Though not on UK sale yet, Rabe importer WestMac has plans to ship the firm’s Cormorant semi-mounted plough across the Channel. Here we test the seven-furrow, hydraulic vari-width heavyweight, including its distinctive beam turnover mechanism, in light/medium soils
At one time the semi-mounted plough was a simple machinery beast: One massive steel beam stretching into the distance, with a single supporting wheel positioned some way towards its end. Then along came the twin-wheel, centrecarriage plough, and plough life got decidedly more complicated.
Yet there is still much to commend the traditional semi-mount, single wheel configuration. Price, for starters. Less metal and rubber inevitably reflects itself in the pounds sterling needed to buy a semi-mount, which is why this design dominates the six/seven furrow semi-mount sector, where the pivoting benefits of the big centre-carriage ploughs are less clear. Within the fiercely fought six/seven-furrow model sector, it’s more a battle of the full- versus semi-mount plough, as discussed in profi 02/97. One of the semi-mount problems highlighted in the earlier article is the lateral force generated during unit turnover, and it is this problem that Rabe has attempted to address on the tested Cormorant plough. In simple terms, Rabe places a ram-operated joint into the 140mm secondary beam that runs alongside the main beam. This ram ‘lowers’ the plough before it turns over
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