As is the case with so many items of cultivation equipment, a used buy’s specification and description can be confusing. This certainly applies to Lemken Karat 9 stubble cultivators, these versatile tools offering a specification choice that can initially seem baffling. Should the ‘wrong spec’ put you off considering one as a used buy?

Although first launched in 2007, it was not until 2009 that the Lemken Karat 9 stubble cultivators started to appear in the UK, with profi carrying out its first test of a 4.0m KU mounted model late the following year (profi 10/2010). A key attraction of the tested unit was the optional Lemken Karat 9 stubble cultivators started to appear in the UK, with profi carrying out its first test of a 4.0m KU mounted model late the following year (profi 10/2010). A key attraction of the tested unit was the optional Lemken quick-change system for the soil engaging points. This allowed a fast switch between 120mm standard, 80mm deep penetration and 310mm winged shallow straw incorporation tines that were supplied with the test machine. More on tines later.

As to models, the Karat 9 model letters refer to:

  • K for klapper, which is German for fold
  • U for auto-reset. All have additional shearbolt protection
  • A for axle and thus trailed. No A means the unit is mounted
  • T transport carriage not officially sold in the UK.

The outline specification table provides more detail but key working widths and related model are:

  • Mounted, non-fold units of 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0m working width
  • Mounted folding of 4.0 and 5.0m. See table for transport width
  • Trailed folding of 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 or 7.0m with 3.0m transport width.

The main sellers in the UK are the Karat 9 400KU (4.0m mounted, hydraulic-fold with auto-reset legs) and the Karat 9 500KUA (5.0m trailed model with auto-reset). When you break down the letters and numbers, the basics are not over difficult to work out.

To go back a bit, the Karat series replaced the Thorit cultivator, the latter having a similar design; three rows of tines on UK models, angled disc sets and packer. The inter row spacing on the Thorit, however, was uneven at 700 and 900mm, Karat 9 models having a fixed 700mm between the rows.

Karat or Kristall?
Another area for potential confusion is between the Karat 9 and Kristall 9 (formerly Smaragd) cultivators as both follow the same tine, disc and packer layout. The key difference is that Kristall 9 models have two rows of legs with fewer per working width. For example on 3.0 models a Karat 9 has 11 legs while a Kristall 9 has seven.

To accommodate the wider gap between the legs, Kristal 9 cultivators are more typically specified with wide winged DuoMix or TriMix shares.

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