A decade ago it appeared the drill was the next machine to get the self-propelled treatment when Lemken unveiled its Brillant 600 at the 2003 Agritechnica show. Taken to Hanover to test the water, the monster seeder has since sunk out of sight
Aimed at large scale arable farms and contractors, the Lemken Brillant was based on a TerraGator 2104 supplied by what was then AgChem (now Challenger). Described as a self-propelled power harrow, press and drill, all rolled into one, the rear equipment comprised tried and trusted components. But the mid-mounted power harrow and full width tyre packers were both new.
In operation, hydraulic rams forced the packer tyres down to raise the TG’s rear 900/60 R32 wheels just clear of the ground. The aim of the patented technique was to spread the weight evenly across the 6.0m working width, and eliminate the number one issue of all trailed drills — tractor wheel marks. Normally, following cultivation equipment has to operate deeper to take these out, while the lack of wheelings on the Brillant meant the power harrow could operate at shallower depths of just 30-40mm. At the headland, the packer wheels were raised and the TG’s rear tyres used for turning the machine into the next bout.
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