3 Tiger 6S and a Panther 2S - interview with contractor Etienne Marty
Contractor Etienne Marty has been harvesting sugar beet for many years. He always chooses the most up-to-date and efficient technology.
In order to meet the demands of his growing clientele, this year he started using a ROPA Panther 2S in addition to his three Tiger 6S.
He is particularly enthusiastic about the soil-friendly hydraulic chassis system, the RR harvester with automatic share depth adjustment and the new fleet management options thanks to ROPA R-Connect.
Keiler 2 with double UFK
The ROPA Keiler 2 in Beauce Félix RICHARD - ETA Prest'Agri
The contractor E. T. A Prest'Agri, run by Félix Richard together with his father Cyrill and his partner Baptiste, offers the complete range of services in the field of potato cultivation, from cultivation and harvesting to sales or storage in refrigerated warehouses.
The enterprise is located in the south of Paris, 20 km from ROPA France's subsidiary in Janville. They are processing from 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes of potatoes annually, of which about 50% are sold directly after being harvested and packed in Big Bags, while the other half is stored in one of their two refrigerated cold storages. The E. T. A offers other services such as harvesting of sugar beets, laying in swaths and harvesting of seed onions or grain trading.
The vehicle fleet consists of two ROPA Keiler 2, which are used on the territory of three departments of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Eure-et-Loire between Orléans, Chartres and Bourges. They can harvest approximately 20 ha/day with these machines
Felix contacted ROPA France because he appreciated its expertise. He chose two Keilers 2, with three employees working on each, for more versatility and flexibility. The first Keiler 2 Classic removes stones and large clods and takes in plenty of fine soil which is optimally under dry conditions.
"Even cleaner harvesting under difficult conditions"
The second Keiler 2, which is equipped with a double UFK, has a longer and more fluent cleaning circuit especially useful for large potatoes or on damp soils. Both separation devices contribute to productivity and time saving. "It allows us to remove many more small stones and clods, ensuring better sorting especially under difficult harvesting conditions. It's a significant time and money saver."
Based on his two-year experience with the ROPA Keiler 2, Felix points out a "perfect service". The service team responds quickly and the repairs can be made within a short time. He especially appreciates the "robustness and simplicity of the machine". It is easy to adjust and operate and the drivers can switch easily. The ROPA Keiler 2 is also convenient and flexible in operation, thus being very productive and time-saving.
You can also find Felix and ETA Agriprest on Loagri's YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGpcwyFrmGo
AGRI BEAUCE - Meet Philippe Imbeau and his ROPA Keiler 2
On September 15, ROPA France visited the contractors Charmilles and AgriBeauce.
The Agri Beauce Group started its first harvest campaign on about 400 hectares of potatoes with two ROPA Keiler 2 purchased by the Imbeau family. Both machines are equipped with the new double UFK separation system.
"An impressive sorting capacity"
Philippe Imbeau had studied the machine well before investing and he was not disappointed! Simplicity, robustness and conventional components are the benefits on which his decision was based. "But the impressive sorting capacity of the Keiler 2 and its double UFK separation system make all the difference", he explains.
Only one or two sorters are required!
The flow is optimised, fast and even, regardless of the speed of the machine. The two-finger separators optimise the separation of stones and clods and significantly reduce the number of sorters required on the machine. An outstanding time saving and productivity.
Only positive emotions
The drivers, Patrick and Alain, are also enthusiastic about the machine and happy about their experience with the ROPA Keiler 2. "Normally, the potato season lasts quite a long time, but here I like it", because the machine is reliable and "amazingly simple", and it is effective under all conditions, "even if used for different crops". A completely different experience and working comfort beyond comparison, especially thanks to the adjustments which can be made from the tractor cabin without having to constantly climb down to check everything.
Damien Maison, Phillippe Imbeau, M. Pinsard (farmer)
Alain - the driver of ROPA Keiler 2 at Agibeauce
Patrick - the driver of ROPA Keiler 2 at Agibeauce
Boar 2 with double lifter chain at POM'Services in Ham (80)
Pom'Services is a contracting company based in Pommier, northern France, which owns two ROPA Keilers 2. One of the potato harvesters is equipped with a double lifting chain, as well as a new digital video system.
Both Keilers travel over a large area from the north to the south of the Hauts de France region during the season to harvest potatoes, onions and beetroot.
The regions in Northern France are extremely wet, the double chain enables even better cleaning on difficult soils and thus more efficient haresting. It facilitates the work for sorters and drivers.
"The quality of work has been improved enormously".
The new digital terminals allow the driver a better view of the crop flow through the machine. The touch terminals are now 12 inches large, and the driver can zoom in to see the crop even better. Furthermore, it has up to seven different views to choose from, which can be displayed in portrait or landscape format. The brightness can be adjusted as well. In this way, the operator can quickly and easily monitor and adjust the settings of the machine.
"This equipment enables me, as the operator of the machine, to optimise the machine settings more easily during harvesting. The quality of work has been improved enormously. At the same time, ROPA offers outstanding customer service like no other," says the driver. He is noticeably proud to harvest on the high quality ROPA machines that make his daily work easier.
