The Drago Stalk Chopper
Drago offers more residue management options than any other cornhead. The choice is yours.
Olimac was the first to successfully introduce a harvesting/chopper unit in 1964. It was the best then, and with the years of experience and improvements, it is the best now.
Today, tougher Bt stalks add to your corn-on-corn management residue problems. So why not chop as you harvest to manage residue, saving fuel and labor costs? And you don’t have to worry about compromising yields because unlike chopper/corn heads, The Drago Hi-Tech Corn Harvesting System with Automatic Self-Adjusting Deck Plates was designed to harvest first, size residue second.
Plus Drago gives you more options:
- Drago chopper unit can come factory installed or easily added later (Operator or dealer)
- Chopper gear box is component: Requires only 4 bolts to remove or add. (Approx 15 minutes per row)
- Drago chopper gear box bolts directly to main gear box for shorter power train
- Designed to give the most chopping capability with least effect on horsepower (10-14% less) over all competitors
- Chopper does not destroy stalks like some competitors but offers sizing options to match your residue management goals
- Horizontal blade positioned so ear is removed precisely as chopping starts. This reduces whipping, trash, ear bounce, butt shelling and yield loss. Most competitive units, choppers engage before ear is removed increasing yield loss.
- Tungsten carbide knifes are self-sharpening and reversible
- Gearbox and horizontal knife are parallel with ground, not knife rollers, so chopper knife better protected from field objects.
- Drago offers different residue sizing options with the Knife-to-Knife Rollers, the Basic Chopper, the Turbo-Chop Shield and the Chopper with Stationary
Benefits: The Drago chopper cuts stalks, not yields. Its simple design gives the operator options to add or remove unit. Drago reduces shelling loss, required horsepower, labor and fuel costs. Chopper blades should last 700 – 800 acres per side, 1,400 – 1,600 acres total. (8 row head) Blade can be reversed by operator in approx 2 minutes.
Maintenance
- Gear box requires special Mobil EP-O Grease (Order from dealer) filling at beginning of season. Check dipstick on each row weekly
- To add or remove chopping unit requires removal of 4 bolts. (Approx 15 minutes per row)
- Blades should to checked daily and reversed or changed as needed
Parts: Normally carried by dealer. Always carried by Dragotec USA.
Options
The Knife-to-Knife Rollers meet the needs of most no-till or minimum-till producers not interested in a full chopper option. The knife-to-knife design leaves the stalk crimped every 3-4”s to facilitate decomposition.
The Basic Chopper is the highest seller of the chopping options. The basic chopper leaves 4-6” frayed stubble for faster and more complete decomposition. The frayed ends on the stubble are easier on tires. The Basic Chopper sizes the residue much more aggressively than the knife rollers which meet the demands and needs of the majority of conservation tillage producers.
The Basic Chopper with Stationary knives are an option for tougher corn stalks and producers wanting a little more residue sizing than the Basic Chopper. Easily installed and long lasting.
The Basic Chopper with Turbo-Chop Shield does the most complete job of sizing stalks for exceptional residue management. The Turbo-Chop Shield uses a combination of the Stationary Knife and a half-moon shield for maximum chopping effect. Requires slightly more installation time and horsepower.
Drago offers more residue management options than any other cornhead. The choice is yours.
