all conditions. Choosing the right disc for your soil and depth requirements is key here. When replacing your Vaderstad rapid discs, it’s suggested a minimum measurement of 380mm on a 410mm system disc-light disc, and 400mm on a 450mm system disc-aggressive disc.
Of course these are general recommendations and replacement requirements will depend on your usage, for example, how much you require using the front toolbar to prepare the seedbed prior to the seeding discs.
To check the measurements of your discs, a tool (As pictured below) is often supplied within the Vaderstad toolbox which provides wear percentage, or you can purchase the tool separately from our parts team.
For the seeding discs on the Rapid, it is suggested to replace at a minimum of 355mm. Past this, the round-off on discs means the accuracy and aggressiveness of the disc decreases, reducing the intensity of soil cultivation. During demanding conditions, excessively worn discs can lead to coulter discs stalling which can increase the potential of machine blockage.
Example of how to use disc wear calculator tool
It is also recommended that when changing wearing metal, new bolts and nuts are used to help secure the correct tension. This practice also aids the disc seal, prolonging the life of a bearing.
For Carrier & Topdown Cultivators
The Carrier & Topdown cultivators are disc cultivators used for high speed primary tillage and seedbed preparation. The wide range of front tools, discs and packers make these cultivators highly versatile.
Disc wear on these machines can vary depending on the use of the machine. When the discs are worn down to the point that the cut-outs are no longer visible, it is time to consider changing them. It is predominantly personal preference of the farmer/operator to when they think the disc is no longer doing the job it was designed for.
It is suggested that packer rings are considered for replacement when the welded seam is worn by 50%.
Make it genuine
Whatever your working conditions, genuine parts generally have a greater lifespan. Vaderstad design, test and produce all their genuine parts in their own factories and are made from V-55 steel, named as the measure of hardness where 55 is the HRC or Rockwell number. Typically non genuine wearing parts have a hardness level of 47-48 HRC, but lab and field testing has shown that V-55 steel can extend the lifetime of the discs by up to 50%.
Compare costs
The Service+ Parts team at Tuckwells works closely with all of our brand partners to take advantage of discounts and out of season deals to be able to offer our customers highly competitive pricing. Get in touch for a quote now, you may be surprised to find how competitive we are!
Using the highest quality parts can deliver the lowest costs per hectare through durability and reduced downtime.
Get a quote now
Find out more about our out of season deals on wearing parts.
