Wouldn’t it be nice if every field was a perfectly square quarter section with no obstacles to worry about? Well it would also be nice if money grew on trees, but unfortunately neither of these scenarios is reality.
However, what if there was a way for you to both overcome obstacles in your field, as well as save some money with your mechanized irrigation machine? For any operation, that’s almost as good as money growing on trees. This was the driving force behind the development of the Valley line of Bender machine options, allowing the grower to maximize irrigated acres without breaking the bank.
Trees, grain storage, or even a building can take your field from a full circle down to a part-circle pivot in a heartbeat. These obstacles never seem to be consistently located, creating new irrigation challenges for every field. Losing out on additional acres is the last thing any grower wants to do, but the Valley Bender30 and Bender160 options can get you over (or around) your field’s hurdles.
Bender30
For obstacles that don’t require a significant bend in your Valley center pivot (like in the picture above), the Bender30 is a fast and easy solution that allows the machine to bend 30 degrees past center in either direction. With no structural changes required, the Bender30 is also compatible with PolySpan® and all span pipe sizes. Triggered by a barricade-style stop on the last regular drive unit, the bending span(s) will automatically continue to wrap around whatever obstruction is in the way. Once the bend is completed, the bending span reverses until it is realigned with the machine to then irrigate in the opposite direction.
Bender160
Sharp angles and large rows of trees are a job for the Bender160. With the ability to bend up to 160 degrees past center in either direction, this solution is an economical approach for irrigating large portions of your crop that are severely blocked by obstacles from the ideal pivot point location. Compatible with all span lengths and profile options, the Bender160 can be tailored to your field’s exact needs. Similarly, the Bender160 allows for automatic bending and auto reversing, but what if your field has a need for both minor and severe angles to achieve your irrigation goals?
Combinations
Both solutions have numerous capabilities by themselves; however, by combining multiple Bender160s or Bender 30s on one machine, you can unlock the true potential of these systems. Setting up multiple bends can maximize almost any field’s irrigated acres. Let’s take a look this photo:
Using a Bender30 off the first span and a Bender160 after the second, this grower was able to reach areas that would originally take multiple pivots to achieve the same outcome. By avoiding multiple barricades, the entire machine can essentially wrap around this farmstead – with no human involvement – to provide uniform irrigation to the entire crop. With endless combinations, both of these solutions can expand your machine’s irrigation capabilities regardless of what is in the way.
If you would like to learn more about the Valley Bender30 and Bender160 products, check out the Valley Bender30 and Bender160 Overview course on irrigation.education!
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