USED MACHINERY Väderstad Carrier cultivator: A comprehensive overview of some of the better known ‘compact disc’ shallow cultivators appeared in profi 01/05. These machines may be prohibitively expensive for the smaller grower, but how about a used machine? James de Havilland takes a look at the Väderstad Carrier line-up
It is not the purpose of this piece to argue the agronomic benefits of a ‘light’ compact disc unit. Nor is it to place this type of cultivator into a specific work regime either. Even though the Väderstad Carrier was developed as one part of a min-till package, dumping a Carrier and its competitors into a ‘shallow stubble cultivator’ only box is misleading. The tools can also be used to create a seedbed in previously cultivated land, including on ploughed ground where necessary.
In reality the Väderstad Carrier can potentially be a versatile cultivator. Some models have provision for a front set of ripper-type tines, instead of a set of discs, with the Carrier name referring to the fact that the main frame is just that and able to accommodate different cultivator modules to suit specific needs. In practice, however, it is a disc and roller combination that is the most common Carrier format.
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