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Lemken unveils new compact disc harrow

Lemken has unveiled its newest compact disc harrow, the Rubin 10, completing the company's line of compact disc harrows. 

September 19, 2018  By Top Crop Manager


“As farmers critically assess the agronomic needs on their farms, we’re increasingly seeing them turn to strategic tillage to address many of those needs,” said Laurent Letzter, managing director of Lemken Canada, in a press release. Letzter says he has seen strategic tillage used across Canada to resolve challenges such as:

  • Mixing large volumes of organic matter evenly into the soil in one pass for efficient trash management while minimizing labor and fuel costs.
  • Mechanically killing weeds, including herbicide-resistant weeds.
  • Disrupting disease and pest cycles, and interrupting the evolution of fungicide resistance.
  • Encouraging weed seeds to germinate in the fall or before a pre-season herbicide application to maximize the effectiveness of the herbicide.
  • Improving soil structure and water infiltration.
  • Smoothing out ruts in fields to improve seeder and sprayer operation.
  • Breaking up pastures.
  • Managing the effect of severe weather variability by reclaiming land around potholes and sloughs.

Lemken says the Rubin 10 will offer the same intensive uniform mixing as the Rubin 9 at shallow depths of up to six inches. It handles heavy trash more aggressively than the Rubin 9 with its bigger, stronger discs that measure 25 inches in diameter. It features a new symmetrical disc arrangement on both sides of the machine, which eliminates lateral pull, ensuring the machine pulls straight and reducing fuel consumption. 

The Rubin 10 features surface-hardened DuraMaxx for a 30 per cent longer service life than conventional discs. Each disc is equipped with override protection that significantly minimizes frame loads when discs hit obstacles in the field. The integrated harrow behind the first row of discs and the rear impact and leveling harrow improve the crumbling and distribution of soil and organic matter for an even, seedbed-ready finish. The Rubin 10 will replace the Rubin 9 when it begins production in January 2019.

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Lemken has also announced the acquisition of two divisions of the Dutch company, Steketee. With this recent acquisition, Lemken says it will be adding innovative hoeing technology for mechanical weed control to its product range, as well as advanced camera technology that enables Steketee machines to hoe between the rows and between plants within a row. Lemken says it intends to work with Steketee to expand the company’s Dutch facilities and build on its existing manufacturing capacities. The Steketee and Rumptstad brand names will be retained for the time being.

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