Practical test: Maschio/Gaspardo drill combination Not all combi drills cost £30000+ as can be seen on the technical data table at the bottom of this article. Yes you guessed it. This month’s profi practical test focuses on the lower priced end of the combi sector with a profile of the Italian-built 3m wide Maschio DC-V/Gaspardo PE300 outfit
Right from the very outset we should point out that, in UK speak, we’re looking at a bit of a queer one with this particular test. Why? Because Maschio/Gaspardo’s UK importer, Reco, does not ship inour exact test specification, either in terms of the power harrow or, for that matter, the drill.
Taking the harrow first, Reco sells a handful of lower spec DC models, yet the vast majority of its business comes in the shape of DMs, which have a much stronger casing, quickfit blades, bigger bearings/shafts and a gearbox rated up to 200hp rather than the lighter weight DC’s 140hp. Here in our test, however, we have the European DC-V hybrid that, in summary, comprises the DC plus the DM’s drill-carrying support frame – but without the beefier DM driveline components that normally come along with it.
As for the Gaspardo bit, this is more akin to what we take in the UK, with the exception of some of the coulter and covering harrow spec. But more on that later. Why are we running the test? That’s simple. On the UK’s medium-sized family farms there is still demand for lower priced combi outfits, so we felt it very important to show the full range of what’s on offer, even if the UK importer isn’t bringing in this exact spec.
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