Cross Engineering in Rathangan, Co Kildare held their beet demonstration day on Sunday 8 October. A lot of Cross cultivation products were demonstrated including sub-soilers, trailed furrow-presses and rollers. Beet harvesting, washing and chopping equipment was also demonstrated to the sizeable crowd in attendance. Conditions on the day for beet harvesting were ideal with all beet pulled very clean in the heap.

The most recent update to the Cross range is to their twin-row beet harvester, the Beaver HD Super. The controls on this machine have been upgraded from cable to electric over hydraulic, meaning there is no longer cumbersome cables running into the cab but a single electric cable. A joystick controls all major functions on the machine. Speaking to Jason Cross, this has a number of advantages.

“The joystick can be placed on either the left- or right-hand side in the cab depending on operator preference. The joystick is more comfortable to use and takes a lot less work than the individual levers previously fitted.

“There is also steering-override fitted which steers the machine from the drawbar. In the case where the machine detects the machine is just pulling one drill of beet this can be over ridden and the machine can be controlled manually.”

Optional free-flow return is another option available on the harvester. The biggest advantage of fitting this, according to Jason, is to get the beet tank to drop quicker after emptying a load into a trailer. All hydraulic rams on this machine are powered from the tractors hydraulics while the turbines are PTO driven.

Cross engineering have sold three harvesters to the UK, New Zealand and Canada. The twin row machine is retailing for €75,000 + VAT and €65,000 + VAT for a single row machine.