Salford-Valmar Airflo: Klein Farms Approved
Salford-Valmar’s Airflo pull-type spreaders have been very popular with sod farmers for years, but one Keota, Iowa operation has found the Airflo 8608 (today’s 8708) to be a staple on their corn and soybean acres. Since Klein Farms put the machine to work on fall rye and spring urea, they have never looked back.
Klein Farms purchased their Airflo 8608 in the fall of 2017; their machine was one of Salford-Valmar’s last “test mules” before launching into full production. It was so unique right off the line, that there were some new features (including hydraulically folded wing tips and accumulator- cushioned booms), that we couldn’t promote or talk about for a few months until Salford officially released them. Just a few months after Klein’s purchase, this model was renamed to 8708. Today, the 8000 series Airflo is available in four different models: the 8608, 8708, 8611, and 8711.
In recent years, Klein Farm’s focus has been to improve their sustainability and overall efficiency; the addition of the Airflo has been valuable in achieving these goals. Since they use RTK accuracy steering guidance in the planter and combine, they can also use this technology with the Airflo for spreading rye in the fall and sidedressing urea in the spring. The stainless drop tubes on the 60’ boom cover 25, 30” rows, with the outside drops only applying a half rate of product. This ensures the ability to follow the 24-row planter without doubling up seed or fertilizer.
Thus far, they have followed rye application with a Turbo-Till to enhance the cover crop stand. However, one concept they may try in the future is banding the cover crops in between rows. With this method, they can plant into the rye, regardless of when it is killed.
We asked Brandon Berg of Klein Farms, the primary operator of the Airflo, what his favorite features are. “Ultimately, the Airflo lets us cover more acres in less time. This is especially helpful in the spring when the window for fieldwork is tight,” he stated. Brandon estimates they can complete 50-60 acres per hour, going 9.5-10 mph. Even though they typically apply fall manure prior to spreading rye, it is still a smooth ride following manure injection. Brandon also noted the spreader is very user-friendly and low maintenance. When maintenance work is required, the Airflo’s design makes for simple service access.
Click here to see the Airflo in action! For more customization questions, give Derek Bontrager a shout: 319.430.3813.
