Arable farm Mesken from Appelscha is focusing on capacity with a Dezeure TransMax, so that significant growth can be achieved in five years. The high-loader, driven on three axles, with a technical loading capacity of thirty tons, must realize a capacity of a truck full of potatoes per hour during harvest time. “The high-loader is the link between the harvester and the transport.”
Investing in the future
The sturdy black-colored Dezeure is ready in René Mesken’s yard to take action in the short term for the harvesting of early ware potatoes. The arable farm in Appelscha currently has an area with two hundred hectares of potatoes, fifty hectares of onions and twenty hectares of maize. The ambition is to grow to a thousand hectares in five years. “That’s why we invest a lot in work equipment.”
The high-loaders from Dezeure have been on Mesken’s retina for quite some time. “Mainly because of the quality of the Dezeure HD Drive drive. In my view, no one can match that.” Last year, Mesken took the plunge and visited the Belgian manufacturer. Ultimately, the tour resulted in the purchase via the Dutch importer DNL Machines & Equipment. Last year a temporary machine was running at the company. Mesken praises the support from DNL during harvest time.
With twelve meters in length, four meters in height and three meters in width, the Dezeure TransMax has the maximum dimensions that are possible within the limits of the Road Traffic Act. The container capacity (water) is approximately 35 cubic meters and the high-loader has a weight of 18 tons. “Especially with a view to the future when many hectares are added. The approach is to fill a truck with two people every hour.”
Mesken also invested in trucks and a four-row Dewulf Kwatro harvester, making a capacity of five hundred hectares at harvest time realistic. “It all looks big, but the past has shown that what cannot be done today will be the standard in five years’ time. With this high-loader, we are approaching the limit of capacity in terms of road transport, it couldn’t be bigger.”
The three axles of the black-colored high-lift trailer, which derives its nickname Black Beast from this, are fully mechanically driven and have a hydraulically engaged and disengaged slip clutch. “This means that the potatoes should be able to leave the field even in the most difficult situations. Last year I drove without a drive. I am now sure that this high-loader will never give up.”
Multifunctional
The Dezeure van Mesken is equipped with a TurboCleaner set. This is an add-on module for cleaning the products during transfer. The potatoes will soon be rolled over thirteen polyurethane rolls. Soil is also sifted out in this way, ends up in a soil container and can go back onto the land. The TurboCleaner is standard equipped with automatic leveling. The cleaning set can be disconnected within twenty minutes so that the high-loader can also be used as a ‘tipper’ or transfer truck.
“Everything on the high-loader is fully digitally controlled. It has been made in such a way that a modem can be connected in consultation with the technician. If a sensor is broken, it can always be operated manually, so that you can always continue. That is necessary, because the high-loader becomes the pivot in the harvest story. When this machine stands still, everything stops.”
To limit possible overloading damage, the side panels can be folded down hydraulically, so that the fall height can be limited. The high-loader stands on six Alliance Flotation 331 tires of 710/50 R30.5. The machine is pulled by a New Holland T7 290 of approximately 300 hp. “It is in ‘Blue Power’ version. A beautiful picture.”
