Marketed on this side of the Channel by Kongskilde UK, the Becker Aeromat maize drill was updated in 1998 with the addition of an extra air nozzle and a longer ejector. Last season profi tested a six-row Aeromat T, decked out in Becker colours, to find out what difference, if any, these latest mods have made
Simple to set up and strong in build, Becker maize drills enjoy a reputation of reliability and being relatively easy to operate. Yet that no-frills design does have its drawbacks, as a profi test revealed back in 1993. Because the only adjustment needed when changing seeds was to alter hopper ventilation, it meant that some larger or lumpy seed samples tended to cause problems – seed gaps, blockages in hopper etc. Hence the 1998 upgrade.
On its latest Aeromats, Becker now fits a longer ejector and an extra air nozzle, which is said to single seeds earlier in the cell wheel cycle. First, back to basic Becker principles. In essence the Aeromat T still adheres to the same design philosophy used on the original model we operated back in 1993. The outer wing units are mounted on telescoping tubes, and slide in for transport.
Even further out are the bout marker discs, a design we weren’t too keen on then – and still aren’t six years on. These discs tend to drop dirt on to the greased telescoping tubes as they lift out of work – not clever. To avoid this, we suggest – as does Becker in its operator’s manual – reversing the discs so that the concave profile faces outwards. In all other respects, however, conversion from field work to road transport and vice versa is quick and efficient. As an aside, our drill was equipped with the optional add-on lighting kit (£50).
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