Developed to pass all tests

TO LEARN why farmers trust subsoilers and how they’ve evolved, we sat down with Rohan Cunningham, Delmade’s managing director and the driving force behind the machine’s development.

“A subsoiler is a deep tillage tool designed to break up the hard pan under the soil,” Rohan explained. 

“Unlike a chisel plough, it doesn’t lift or mix the soil. Our 15 degree tine angle is enough to disturb and shatter the pan without inverting the soil.”

Farmers use subsoilers in various ways.

Crop farmers might subsoil between rotations to break up compaction left by machinery or weather.

 For graziers, pasture subsoiling can often be a biannual or five-year cycle and allows the water to get away, rather than pooling above the subsoil, and therefore increasing the period the pasture is available for grazing.

Delmade began building its own subsoiler in the late ’80s after repairing many frames from other brands.

“We thought, ‘Can we do this better?’” Rohan said. 

The result was their twin-spring design that keeps the tine stable under pressure which reduces flex in the shank when facing the pressure of pulling through tightly compacted soil. 

“We also pin our points on, which means you don’t lose points in the field, which was a significant problem with other brands.”

As feedback from the field rolled in, Delmade continued to refine its design. 

“Originally the subsoiler was manufactured with a clamped tine assembly onto a 100x100x6mm steel frame and we discovered that in some cases if the tine assemblies worked loose, the frame couldn’t absorb the shock, causing frame cracks. 

“Initially we moved to a 9mm then 10mm frame thickness, but we were still seeing occasional issues. 

This led to discussions with customers to find out if anyone changed their tine spacings, we discovered there were very few owners adjusting them. 

“So from here we moved to a 9mm frame with a welded jumper section, which has completely rectified the issue. 

“Although if a customer is particularly partial to the bolt on set up or requires flexibility in the tine spacings, we can still offer this as an option.”

For Delmade, the Subsoiler is a perfect example of its motto: “Proven by Time, Refined by Experience”. Built with customer feedback and tested in real world conditions.

Delmade – 1800 335 623 – www.delmade.com.au