Four tracks are better than eight wheels according to German contractor Uwe Hinrichs when it comes to getting maize off sodden fields. And there’s certainly no denying that his modified Terrra Gator 2104 makes for a seriously impressive bit of kit
Back in 2011, ground conditions were best described as moist, with machines unable to get on the boggier fields to harvest maize on the German North Sea coast. Contractor Uwe Hinrichs explains that the problem is down to the area’s soil structure. The upper layer of sand has good drainage properties, but underneath is an impermeable loam layer, which acts like a sponge, absorbing water instead of letting it drain away. So any machine intending to venture off road needs to be light-footed.
Looking for a suitable machine the contractor spotted the Terra Gator on the web. With 250hp and fitted with a 12m3 tipping body the machine was already sitting on rubber tracks from the Italian firm Bruko. Each of the tracks measures 900mm wide and lays down a 1.90m long footprint to give a generous contact area of 6.84m2. With conditions starting to look iffy in 2011 the machine was quickly bought. As time was ticking, Mr Hinrichs and his customers agreed on a two-stage harvesting chain, whereby the Terra Gator with its conventional tipper body would dump into a makeshift wooden box. A rubber duck excavator could then load the crop into road-going Kaweco forage trailers.
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