Established in the 1970s, the Kruidfontein family farm cultivates grain as well as wheat. “Farming successfully and profitably in today’s competitive market is all about keeping input costs to a minimum,” says owner Michael de Jager. “Precision farming is one way to achieve a healthy bottom line, but there are also other areas where one can work smarter to save unnecessary costs. In 2009, I noticed the SKF Agri Hubs at the Senwes counter in Bothaville and I discussed the products with some farmers in Wesselsbron who confirmed that this was an excellent investment. We decided to purchase 10 discs for our new Equalizer Planter.”
De Jager says that he was particularly impressed by the fact that the Agri Hubs are grease-free and offer lifelong lubrication. He explains that the discs he previously used required constant greasing, both a costly and time consuming exercise. “There were also other problems. Because the clearances were not good, the grease literally went in one side and came out the other. The harsh environment in which our farming implements operate, with dust, mud and dirt ingress in poorly greased bearings, inevitably leads to spectacular bearing failures. The planting window is very limited, so when we start planting, downtime is simply unacceptable because we cannot afford to waste time on stoppages to repair unreliable and failing equipment.”
“Our aim is to supply quality products at reasonable prices to achieve a win-win situation for everyone,” comments SKF key accounts manager commercial vehicles and agricultural, Thinus Lindeque. “We do not want to see anyone struggling when we can offer an affordable solution and although quality carries a price tag, the reliability, productivity, cost reduction and environmental care that SKF Agri Hubs offer the agricultural industry compensate in that they pay for themselves in virtually no time.” A special seal fitted to the Agri Hubs has been successfully tested under extreme dust and mud conditions and the hermetic sealing ensures that no lubricant loss will occur over the complete life span of this plug-and-play unit. The ‘mud block’ seal and special labyrinth, which is central to the sealing principle, provides dynamic sealing against stones, mud and dust. A special cup and O-ring system provides the static sealing of the disc side in the SKF Agri Hubs unit, making it impervious to dust or mud ingress. “All these characteristics render the SKF Agri Hub exceptionally reliable and virtually maintenance free. Little wonder that the SKF Agri Hubs are now fitted as standard on all Equalizer Planters.
“We planted 2000 hectares in 2009 and another 2000 in 2010 and, although the coaters of the Agri Hubs have worked off and we are now on our second set of coaters, we have not had to replace a single bearing. The Agri Hubs have covered 4000 hectares without a failure and the resultant savings in time and money that we have realised are astonishing. I would be quite happy to replace them for the 2011 planting season, although even that may not be necessary.”
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