Agritechnica: Baby Hybrid needs fewer horses

Suffolk-based drill maker Claydon Yield-O-Meter has downsized its 6m Hybrid T6 drill to 4m for use behind tractors of 200hp+. The T6, in contrast, needs a minimum of 300hp. Designated the Hybrid T4, the new baby trailed model retains many of its big brother’s core components, including the full range of Claydon tine options for fitting to its trademark leading leg/seeding leg set-up. There are some T4/T6 differences, though — namely in the way that the T4’s 3,500-litre capacity hopper (60/40 seed/fert) links to the seeding element underneath. On the T6 the hopper chassis and seeding frame are completely independent, whereas the more integrated T4 relies on a number of strategically positioned hydraulic rams to retain this independent relationship and so maintain a consistent seeding depth irrespective of the amount of seed/fert remaining in the hopper. Claydon plans to build 20 Hybrid T4 drills in 2016, with deliveries starting in the early summer.