FARGO, N.D. – At first glance, the colourful cutaway hub looks like an engineer got carried away.
However, it makes sense once it’s seen as a coulter hub for a 36-foot double offset disc harrow that runs eight mph.
The cutaway was part of a display at the Big Iron Show in Fargo by Gaber Distributors of Roblin, Man. Gaber spokesperson Dwayne Bulizuik said the new Tatu double offset disk harrow, named the 7009T DODH-F, has the elaborate hub because the implement is engineered to run at high ground speeds.
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“It’s made for really tough residue situations, whether you have corn, sunflower or heavy straw.”
Bulizuik said Tatu uses tapered bearings in an oil bath because they have such a low failure rate compared to greaseable bearings. Daily maintenance is next to nothing and replacement is rare, he said.
“The bearings let you run at high speed in the field with an absolute minimum of maintenance. That means you have a lower cost per acre.”
Tatu representative Vancley Magalhaes said farmers in Brazil, where the implements are built, often face tough residue situations because of their fertile soil and favourable growing conditions. Consequently, Tatu started installing oil bath tapered bearings in its discers in 1984.
Magalhaes said two main considerations went into the latest Tatu hub design:
- The need to support loads in the radial and axial direction, which is only possible with tapered roller bearings because they can absorb mechanical loads in two directions.
- The need to prevent foreign material from entering the bearing surface. The unique Tatu Duo-Cone seals use two O rings in conjunction with two steel rings.
“The main advantage of oil bath is the whole surface of every bearing is always running in liquid lubricant,” Magalhaes said.
“There’s never a dry part that doesn’t have lubricating oil surrounding it. It keeps all the parts in full lubrication all the time. No dry spots.
“It’s very low maintenance. You check the oil levels every couple weeks or maybe once a month. That’s very simple compared to some of the greaseable bearing that need to be serviced every day.”
Megalhaes said operators who fail to follow recommended schedules on greaseable bearings already know what happens when the grease hardens and bearings go dry.
He said oil stays in the Tatu hub because each side has a Duo Cone Seal. Each seal has two O rings and two metal rings. In addition, a heat-treated rock shield protects the entire unit.
Magalhaes said the oil bath bearings do last longer.
“We’ve sold from 200 to 400 machines in California in the last 10 years. The only maintenance anyone reports is they have to add some oil when the level drops down. We’ve had no failures with those machines, and they farm 12 months of the year down there.”
Bulizuik said prices on replacement bearings depend on hub size, but are $75 to $185 at the dealership in Roblin.
Axles on the 7009T DODH-F are 1½ inch heat-treated steel. There is a wide selection of boron steel coulters, along with cast iron spacer spools for extra support to reduce disc failure. Suggested retail price on the 36 foot Tatu implement is $75,000.
Bulizuik said Gaber can provide retrofit kits to put the Tatu hubs on Sunflower, Landall and other disc machines. The smallest size Tatu retrofit hub sells for $500 per unit, including bearings and seals. The heaviest Tatu hub kit sells for $1,800 per run.
The hub most commonly sold in Western Canada lists for $650.
For more information, phone Dwayne Bulizuik at 204-937-8070 or visit www.marchesan.com.br.
