SOME PRETTY hefty spreading machines will be new on the market from Dutch manufacturer, Vredo, for the 2017 spreading season.

Its main machine is a successor to the Vredo VT5518 which had up to 550hp available, but the new generation VT7028s gets 687hp, combined with an in-house CVT transmission.

A double-axle version with air suspension and disc brakes all around, can come with a slurry tank of 21m3 or a Tebbe spreader of 25-tonne capacity; while a triple-axle model has a 32m3 slurry tank or a Tebbe spreader capable of handling 35-tonnes.

Apart from the axles, both are identical and can have crab steering. For slurry application, a three-point hitch can be automatically controlled at the rear.

Vredo reckoned that the tanker model can spread up to 200 m3 per hour and plans to build 10 of these big machines for 2017.

Its well-known four-wheel-drive, self-propelled Slurry Trac also gets more power and a lower fuel consumption thanks to a switch to a 12-litre, six cylinder Scania Tier4 Final motor rated at 450hp. This has 14% more torque at 18% lower rpm than the previous model.

It also has a new Danfoss electronic controlled drive hydraulic system, with cruise control and load sensing equipment. Weight distribution has been optimised by placing the cab and the fuel tanks further forward and, with the slurry injector in the lift position, weight distribution is 50-50% between the two axles.

The latest VT4556 also gets a Claas Vista cabin, with touchscreen control for most functionalities.

It has also introduced NIR sensor technology on the slurry system and during loading or spreading of the slurry N, P and K can be analysed on the go. This allows operators to spread the right amount of nutrients no matter the total amount spread per acre. Dosage will be registered using a GPS-system with a SD-memory card.