CANADIAN equipment manufacturer, Morris Industries and Australian distributor, McIntosh Distribution, have announced a product improvement program on the popular Morris Quantum air drills.
McIntosh Distribution director Cameron McIntosh said the Morris Quantum air drill did not achieve the durability expectations of the high-performing machine during WA's dry 2019 seeding conditions.
But Morris Industries and McIntosh Distribution have since diagnosed and rectified the cause of these concerns.
"It has been identified that the hydraulic system was the key area of concern and this will now be updated to effectively reduce stress on the opener, which has also been significantly strengthened,'' Mr McIntosh said.
"There was an unforeseen issue with the hydraulic system, where certain circumstances allowed pressure to spike up to 1800 psi above operating pressure.
"This has been resolved with the addition of hydraulic accumulators.
"Field testing showed the introduction of hydraulic accumulators eliminated the issue of hydraulic pressure spikes, without compromising the bar's excellent digging ability."
While the issues were mainly experienced in Western Australia's agricultural region, McIntosh Distribution will roll out the product improvement program nationally for all 2019 and 2020 Quantum air drill units.
The initial priority will be to existing Quantum owners.
"Morris engineers have been on the ground with McIntosh Distribution in Australia since seeding," Mr McIntosh said.
"The company always looks to respond quickly, listens to local growers and adapts its machines to suit Australian conditions."
In addition to resolving the hydraulic issues, the product improvement program will replace the existing welded and fabricated opener on the Morris Quantum air drill with an opener with cast components and a heavier front mount.
"With the enhanced opener, the lower link, rear body and packer arm are all cast design and the bushing housing is machined to a more exact tolerance compared with a welded and fabricated opener,'' Mr McIntosh said.
"The packer arm has been re-designed to a one-piece packer arm, creating a more even load.
"These new cast opener parts have all been successfully tested in WA seeding conditions, as well as undergoing significant torture testing by Morris in Canada.''
He said every Quantum air drill opener in Australia would be updated, amounting to more than 4500 openers across the country, so it was a significant program and a strong commitment to growers.
"Even our customers that didn't see the durability issues and had a fantastic seeding will be upgraded, as it is important to us that early adopters aren't disadvantaged," Mr McIntosh said.
"In these instances, we will always support those who have continued to support Morris and our products."
Meanwhile, numerous growers throughout grain production areas have reported excellent crop establishment after using the Quantum air drills at seeding, thanks particularly to the flotation and depth control provided by the machines.
Duncan Murdoch, salesman with WA dealer McIntosh & Son at Kulin, said the Quantum's ability to dig was very good, it maintained even seeding depth and its narrow transport width was a big plus.
"Everyone likes the frame strength and flotation and the machine contours extremely well, providing consistent seeding depth," he said.
"Compared with other bars that offer just precision seeding depth, the Quantum provides precision seeding and digging depth, allowing precision placement of fertiliser, which is particularly important when deep banding either liquid or granular nitrogen.
"Other bars can experience uneven draft loading when contouring, but the Quantum stays even because depth is determined by every single tyne.''
He said the new technology now available, with the air drill providing auto-lift and pack control, also was an excellent development.
"Through the auto-lift and pack and the tyne mechanism, it senses how much pressure is placed on the press wheel and adjusts the digging and packing pressure accordingly," Mr Murdoch said.
"When dry sowing, such as the past two seasons, particularly if you are facing tough clay conditions, the press wheels of conventional machines can ride along the top and not provide good seed-to-soil contact.
"With the Quantum, it will dig harder and increase packing pressure in harder soils, while in sandy soils, the packing pressure will reduce so you won't end up with deep trenches that can fall in."
Mr Murdoch said compared with equivalent-sized machines that had transport widths near eight metres, the Quantum transport width was just 5.4m, so it was a significant benefit.
"This will be increasingly important as WA transport regulations change," he said.
For more information on the Morris Quantum air drill and the opener update program, growers can contact their nearest Morris dealer.
