Tempo suggests speed, and Väderstad’s Tempo precision drills are designed to work quickly. But as you go faster, what happens to accuracy?
Back in 2013 we liked the tidy seed placement delivered by the Väderstad Tempo F precision drill. That was with maize; and while the F range is still going strong, the newer Tempo V models cover a broader range of working widths and bring many of the refinements we looked for back then. V models carry from six to 12 seeders, between them covering row widths from 450mm to 800mm; granule and/or fertiliser application are options. All V models mount on the three-point linkage and fold down to 3.0m max width for transport.
Time to see how they perform with beet. Hooking up to the tractor is quick and simple, thanks to Cat III couplers and alternate holes for the top link. Hoses store tidily and are colour-coded but don’t show flow direction, which would be a help. The test model — a 12-row V 12 — is the biggest in the range and needs three double-acting spools plus a free return. While the drill itself isn’t ISObus-capable, adding Väderstad’s Gateway controller lets it talk to an iPad across wi-fi — more on that later. It’s also possible to cable-connect the Gateway unit to use a tractor’s ISObus display.
Individual seeders are carried on a pair of 2.95m wide frames that fold up for transport. Each frame can host up to six units: these can be set steplessly to give row spacings down to 449mm. When changing over widths it would be handy to have markings at the common spacings of 450mm, 500mm and 750mm. A spring adds ground pressure to the linkage of each 128kg seeder, taking coulter pressure up to a maximum of 325kg.
For more up-to-date farming news click here and subscribe now to profi and save
