USED MACHINERY In 2002, Jeff Claydon and his team built ten of his then new V-Drill direct drills; a decade on, and the concept has evolved through SR to current Hybrid designs. Today, Claydon drills enjoy a strong following both in the UK and abroad, but how do these single-pass seeders stack up as a second-hand buy? James de Havilland reviews the pros and cons of a machine that looks to both cut establishment costs and improve the yields of all arable crops
When looking at any item of used equipment, the most important question to answer is whether the machine will do the job required of it on your farm. So it follows that those arable farmers seeking out a used Claydon drill must determine whether an early V-Drill or a later SR unit is the way to go.
Let’s help with a few pointers. Firstly, the V-Drill was offered in 3.45-, 4.0-, 4.8- and 6.0m working widths, and depending on soils, it demands a tractor of 200-300hp up front. Fully mounted, the central section of pre-2004 machines is based around a 3.45m frame, which can pose transport problems for those not farming within a ring fence. Thankfully, from 2004 the central chassis shrank to a more manageable 2.8m.
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