- Sugar beet harvester manufacturer Vervaet has introduced a rollerbed option for the popular Q-616
- Following the launch of a rollerbed primary-cleaning option for the six-wheel Beet Eater 625 for last year’s beet campaign, its availability for the four-wheel Q-616 further widens the appeal
The first rollerbed-equipped Q-616 has already been sold in the by UK importers J Riley Beet Harvesters (UK) Ltd to Wroxham Home Farms in Norfolk where it replaces a harvester from another manufacturer for this campaign.
The new rollerbed replaces the Q-616’s two front turbines. Not intended as a replacement for the highly successful turbine-only setup, it offers another option for potential customers already operating a rollerbed harvester in suitable soils and conditions. Vervaet’s unique rotating walking shares, which excel in the toughest of conditions, lift the beet onto the rollerbed which boasts seven fullwidth 100mm diameter rollers. For maximum cleaning the roots are taken outwards before being gathered back to the centre of the table. Roller speed is variable from the cab, with the seventh roller operated independently.
Unlike all other rollerbed-type harvesters on the market, which use an elevator trace to transport the crop between the front wheels, the Vervaet design utilises a central cleaning turbine, eliminating a potential problem area and continuing the positive cleaning action. The full range of Vervaet harvesters boast an industry-leading level of cleaning capacity, and when fitted with a rollerbed the Q-616 still incorporates four well-utilised turbines. But where maximum cleaning isn’t required, the turbines can be slowed down and fitted with rail gates for gentle beet handling, making a Vervaet the most versatile rollerbed machine on the market.
The highly-manoeuvrable Q-616 remains the most-popular sugar beet harvester on the British market, outselling the sum of its competitors. Its high capacity makes it attractive to contractors and farmers alike, and with an 18-tonne tank it’s an ideal match for a 20-tonne trailer.
“The addition of the rollerbed option for the Q-616 means that we can now offer a size and type of machine for every scenario and soil type,” explains Matt Carse, sales manager at J Riley Beet Harvesters (UK) Ltd. “I’ve seen many rollerbed machines in the past, but the Vervaet is unique, because we use a turbine rather than a transfer web it’s removed what was typically a rollerbed’s Achilles heel. As a company, we are very proud that Rileys hold by far the bulk of the British self-propelled sugar beet harvester market, and with Vervaet’s
recent developments plus the option of refurbished machines we can offer the right machine to any UK farmer or contractor, giving us the perfect opportunity to grow our market share even further. We will have a Vervaet Q-616 with a rollerbed available for demonstrations later in this season.”