Buyer's Guide: Grassland rejuvenators

Joskin may be well known for its range of eyecatching galvanised tankers, but it also offers an extensive range of grassland management equipment and overseeder units. The Belgian manufacturer's Scariflex range comprises four different working options.

The R6D2S3 can be purchased in six-metre to 7.2-metre working widths, both hydraulically folding with a transport width of 2.5m. This particular unit has leading independently operating scraper blades, followed by a row of 600mm scraper units mounted onto independently oscillating leaves. Two rows of scarifying shares follow with three rows of spring tines to conclude the unit.

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Safety cables running through the spring tines act as a tine loss prevention method, and the working height adjustment is set via leading wheels with crank handles. Air seeders are offered in 120-litre or 300-litre hopper capacities, with electric or hydraulic drive options available. A built-in hopper access step has also been incorporated into the machine design. 

Irish manufacturer Alstrong launched its second-generation one pass grass rejuvenation system at LAMMA back in 2023, and at this year's show it showcased the addition of an optional following skid claimed to help consolidate the soil following a pass through a growing sward.

Both mounted and trailed units are available in a three-meter working width. Two rows of Hardox scarifying tines are mounted to independently oscillating paddles with depth control hydraulically operated, and the machine's spiked aerating roller can be water filled to improve downforce. To remove sticking debris from the aeration roller, the manufacturer has developed a revolving scraper running close to the drum with spikes to remove the debris.

The trailed variant is claimed to be towable at speeds up to 50km/h, with the addition of soft ride features through a pressurised accumulator. The trailed unit is also fitted with a two-point gyroscopic linkage system for turning purposes.

With working widths from 3-12m, Austrian manufacturer Einbock's Pneumaticstar Pro combines both a grass harrow and seeding unit.

Two seeder unit variants are offered, with MD indicating mechanical drive of the seeder unit and STI with electrical drive controlled through the machine's Speed-Tronic terminal. Both are offered with a 300-litre hopper as standard, with the option of a 500-litre tank or 265-litre plastic hopper compared to the standard steel variant.

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Machines are fitted with 8mm individually interchangeable tines offering a claimed wear length of 10cm. Tine working angles can be adjusted across five stages. Spring-loaded triangular levelling plates lead to level out mole hills and distribute the soil. Tine pressure can be adjusted hydraulically from the tractor cabin, and leading wheels and individual tine mounting frames operating on a parallelogram system claim to offer optimal ground contour following ability. 

Distributed through Keith Rennie Machinery, the Carre Prairial is offered in both fixed frame and hydraulically folding frame formats. The fixed frame variant is offered with a three-metre working width and the folding frame variant is offered in 4.5m and 6m working widths.

Leading knife spacings are either centred at 200mm or 250mm spacings. The independently oscillating sprung paddle mounts can be fitted with reversible boron-treated steel knifes or non-reversible tungsten carbide knives for more abrasive soil types.

Manual tine working depth adjustment comes as standard, with the option of hydraulic depth control operated from the cabin. Notched levelling boards follow the leading knives to level worked ground and mole hills, and two rows of sprung harrowing tines complete the set-up. Seeder distribution units are offered in 200- and 400-litre tank capacities with manual metering units.

Distributed through Opico, the HE-VA Grass Rejuvenator is offered in 2.9m working widths in both mounted and trailed variants, and the 6.3m and 8.2m machines are offered in hydraulically folding trailed variants.

All machines across the range come with a 550/600mm diameter star ring roller. Leading shatter boards are fitted with double finger slicing plates constructed of sprung steel. Two rows of 12mm sprung levelling tines follow.

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The machines have been designed to work in conjunction with a HE-VA Multi-Seeder, but can be optionally specified with a Stocks Turbo Jet or Opico Air Seeder. The HE-VA Multi-Seeder is offered in both mechanical and electronic drive formats.

Electronically controlled versions include in-cabin variable rate control. The unit is also fitted with a low seed level sensor monitoring alarm and electric fan malfunction alarm.

HE-VA also offers a compact version of the Grass Rejuvenator, which is 400mm shorter than the larger model and has a lower hp requirement starting at 80hp.

Constructed of a fully galvanised framework, the Zocon Greenkeeper is offered in working widths of 3m, 6m and 8m. A 12-stage adjustment system allows the operator to set the working depth. Leading skids level the ground in front of the machine, with height adjustment up to 150mm, and three rows of 10mm double tines work the sward.

Seeder units can be specified in 150-, 300- and 450-litre formats. The electric motor driven unit can be controlled by a choice of terminals or via IsoBus.

Offered in multiple working widths from 2.5m-8m, in both mounted and trailed variants, Guttler's Greenmaster range from Wox Agri features a standard ripper board, with a combination of 12.0mm U-shaped tines claimed to intensively work the sward, taking out unwanted grasses and thatch to leave open space for new seeds.

In conjunction with the ripper board, the unit is followed by two rows of 12mm tines which are fully adjustable for depth and rake which offers both levelling and fracturing of poached ground, aerating the surface in a single pass.

Two Guttler prisma consolidating roll options are available in 330-380mm and 450-500mm. A 410-litre seeder unit is fitted as standard, with the option of 220- or 600-litre hoppers. Hydraulic or electrically driven fan units are also available.

APV's Grassland Pro Harrow (GP) range is offered in two formats, both mounted and trailed. The mounted variant has a 3m working width and the trailed has either a 6m or 7.5m working width. The GP600 M2 pictured has a 6m working width and a 120hp requirement.

A sprung levelling board at the front of the machine levels any uneven ground or mole hills prior to the tines. Two rows of 12mm tines on a 75mm row spacing and two further rows of 8mm tines at 50mm spacing harrow the sward.

The GP600 M2 has a choice of seeder hopper units from the PS 200 M1 to PS 800 M1. All electrically driven pneumatic seeders come with a number of in-cabin control box options. Alongside the splash plate seed distribution units, both the GP 600 and 700 can be optionally specified with seed bar unit, similar to the design of a trailing shoe, with a carbon tipped share making a slot ready for direct seed placement.