Built at K-Line Ag's original plant in Cowra, NSW, and designed for minimal soil disturbance, the highly anticipated UltraRipper™ is expected to be a game changer for large broadacre farming operations, digging down to shatter deeper compacted layers and prevent yield loss of up to 40%.
Available in 12.5-metre and 6.5-metre configurations, the UltraRipper™ range works to depths of up to 750mm, allowing growers to break through hardpan layers and improve root access to moisture and nutrients without disturbing soil horizons.
Wade Smith, K-Line Ag Product and Portfolio Manager for Crop Production Australia and New Zealand, said soil compaction had become a growing challenge as machinery size and weight continued to increase.
“The UltraRipper™ has been designed around a non-inversion tillage system that lifts and fractures compacted layers while maintaining topsoil integrity,” he said.
“We lift and shatter the hardpan, but we don't mix the soil horizons. The good topsoil stays on top where the seed needs it most.”
Wade said the UltraRipper™ helps create a more favourable growing environment by alleviating deep soil compaction and encouraging stronger root development.
“By breaking through those deep compaction layers, we're giving crop roots the freedom to explore more soil, access more moisture and nutrients, and ultimately deliver better yield potential.”
The flagship 12.5-metre UltraRipper™ is the largest and deepest ripper K-Line Ag has produced, developed to meet the needs of large-scale broadacre operations.
“Traditionally, we saw soil compaction sitting at about 300 to 350mm, and now it can be down to 600mm, which makes the 750mm working depth of the UltraRipper™ range critical for increasing yield per hectare,” Wade said.
In-field trials for the UltraRipper™ took place in Mount Hope earlier this year behind a Case IH Steiger Quadtrac 785 with great results.
“It ran for two weeks over hundreds of acres, tackling some deep hardpans in the toughest conditions,” he said.
Specifications
- The 3612P is compatible with tractors above 600hp, while the 3660T is compatible with tractors above 400hp. Non-inversion shanks require half the horsepower requirement of inversion-style shanks.
- Both UltraRippers are equipped with a sturdy 200 × 200 × 12.5mm toolbar and a 400 × 400 × 16mm main pull, built to work in tough Australian conditions.
- The 3612P features a 12.5m working width, while the 3660T has a 6.5m working width.
- The UltraRippers feature 500mm shank spacing, giving the 3612P 25 shanks across its 12.5-metre operating width, with their narrow profile minimising unnecessary soil surface disturbance.
“It's built on the DNA of Paxton Plow Co, drawing on its ethos of strength, simplicity and reliability. CNH acquired the Paxton Plow Co brand in 2019, and we've been extending that legacy across the K-Line Ag ripper range ever since. The UltraRipper™ is the latest step in that development,” Wade said.
The K-Line Ag UltraRipper™ is proudly Australian designed and manufactured. The range is heading to dealerships across Australia in the next few months, ready for the post-harvest season.
