Practical test: Sulky DPX expert fertiliser spreader Call in the expert What a difference two years make! Back in 2004 we included the previous Sulky DPX within a group test of five spreaders, and its performance was disappointing. Only just after our test, however, Sulky duly launched a new 36m version, and it is this model that we test here. The results on this occasion? Quite a transformation
Fertiliser spreading is about accuracy. This is why all of our profi spreader tests always focus on this one core theme. It is, quite sensibly, the benchmark by which the various machines are assessed.
So, just as for the group spreader review in ‘04, the first and most important part of our DPX test was to ship the machine over to the Danish Institute of Agricultural Services (DIAS) where, along with a team from the DLG test station, we set about analysing the machine’s accuracy of distribution across rows. This was carried out with three product types – calcium ammonium nitrate (27%N granule), an NPK prill, and a 40%K potash.
Even though the width for testing was 24m, we replaced the DPX 18-28m discs used in our previous test with the French manufacturer’s new 28-36m discs. And what a difference it made! Refer to the table opposite for a full run-down of all of the results, which represent a significant improvement on those achieved in 2004 with the ‘narrower’ discs. The C of V (Coefficient of Variation) ranges from good to satisfactory when the machine was set according to the manufacturer’s chart, and from good to excellent after the first manual adjustment.
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