WITH seeding done and dusted for another year, Ballidu cropper Corey Mincherton and his father Phil were busy applying urea as the rain continued to fall two weeks ago.
Corey said sourcing liquid fertiliser had been a real problem this year with everyone putting on more than usual to make the most of the good start to the season.
He had opted for urea because it was available and he couldn't wait around.
Ballidu received 16 millimetres in the seven days to the morning of June 14.
They weren't wasting any time as they tried to utilise the rainfall with Phil in their new Case IH Magnum 380 CVT Rowtrac towing a Marshall Multispread across a Zen Noodle Wheat paddock applying urea with a 36 metre spread, dropping to 24m when the wind picked up.
Corey purchased the Rowtrac from Boekeman Machinery, Wongan Hills, "on a hunch" that it would work the way he needed it to.
"We've had a Quadtrac before but I bought this one on a hunch it could work as a universal tractor," Corey said.
"It seems to be ticking all the boxes.
"We will try it out on deep ripping the flats as soon as we are finished spreading."
Phil said he had spent three days spraying 1000 hectares with the Rowtrac and it worked just as well as other large tractors he had used previously - except it appeared to glide across the ground and left less of a track in the soil.
Corey said there was less slippage with the Rowtrac compared to wheeled tractors and it was less likely to get bogged because of the weight distribution.
The Rowtrac may be light on the ground but it is no featherweight at 16 tonnes.
Boekeman Machinery sales consultant Dillan Elliott said the tracks were available up to 30 inches wide to increase surface contact and the combination of wheels and tracks ensured four independent points of contact to the ground for better traction, weight distribution and better soil protection in any weather conditions.
It is able to provide effective traction and minimise soil compaction even when pulling the heaviest of loads.
It was also able to handle tight turns due to brake assisted steering - without rutting, berming or smearing the soil.
Mr Elliott said the Magnum Rowtrac was fitted with a wiper on the drive wheel as standard so that dirt and debris were kept from interfering with the drive unit.
Corey said the 380 Rowtrac appealed because it had a 8.7 litre engine with FPT technology to provide fuel efficiency while maximising power, CVXDrive continuously variable transmission as standard, twin flow hydraulics, had 14 per cent torque rise and was comfortable to operate with semi-active cab suspension and optional suspended front axle.
It comes with a 617L CVXDrive fuel tank.
There are options available for track widths, including 18in, 21in, 24in and 30in.
So far Corey is happy with his decision - having used the Rowtrac during seeding, side-by-side with his Case IH Steiger.
