On show at Cereals for the first time from Knight Farm Machinery will be a new vertical folding boom designed for tractor-mounted and demount sprayers and also the latest version of the company’s linkage-mounted Raven cultivator.
The vertical folding boom solves the problems associated with conventional units on tractor-mounted sprayers, the JCB Fastrac and similar vehicles when they are folded, such as damage and restricted access to cabs, closeness to exhausts and inconvenient widths. Available in widths from 12 to 30 metres, it is a re-engineered version of Knight’s heavy-duty 4-Series unit, combining strength, rigidity and good protection for spray nozzles. The folding action also provides an incline mode when the machines are spraying in valley bottoms.
Also new from Knight this year are the company’s biggest-ever self-propelled sprayers, the SP 2050 and SP 2060, with 5000-litre and 6000-litre tanks and booms up to 40 metres. The machines have a new chassis design with active self-levelling air suspension and a stabilisation system that improves traction over uneven ground and gives a comfortable ride at road speeds.
A 200hp Perkins engine drives through a Poclain Smartdrive system with electronic throttle control and transmission to four heavy-duty Poclain Dynaplus wheel motors with dynamic braking activated by a foot pedal. Cabs are mounted on an independent linkage with air suspension to give a particularly comfortable ride, while the fuel tank acts as a sound-buffer between the engine and the cab.
