Ziegler is still a relative newcomer in the cultivation sector, having only been building soil-engaging gear for a few years now. We tucked the firm’s Combi Expert 4001 into a range of tillage operations … to see what it has to offer.
Ziegler’s Combi Expert is a light, four-row cultivator, with the test 4001 having 24 tines spread across its 4.0m working width. It can take one of six different rollers at the rear and comes pre-equipped with a platform for mounting a small seeder unit. After an initial driving impression in the 8/21 issue, we took the cultivator for a longer-term test, carrying out both spring and summer work.
The three-point headstock has Cat II and III couplers. For the top link there are two regular round holes and one elongated hole with the appropriate pins — one for the slot and one for the round holes. Make sure you pick the right pin; otherwise the anti-twist function doesn’t work.
Stately weight
Once hitched up to the tractor, you need to connect a light plug with its spiral wiring and two hydraulic couplers with familiar Kennfixx connectors. All of these are stored in a good holder and marked with a plus and minus symbol — very good. Then the 2,270kg and 2.97m wide machine (including the crumbler roller and rear following tines) is good to go.
Good tine selection
The main frame of the Combi Expert is made up of 100mm box section beams. The wings are built from 80mm tube and are folded hydraulically.
The 24 tines are sourced from the Spanish supplier Bellota and measure 70mm wide at the top near the spring before tapering to 35mm. The points are attached to the tines with two bolts. The standard spec point is a 135mm wide duckfoot, but there are also 105mm, 175mm and 200mm versions along with a 40mm chisel point, which is reversible. These work in the 5-15cm band, with fresh steel at 14cm intervals across the Combi Expert’s 4.00m width.
The soil-mixing effect and incorporation of crop residues is really good — provided the material is dry enough. Not surprisingly, this cultivator doesn’t like wet chopped straw and can quickly block.
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