Replacing the two front turbines on the Dutch made Q-616, the rollerbed is not intended as a replacement for the turbine-only setup, but offers another option for potential customers already operating a rollerbed harvester in suitable soils and conditions.
Rotating walking shares lift the beet onto the rollerbed’s seven full-width 100mm diameter rollers, and for maximum cleaning, the roots are taken outwards before being gathered back to the centre of the table. Roller speed is variable from the cab, with the seventh roller operated independently.
When fitted with a rollerbed the Q-616 still uses four turbines. But where maximum cleaning is not required, these can be slowed down and fitted with rail gates for gentle beet handling.
The first rollerbed-equipped Q-616 worldwide was supplied to Wroxham Home Farms in Norfolk.
“The addition of the rollerbed option for the Q-616 means that we can now offer a size and type of machine for every scenario and soil type,” explains Matt Carse, sales manager at J Riley Beet Harvesters (UK). “Because we use a turbine rather than a transfer web it’s removed what was typically a rollerbed’s Achilles heel.”
