Great Plains upgrades vertical tillage tool for no-till and rocky applications

Great Plains is bringing updates to its VT1500 Sub-Soiler vertical tillage tool, including features for no-till and rocky applications. 

The VT1500 is designed to reset the soil profile by breaking through soil compaction layers, and leaving behind uniform soil density, with little topsoil disturbance or residue burial.  

Durability and longevity enhancements

The Sub-Soiler has new high-protection trip pack auto-reset shanks, which trips at 2,000 pounds to reduce shear bolt breakage in rocky conditions. An option for auto-reset at 3,000 pounds of trip force is also offered, as well as a cheaper shear-bolt mount option for lighter soil conditions. 

All point and shin options are now manufactured from hardened chrome alloy to extend the life of points and reduce potential breakage. 

“We worked with a customer from the Texas Panhandle who grew irrigated corn and triticale in some pretty sandy conditions,” says Blake Bergkamp, sales agronomist for Great Plains. “After switching to the new chrome alloy points, this producer now has over 1,700 acres on the chrome alloy points and shins. As a comparison, he replaced one shank with a standard shank, and it wore out after 400 acres. In this case, these new points and shins had over four times the wear life.”

Large 20-inch utility coulters help cut residue directly in front of the shanks, allowing it to pass by without catching on to the shanks. Optional berm conditioners are designed to firm the soil after the density layers are reset by the shanks.

• READ MORE: McFarlane Ag introduces soil finisher with new vertical sweep blade

Shank customization options

The tillage tool can be customized for different operational needs. It is offered in rigid and folding configurations, as well as with multiple shank spacing options, styles, mounts, and points. The VT1500 can have three to nine shanks, with spacing offered at 24, 30, 36, 38, or 40-inch options. The VT1510 can have six to 12 shanks. The tillage tool requires 50 engine horsepower per shank. 

Customers can choose a 1.25-inch straight-legged shank with optional fins, or a .75-inch no-till shank. The no-till shanks are available with 10-inch points for 30-inch and higher spacing, or with new 4-inch points for 24-inch spacing. The narrower points allow the VT1500 to operate at shallower depths, between 10 and 12 inches, with less horsepower. 

For more information about the Great Plains VT1500 Sub-Soiler, visit GreatPlainsAg.com.