BY investing in a new three-metre mechanical seed drill mounted on a power harrow, a farming family intends to expand the amount of contract work it carries out.

In its first season, the combination proved highly successful at home and on contract work, eliminating the need for a second tractor and power harrow and increasing the work rate dramatically.

As a result, crops were drilled earlier and have ripened earlier, with yields looking better than ever.

David Maughan and his sons Anthony and Richard run a 450-acre (180ha) mixed unit at Heatheridge Farm, Humshaugh, near Hexham, with more than half the land in arable cropping.

The contracting side of the business includes a lot of baling and bale wrapping, as well as muck spreading and drilling.

The Kuhn Integra 3000 drill and HR 3003 power harrow replaced three-metre equipment of other makes. Strength and reliability were of prime importance in selecting the new machinery.

"The Kuhn power harrow is well tried and tested," said Mr Maughan. "We already had a Kuhn mower and had been pleased with its reliability and strength."

Firm believers in keeping things as simple as possible, the Maughan family chose the Integra because it was a mechanical drill, "requiring less power to drive than a pneumatic machine and with less to go wrong".

"I used it last season on a 110hp tractor, which pulled it well," said Richard, who does all the drilling work.

"This season it will be on a heavier 120hp tractor to give some extra stability on steep slopes.

"It's an excellent machine and did an excellent job. We are in Hadrian's Wall country, and there are plenty of stones in the soil, so we need strong equipment.

"An advantage of using a mechanical drill is that if a large stone stops the power harrow, the drill doesn't stop, so you don't end up with missed patches.

"The arrangement of the Kuhn machine, with the drill mounted on the crumbler roller, is quite an advantage. If the harrow lifts when it hits a stone, it doesn't lift the drill, so sowing depth is always the same.

"And because the speed of the Kuhn power harrow is adjustable, we've been able to set it higher, and with the crumbler roller it makes a perfect job in one pass.

"Previously we had to go over most of the land twice with the power harrow, so we are saving a tractor and a man. If we operated a larger tractor, there's still scope to step up the power harrow by another gear to go faster still while producing the same quality of seedbed."

The Integra 3000 has also speeded drilling in other ways. The Maughan's machine has the optional hopper extension, so has more than enough capacity to take a full half-tonne big bag of seed.

Their previous drill had only a 4cwt (200kg) capacity, so there were many more stops for refilling.

Richard appreciated the ease with which the soil flowed around the drill's Suffolk coulters. On his old drill, soil would build up on the coulters and unless frequent stops were made to clean them, they began to ride out of the ground.

The Integra drill also performed well in very trashy conditions on set-aside land that had only been disced, and where a direct drill would normally be used.

Richard said the drill was easy to calibrate, and the sowing rate was accurate to the calibration.

"I covered about 450 acres in total, including our own land, and with this drill we now have plenty of capacity to take on more work. It gave very good results and our customers are all pleased with the job it has done."

And that includes his father, David: "I can't remember when our crops looked as good as they do this year. This machine has made a real difference."

According to Paul Scandle of local dealer Rickerby Ltd, other farmers in the area appreciate the Kuhn machine too. He's sold a number since they were introduced 18 months ago.

"It's a drill that's suitable for all types of users, whether they are large arable farms, smaller mixed units or contractors," he says. "Matched with the Kuhn power harrow, there is good weight transfer to the tractor. It's a machine that is easy to set up and calibrate, and the Suffolk coulters can handle any size of seed from rape to beans. And the fluted metering rollers make the accuracy of the Integra as good or better than an air drill.