Specially modified Dakota Turf Tender edges ahead in Denmark
Design modifications to a Dakota 440 Turf Tender have enabled Campey Turf Care Systems' Danish distributor, Hadvrup Maskinforretning, deliver an effective, dual-purpose machine to one of its local authority customers.
The Dakota 440 is a large capacity, highly versatile topdresser and material handler which spreads both wet and dry material with ease.
The distributor's sales representative, Jens Michael Peterson, explained how the modification came about: "One of our regular amenity customers mentioned that they were looking for a machine which was designed specifically for asphalt edging; filling in awkward areas between tarmac and the grass verge. He wanted to direct a mixture of gravel and clay (MOT stone) to a narrow and fairly precise area, as and when required. This was an area of enquiry which had come to our attention previously, but it wasn't until we attended a Campey Turf Care Systems open day and saw a demonstration of the Dakota, that we considered the possibility of a modification."
Further discussions with the customer followed and Campeys liaised directly with the manufacturer to discuss the necessary design adjustments. The result was an adaption of the standard Dakota 440 incorporating a front-mounted cross conveyor system which drops the material exactly where it's needed. A further modification ensures the material is graded with a box scraper before being compacted into place with the rearside wheel of the machine.
"Our customer is delighted with his custom-built machine. They have seen an increase in productivity over previous methods, and considerable cost savings," said Jens Michael. "Using a front mounted side conveyor introduces an additional function to the topdresser. It could still be used to apply sand and for topdressing sports pitches when required by fitting the dual spinners to the rear of the machine, and for asphalt edging at other times of the year. A dual-purpose machine will undoubtedly be something many local authority operators and contractors will be very interested in."
The Dakota 440 applies light to heavy dressings and with its dual spinner discharge system, has a spreading width of up to 13m. Its vehicle mounted control panel enables accurate, easy to operate calibration with no manual adjustment necessary. The machine can be loaded with a 1.8m wide tractor bucket and features four 20" Supa Trac turf tyres on independent floating beam axles and a front mounted side conveyor.
www.campeyturfcare.com