Previewed as a concept in 2021, following several years of tests and tweaks, Amazone has finalised the design of its TopCut 12000-2T. The first machine is expected to arrive in the UK in the next couple of months.
Developed for ultra-shallow tillage and intensive cutting of maize and oilseed rape stubbles and cover crops at speeds of up to 20km/hr, the double-knife roller (knives are reversible) can also be used to generate a stale seedbed.
The 12m implement is not just a cutting roller but can also be equipped with numerous tools for different crops and conditions. When a more intensive action is required, the knife roller can be combined with a minimum till disc. It is also possible to fit a double minimum till disc. Cutting into the ground to a depth of up to 3.0cm, this option is said to be interesting for direct drilling of spring cereals or sugar beet.
A three-row harrow (HD version option with carbide tips) can be installed behind the main tools to further improve straw distribution after the combine. The aggressiveness of the harrow can be altered hydraulically from the cab. Rear packer roller options include the 600mm diameter DW disc roller and KWM 600 wedge ring roller.
Five years in development
So, why has it takes so long for the TopCut to make it to the production stage? “The concept was produced as many different prototypes and deployed all over Europe,” comments marketing manager David Thomson of Amazone Ltd. “We’ve had it in the UK for testing for quite a while as well.”
“As with all Amazone machines they go through rigorous testing for several years before bringing them to market. From all the feedback collected from farmers and testing we were able produce a machine that’s not just designed by an engineer but developed heavily by inputs from farmers and their real-world needs.”
Incidentally, the T stands for trailed, possibly indicating a mounted model might come in the future. We suspect other widths will also follow. In the meantime, the currently available 12m TopCut will be at Cereals. It depends on conditions and soil type, but the company is talking about a power requirement of around 20hp/m.
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