It’s a jungle out there when it comes to sourcing the most suited cultivator for your farm’s needs, but the Maxwells of Faughhill Farm have it down to a T with their recent Amazone purchase.
Nestled in the picturesque Scottish Borders near Melrose, Faughhill Farm is home to dedicated livestock breeder Grant Maxwell, his wife Katy, and his parents Donald and Nancy. Together with full-time general farm worker Jimmy Bell and a team of seasonal workers, the family manage their 1100-hectare mixed unit.
With such a varied livestock operation, combined with some contracting, arable farming plays a critical role at Faughhill, spanning 500 hectares of their own land and supplemented by contract farming in the local area. Their rotational cropping system includes winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape, spring barley, and both spring and winter oats.
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The farm’s tool of choice is the Amazone Ceus 4000-2TX Super cultivator, an ex-demo unit purchased last spring from Lloyd Ltd at Kelso – a dealership with which the Maxwells share a 50-year relationship, dating back to when it traded as Kelso Tractors.
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He explains the decision to switch to a min-till cultivator from their previous subsoil and two-pass plough set-up: “We are really pleased with the results as the yield hasn’t been compromised whatsoever when compared to areas where we have carried out the conventional ploughing method, also freeing a person and tractor up.”
The decision has led to significant savings in both labour and time, as well as reducing wear on tractors, thanks to the Ceus 4000-2TX’s simplified, more efficient design.
Outstanding mulching
The Ceus 4000-2TX, which they pair with either the New Holland T7.260 or T7.270, offers a working width of 4.0m and performs several operational processes in a single pass. From the front of the machine, a key feature of the cultivator is its 20-inch disc blades, which achieve a valuable mulching effect, encouraging the breakdown process of organic matter on the surface by breaking into finer material, speeding up the process while directly pushing the matter into the soil, in turn increasing soil health.
These front serrated discs, adjustable to depths ranging from 2 to 5.5 inches, offer shallow cultivation ideal for preparing seedbeds. These discs are individually suspended, allowing them to fit to varying soil conditions, which is particularly useful given the varied landscape of Faughhill Farm.
Following the disc blades, the C-Mix tine element loosens soil to a depth of 35cm, providing thorough tillage. The tines, spaced 40cm apart, can operate independently for deep ripping without engaging the disc blades, offering flexibility in cultivation methods.
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Improved tine technology
As well as the standard 3-inch-wide tines, the Ceus can also be fitted with 4-inch wide duck-foot and wing tines. The tines are equipped with an overload protection system with a release force of up to 1322lbs, ensuring smooth operation even when encountering obstacles in the field. This system, combined with a high-release lift of up to 12 inches, allows the cultivator to handle challenging conditions without interruption, essential for maintaining output during tight farming windows.
Flexibility in tillage
The levelling disc blades in the Amazone Ceus 4000-2TX are designed to ensure an even and smooth finish to the soil surface after tillage. They help break up clods, level the ground, and create a uniform seedbed, encouraging prime conditions for planting and crop growth.
Additionally, these blades also help in incorporating crop residues and organic matter into the soil. In addition, the cultivator is equipped with a hydraulic ultra-overload protection system, ideal for hard and stony ground conditions.
This system ensures quicker and more reliable re-entry, meaning the Amazone Ceus 2TX almost never stops. The operator can adjust settings independently and easily from inside the tractor cab, allowing for precise control over the cultivation process.
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Rollers for every condition
The Amazone Ceus 4000-2TX offers 11 other roller options including rubber, steel, cage rollers, tooth packers, trapezium, wedge ring, and wedge rings rollers with a Matrix tyre profile, which can be interchanged depending on field conditions. These rollers can also be released if needed, such as in particularly wet conditions when loosening the soil after winter is required.
Adjusting theroller settings is straightforward, thanks to the swivel clips at the rear of the running gear lift cylinders, allowing the operator to regulate the depth of the disc and tine combination effectively.
“The Ceus cultivator has made a noticeable difference in how we manage our arable operations,” Grant explains. “It allows us to complete multiple stages of soil preparation in one pass, which is not only efficient but also helps us stay up to date when time is tight.”
Grant stands by the quality of Amazone’s equipment, with the addition of a fertiliser spreader and combi-drill. With Faughhill Farm’s varied landscape and output demands, the investment in the Amazone Ceus 4000-2TX has allowed the Maxwells to optimise their arable production while saving on labour, fuel, and mechanical wear.
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Arable facts – hectarage
Winter wheat: 240
Winter barley: 70
Oilseed rape: 70
Spring barley: 25
Spring oats: 25
Winter oats: 50
AECS: 40
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