Turn it over in your mind.

Reversible ploughs are a technology whose time has come. And, after generations of hard work and innovation, Sweden’s Agrolux, available from FarmChief, are at the forefront.

Agrolux add science to the age-old art of ploughing.

They deliver a more even paddock – burying weeds and crop residue more effectively and providing the essential foundation to an optimally-productive seedbed. Kiwi farmers (and fertiliser truck drivers) have commented on the smoothness of the finish, thanks to the tightness of the furrows before rolling, even after a tell-tale hard rain. So, no humps and hollows. While sometimes considered old-school, ploughing still undoubtedly provides the best cultivation around the entire region of the paddock – repairing compaction damage, and increasing top-surface exposure to air and water by up to 30%. 

Designed with high-end users in mind, Agrolux ploughs are popular with contractors and large-scale farmers, because they cover more ground, faster.

Conversely, they are also very effective in smaller or irregularly-shaped paddocks. Allowing for modern tractors with tyres up to 750mm wide, their wider furrows also enable travel without compromising, or compacting, soil that’s just been turned over. Hydraulic auto-reset on each leg, enables operators to individually adjust the plough bodies to suit the conditions, and keep working. A major contributor to the ploughs’ effectiveness is the Swedish-made steel itself. A special heat treatment (carburizing) means the steel absorbs carbon – making the metal tougher. The treatment involves 19 hours in 900 degrees heat in a gas mixture which provides the carbon content. This gives a hardness similar to that of a diamond, yet the centre of mouldboard is still flexible. The result is improved performance, greater impact strength on tough country, and minimum wear and maintenance. This robustness is everywhere in the construction. The Agrolux’s main beam is engineered from a single length of hefty 220 by 120mm box section, giving core strength, and supporting the plough bodies that are mounted to it. The vital plough tips are of a unique, recessed design. These, combined with the board shape, give a better and more consistent flow of soil. No matter whether the ground is rock hard or saturated, the plough turns furrows to depths of 12-30 cm with a working width of 35-60 cm. Boards are configured to shatter the soil so secondary cultivation is reduced to a minimum, saving time and effort. The easy clean mould board treatment allows the coating to wear off rapidly, minimizing the soil adherence to the mould board caused by the paint. (Soil adherence to mould boards can compromise the plough work significantly until all paint is worn off leaving shiny mould boards and a smooth soil flow.) The angle of attack of the ploughshare is another unique feature. An Agrolux plough does not cut or break the soil. So, when correctly set, the plough does not leave a pan in the bottom of the furrow, unlike conventional ploughs. Where the soil is stony, a hydraulic stone release system enables non-stop ploughing. The release pressure for each plough body can be adjusted individually which means that the pressure can be set higher for the front furrow in order to keep it in the soil, without exposing the plough and the tractor to a higher load. The XLD plough body, particularly, is creating an entirely new standard in cultivation performance thanks largely to a unique helical design. This enables it to handle an increased working depth, and furrow width; with a lowered point it produces active turning for closed furrows.

14% fuel saving

From a cost perspective, apart from the Agrolux’s low maintenance and performance, there’s also a 14% fuel saving against comparable ploughs. This is largely thanks to the unique standard feature of the flush tip being on the same plane as the mouldboard. The Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU) did a comparison of the three most common plough brands. A 100 hp tractor was used to measure the draft requirement of the four furrow ploughs. The Agrolux plough with the AX-body was the one which had the lowest draft requirement. This result means less slippage and higher efficiency which gives a lower fuel consumption and lower tillage cost.