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.
He benefited from Ready for Action and now from Väderstad Quality Check
Zbigniew Sikora from Moskorze near Stargard considers Väderstad machines to be highly recommendable. Several Väderstad cultivator and a Väderstad seed drill have been in use for many years on the 450 ha of fields he farms together with his brother Tadeusz.
They have never caused him a problem, but as he points out he takes good care of them and has benefited from service checks since 2015. First it was the ‘Ready for Action’ programme and now it is the ‘Väderstad Quality Check’ campaign.
The farmer points out that the Väderstad machines have never let him down. - My brother and I grow cereals, oilseed rape and beet. Every minute counts and we try to make the most of the water in the soil. While I cultivate with the TopDown 400, my brother immediately follows with the Spirit 600S,’ says Zbigniew Sikora.
It started with the Cultus CS 300
The Väderstad Cultus 300 bought in 2007 made such a good impression on farmers that further Väderstad machines arrived almost year after year. These included a Rollex 620 roller, a Swift 560 chisel cultivator and a Carrier 420 and then a Carrier 650 disc unit. The latest acquisition is a 2018 TopDown 400 unit.
In addition to the cultivation equipment, there were also Väderstad drills working on the farm’s fields. These were the Rapid 300 and the Spirit 400, which had recently been replaced by the wider Spirit 600S seed drill. It was not bought as new like the other machines, but from the second-hand market. However, the farmer was confident about its technical condition. Firstly, it was a Väderstad brand and secondly, the machine had undergone the annual Väderstad Quality Check service.
He did not let go of any review - Ever since Väderstad’s dealer offers to carry out pre-season inspections, I have always taken advantage of them. It’s a very good idea to take the time to assess the condition of the machines used for these tasks during the break in the field. After such an inspection I can rest assured that nothing will surprise me during the season and that we will be able to work efficiently,’ said Zbigniew Sikora.
Such a first service inspection took place in 2015, when the campaign for it was called ‘Ready for action’. Stickers on the machines still remain today. The current programme is called ‘Väderstad Quality Check’. In the autumn of 2024, the farmer benefited once again by continuing the Väderstad series of professional service checks.
Spring to be replaced in TopDown unit The Väderstad brand dealer looking after the farm of Zbigniew Sikora and his brother Tadeusz is Agromarket Wiewiecko. It is the qualified mechanics of this company who are responsible for the annual service checks. This time they were assisted by Mariusz Żebryk, Väderstad service engineer. While carrying out the ‘Väderstad Quality Check’ he detected one small but important part that qualified for replacement. This was a small spring that is responsible, via a pushrod, for activating the stop valve on the TopDown unit’s hydraulic depth cylinder. It fixes the position of the wheels of this machine, which can provide a fulcrum point for the machine during operation. The farmer is more likely to use the support point on the rollers, but if the soil is very wet, resting the combination on the wheels is a better solution. In addition, the design of the combination makes it possible to remove the roller and work without it, which is common practice in deep cultivation replacing winter ploughing.
When it is time to replace wear parts, the farmer always orders Genuine Parts, choosing Marathon versions in the case of the chisels. - Purchasing Väderstad Genuine Parts during the autumn-winter period is favourably priced. That is why when I receive a condition report on my machines after a service inspection with a proposal for parts purchases that includes seasonal discounts, I take advantage of it and even sometimes buy in advance,’ says Zbigniew Sikora.
