Jason Meyer had an old Gifford Hill pivot that was giving him trouble on his farm near Schuyler, Nebraska, last spring. “It had leaky gaskets, problems with the gearbox and a bad panel,” he says.
He called Rod Dirkschneider of Vavrina, Inc., his local Valley® dealer, and scheduled conversions for the parts that weren’t performing well. “The conversions made it like a new pivot,” Meyer says. “It was a Gifford Hill, but it’s pretty much a Valley now.”
Vavrina, Inc., is a Valley dealer located just outside of Clarkson, NE. In an area where irrigated acres are maxed out, they convert numerous old pivots to reliable new Valley technology.
Meyer farms 300 acres of seed corn, and works as a salesman during the day. “I don’t have time to do (a conversion) on my own,” he says. “I wish I did, but it’s great to have local, knowledgeable people I can call for service or when I have a question.”
Meyer lives nine miles away from his fields, so remote irrigation management is also key to helping him do more with his limited time. He says Vavrina helped him install AgSense®, a smart irrigation solution from Valley, on both of his pivots. “Vavrina made everything very easy and timely.”
“Like a New Pivot”
Vavrina has been in business since 1976, and is located along Highway 91 going into Clarkson, Nebraska.
Another way Meyer’s sprinkler conversion helped is with increased water efficiency. Low pressure sprinkler technology allows you to effectively operate sprinklers at 10-20 PSI, lowering your overall energy bill. Along with commodity prices, Dirkschneider says water usage is a continuing challenge for growers in the area. “Irrigated acres had been maxed out,” he says. “Now with the NRD making flow meters mandatory to install, they can monitor the usage and have allowed extra acres to be irrigated.”
One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve an old irrigation machine's performance is with a conversion to install an efficient, low-pressure sprinkler package.
Pivot Troubleshooting
Wear and tear happens to even the most durable irrigation machines. Valley dealers recognize that having replacement parts ready for installation by trained technicians is an important part of what makes Valley center pivots and linears your best value. Conversion packages are available for almost any brand, whether currently manufactured or not.
Meyer would recommend a conversion to growers who were in his position, because it’s more cost-effective than replacing the entire irrigation machine. Although last year was rainy and he didn’t have occasion to use his pivots much, he says, “I’m pleased with it. Now it does what it’s supposed to.”
There are various types of conversions, each with their own benefits to grower efficiency:
To extend the life of your center pivot, schedule a conversion with your local Valley dealer today!