Italian company Alpego, well known for its former Pegoraro-branded power harrow, has increased the range of cultivators, power harrows and power harrow/drill combinations it offers through Lynx Engineering of Nothamptonshire. Emily Padfield went to have a look.

Craker cultivator

Fitted with acutely-angled, forward-cranked heavy ripper tines with winged shares, the Super Craker can work down to a depth of 650mm (25 inches). And because the legs are angled, overall hp requirement is reduced, meaning smaller five-leg Craker models can be pulled by 130hp tractors with ease, says Alpego.

Twin star-spiked hydraulically-adjusted Franter rollers at the rear intermesh and provide a clod-smashing and trash-mixing effect, leaving a mottled finish for drainage. If on stony ground, the front roller can be reversed so both rollers work in the same direction, preventing any stones getting caught.

Shares are fitted with a quick-release mechanism, while legs can either be fitted with hydraulic or mechanical reset. In mechanical versions, shearbolts are mounted longitudinally rather than in the more conventional clevis-type fashion, meaning slots aren’t elongated every time a bolt breaks.

For those with larger acreages, there’s a nine-leg version which can be pulled behind tractors of up to 280hp.

Rotodent DX800 power harrow

There’s a strong market for large folding power harrows, says Alpego, which has sold more than a dozen 8m versions of its Rotodent DX range in France alone this year.

The company’s folding power harrow range is designed with the high horsepower user in mind and ranges from 4m to 8m.

What makes the Rotodent able to cope with in excess of 360hp without the need for a separate cooling system is the large-capacity oil-filled four-speed bevel gearbox.

Mounted to the tractor via a floating lower linkage arrangement, wings are able to adjust to the terrain accordingly. Each model uses Twin Force rotor technology with two extra long rotors mounted on a Timken Taper bearing joined by a single support. Alpego reckons it’s man enough to be able to work directly into stubble and it certainly managed to cope in the sandy loam of Normandy.

The Rotodent uses Waltershield pto drive shafts with auto cut-out cam-clutches, while rounded rotors reduce drag and power requirement and high-clearance rotor shafts mean trash can pass through.

At the back, there’s a floating roller and levelling board mounted in a parallelogram arrangement for quick and accurate depth control. Each model folds to 2.45m transport width and is fitted with road lights.

AirSpeed AS3

There’s no doubt that what comes around goes around and the last couple of years have highlighted the fact that power harrow/drill combinations are still in demand.

But with drilling tractors pushing hp boundaries, there’s a definite need for larger combinations, reckons Alpego, and the AirSpeed 3 is a folding range designed to be just that.

Where the Airspeed 3 differs from other folding drill combinations is that, instead of having the metering system at the front, there’s just a hopper with a 50mm transport pipe transferring seed from the front to rear. Seed is then transferred to a pre-chamber before entering the main hopper.

Because it’s a simple, mechanical set-up, says Alpego, it can be adapted to fit all types of tractor and any front hopper can be used. The AS3 also results in an even spread of weight across the working profile, adds the company.

There’s a shorter delay when starting to drill, too, as the metering wheel is located where it would usually be on a conventional combination and seed that accumulates at the headland isn’t lost.

The AS3 is available in widths of 4m, 4.5m, 5m and 6m.