LOUISVILLE, KY -- Three tools in one. That is how Case IH is promoting its latest mulch-till rippers at the National Farm Machinery Show. The one-pass tool was initially introduced last fall, and has drawn a lot of interest. The new five shank and seven shank MRX690 mulch-till rippers from Case IH break up compaction, manage residue and prepare a level field finish in one pass.
“The MRX690 uses a disk-ripper-disk configuration to help our customers get the most out of every pass,” says Kent Senf, Case IH marketing manager for tillage products. “We use a unique combination of shallow-concavity 24-inch diameter disk blades in the front, full-concavity 24-inch blades in the rear, and proven parabolic shanks with patented tiger points in the center. This combination creates a healthier soil profile and leaves the surface evenly mulched, ready for spring cultivation.”
The MRX690 is available in two operating widths: 12-feet 6-inches with five shanks and 17-feet 6-inches with seven shanks. It features a massive 6-by-8-inch mainframe designed for long life in the toughest soil and residue conditions. The MRX690 requires 10 to 20 drawbar horsepower-per-foot of operating width. Standard equipment includes transport lights, transport locks, and a hitch pull frame designed to prevent rear dual or triple tractor tire interference during tight turns.
Managing residue issues
The shallow-concavity, 24-inch diameter, Earth Metal front disk blades offer superior residue cutting and soil penetration, helping improve residue flow and distribution. In addition, the front disk gangs of the MRX690 are set at an 18-degree angle to provide uniform mixing of residue. This improves organic matter content in the soil and prevents erosion through improved soil porosity and drainage.
“This exclusive design reduces residue streaking, leading to faster, more uniform soil drying and warming in the spring,” notes Senf. “In addition to increasing residue flow through the implement, the shallow-concavity design of the front disk blades allows for greater operating speeds without throwing soil beyond the machine – up to 2 miles per hour faster than similar designs.“
Improving soil tilth
The MRX690 also features proven parabolic shank assemblies with 2-inch straight points or patented 5- or 7-inch tiger® points.
“Not only do the shank assemblies aggressively incorporate residue, but when equipped with the exclusive 7-inch tiger point, they also can fracture up to 60 percent of the compaction zone,” says Senf. “This improves the soil tilth and thereby soil-air-water balance needed for maximum yields.”
Optimizing seedbed conditions
“The MRX690 mulch-till rippers use full-concavity 24-inch diameter disk blades in combination with two 22-inch diameter outside feathering blades at the rear of the machine to create a level field finish in a single pass,” notes Senf. “This design uniformly mulches residue and sizes clods. This helps the customer’s spring seedbed preparation tool to do a better job preparing the ideal seedbed.”
Preset at a 16-degree angle, the rear disk gang is perfectly matched to the 18-degree front disk gang angle for optimum residue incorporation and a greater operational window. The result is a smooth, evenly mulched field finish for spring cultivation.
“Both front and rear gangs use the proven Case IH cushion gang design where each gang is attached to the frame with a spring-cushion gang hanger,” explains Senf.
“The ‘C’-shaped cushion gang hangers allow the disk blades to ride over rocks while being strong enough to penetrate tough soil conditions.”
The operating depth of both gangs can be set independent of each other and independent of the shanks to match field conditions.
