Customer Portrait Martin Merker, Dumte (North Rhine-Westphalia)
In Dumte, near Steinfurt (Germany), the farm of Martin Merker is lies amidst the hills. Martin has used a Farmax Rapide since 2017, specifically adjusted to suit his needs.
It started small
Martin Merker is a farmer who mainly cultivates maize and wheat. His father founded the farm in the 40s with 7 hectares of land. In those days, the company activities consisted of livestock farming and arable farming. In 2008, Martin expanded the farm to 45 hectares. After this acquisition, Merker took the opportunity to expand to 100 hectares of owned land in 2019. Martin Merker is a motivated person who, through hard work and a passion for his profession, managed to grow his company to what it is today.
Always looking for new opportunities
Martin Merker has always been interested in agricultural technology and exploring new possibilities. Merker: ‘We used a spading machine before, in 2013, but that one did not meet my demands. I did want to try a different method of soil preparation, however’. This is why Merker contacted Farmax in 2017 for some exploratory conversations. Merker: ‘Farmax listens to the customer and the contact between me and Farmax was direct. I got the machine I wanted’.
The final choice was for a Farmax Rapide with milling cutter and Kerner roller. The choice for a milling cutter in combination with a Kerner roller has to do with the mid-heavy soils in the area.
Designed to meet the customer’s demands
‘Because Farmax contributed their expertise to the demands I had, we eventually reached a spading machine that fully met my expectations’ Merker says. As a specific customer demand, Farmax equipped the spading machine with special handles in order to improve its user-friendliness. In addition, the machine was equipped with a Kennfixx home, designed to prevent smearing and damage to the hydraulic tubes.
Moreover, a Cat 4 hook system was applied during manufacturing. In the end, the choice was made for a Kerner roller. This choice was made because of the type of soil Merker has. This roller offers the right amount of pressure, meaning it will not fill up in case of heavy soils.
He also chose for a somewhat overlapping roller, so the soil is 100% evened out. Merker; ‘So far, I have happily worked with my Farmax spading machine. In wetter circumstances, the soil is easier to prepare using a spading machine compared to a plough. Moreover, I am extremely happy I can perform all work in a single operation with a Farmax spading machine.’
Download the free magazine of Farmax spaders and seeders
In this magazine, we will explain the spading method of soil preparation and state its advantages in comparison with ploughing. There will also be a brief explanation of all types of spaders and several customers share their experience with our spaders.
