The latest product to come to market in the ScanStone range is the lightweight and nimble ScanStone Panther Onion and Bulb Harvester, equipped with a specially designed front lifting unit.
The configuration comprises of an onion lifting unit at the front end, complete with a square bar and paddles for gently conveying the crop into the machine. The USP of the ScanStone Panther is the individual hydraulic control of each of the lifting unit’s functions; independently controlled square bar; independently controlled intake web and independently controlled flappy paddle. The square bar is driven with a sturdy belt, meaning that in dusty conditions there is no abrasive effects with an oil and greasy chain mixing with dust, sand or earth. The belt allows the square bar to drive at the optimum height without having a hydraulic motor too close to the ground. Manual depth wheels carry the lifting unit to a set height.
The crop is then conveyed to a longer main web. This web has a rocker agitator to help separate any last bits of soil or root balls. This long web then passes onto another mechanically driven web before going onto the hydraulically controlled transfer web and then into the cart elevator. The new cart elevator from ScanStone comes with higher and stronger active fingers on the sides to keep all the crop safely inside the elevator before it reaches the trailer.
A self-centring lane adjuster ram is at the operator’s finger tips on a joystick control. This ensures the crop is always loading exactly into the middle of the lifting unit without missing anything at either side. Once the joystick is released, the machine will automatically recentre itself for smooth continuous harvesting. This feature can be switched on or off from the comfort of the cab.
The robust turret style steering system is fully controlled from a proportional joystick on the control box, this allows precise steering control if the machine is being controlled manually.
The steering gear on the Panther machine, like all ScanStone trailed machines, comes GPS ready.
The turret system has eight stud axles, which are simply adjusted to various track widths.
The Panther is fitted with the usual ScanStone premium features such as LED road lights, working lights and centralised grease banks for bearings as part of the standard equipment.
The colour screen control box features an auto levelling system, full headland management system and simple joystick controls.
To find out more about this product visit the company’s website or speak to one of its five depots; Forfar, Brigg, Lakenheath, Kilkeel (Northern Ireland) or Chepy, Northern France.
ScanStone is constantly building a stock portfolio in all the depots to make sure the correct parts are on the shelves for both the long-established and new customers in the respective areas.