Väderstad Quality Check returns with no surprises in cultivation and seeding
Tomasz Wałachowski from Królewo near Malbork relied on Väderstad machines 20 years ago and every year he is convinced that it was one of his best choices. During the field seasons he can rely on them and does not waste time on servicing. He highlights the high quality of workmanship, but also points out the value of pre-season servicing. When it’s time to replace wear parts, he always orders genuine ones, opting for the Marathon versions.
On the 540 hectares of fields on Tomasz Walachowski’s farm, only one manufacturer - the Väderstad brand - is used for cultivation and seeding. The equipment proves its worth when working in the extremely difficult-to-cultivate soils of the Zulawy region. After the 2024 harvest, it stood in the starting blocks before seeding oilseed rape.
Never enough of support At this time, Marek Kowalczyk, service engineer at Väderstad Poland, came to the farm. He was asked to prepare the settings for the Väderstad Rapid A600S seed drill. The machine, purchased in 2023, has so far sown an area of 500 ha. It is therefore brand new and the farmer has not yet learned all the nuances of its operation. One of the things he asked for was an explanation of how to use the tablet to set the start and end point of seeding at the headland. The instruction took place at the machine with the tablet in hand.
Marek Kowalczyk took the opportunity to check the wear of the discs of the Rapid seed drill’s cultivation section. The nominal diameter of these working elements is 410 mm. The Väderstad service engineer used a specialised tool, which accurately indicated that wear was minimal and that the Rapid would still work thousands of hectares to its maximum.
Väderstad Quality Check permanently on the calendar Tomasz Wałachowski has benefited from Väderstad’s professional machinery maintenance programme for many years. They allow him to assess the condition of his equipment in autumn and winter and order new parts if necessary. Once fitted, it increases the probability of working without downtime to 99%. This is a value that can hardly be overestimated. The last professional inspection as part of the Väderstad Quality Check took place in early 2023, carried out by Fricke Maszyny Rolnicze, an authorised Väderstad dealer. It turned out that in a group of five machines from the brand, nothing needed to be replaced. This also applied to wearing parts. The farmer points out, however, that when the time comes, he will, as always, order originals.
- Väderstad machines are strong and durable. After 20 years of experience I know that only wearing parts need replacing. By fitting original parts, preferably from the Marathon range, it is as if you have a new machine again and can work day and night. It is important to use a dealer’s professional service to support this. It is best to do this every year before the start of the field season,’ Tomasz Wałachowski points out.
- Quality Check means that all components of the Väderstad machine will be checked and the farmer will receive a report on the machine’s condition. If there is a component that needs attention, the authorised service centre will suggest a solution. We encourage you to choose Väderstad Genuine Parts. This will ensure that the machine remains as precise as when it left the factory, i.e. as designed by the engineers who designed it,’ adds Maciej Matuszewski, Marketing Manager at Väderstad Poland.
Five Väderstad machines at farm There are currently five Väderstad machines on Tomasz Walachowski’s farm. Of these, the Carrier XL 625 disc harrow is the most operational and has been in use for six seasons. It operates the stubble fields, usually twice after the harvest and later when they have turned green. This machine has worked an estimated 7,000 ha to date and nothing has been done to it.
A Väderstad Opus 500 cultivator is used for deep cultivation. It has been in use for four seasons and during this time has cultivated around 2,000 ha. There has also been no need to replace wear parts on this equipment yet. The working tines, finished with Marathon 50x80 mm tine tools, are still usable. - We are farming in the Zulawy region and have very heavy soils described as minute. Therefore, their cultivation is extremely demanding. For this reason, I carry out deep cultivation in two passes. The Opus tine cultivator works at a depth of 25 cm in the first pass. After this cultivation, I wait for the soil to dry out. This happens even on the second day and then the Opus cultivates the field to 30 cm. This has the super effect of mixing the soil and bringing to the surface a fraction clean of plant residues,’ stresses Tomasz Walachowski.
The farmer from Krolewiec has two more Väderstad rollers that work solo. These are the heavy Väderstad Rexus Twin 550 and the lighter Väderstad Rollex 620. The former is used to break up soil clods just before seeding and to some extent replaces the work of the rotary harrow. The latter, on the other hand, is used for classic field rolling after drilling.
Tomasz Walachowski, who relies on Väderstad machines, is left with a long wait for the replacement of wear parts. For the farmer, this is very good news. - The equipment works well on the extremely difficult to cultivate soils of the Zulawy region. However, I know that when the time finally comes to replace wear parts, it will only be with original parts. Preferably the reinforced Marathon versions. For me, their purchase means many more years of peace of mind when tilling the soil,’ the farmer points out.
