A Panhandle cold front/thunderstorm blew through the area Tuesday. I was plowing when a gust front came through. It was dark, nearly sunset and very cloudy. Blowing dust further reduced visibility. I'd estimate the wind at 60-70mph.

The Zimmatic center pivot is supposed to withstand winds up to 90mph. I think they need to revise their estimate downward. The pivot slid about 5 feet downwind, bowed in the middle (because the end tower also got drug inward about 4 feet, and finally tipped on its back. As it tipped back, it slid an additional 5-10 feet. (All estimated from the drag marks in the dirt.)

I didn't see it go over, just plowed up to it a few minutes after it happened. It might have survived if it had been parked at a different angle. As it was, it was at 90 degrees to the wind.

Ouch, sorry to see that. Yeah that wind pushed through pretty hard.

The landlord's insurance will take care of it, but it is still going to be a PITA.

Lucky it's a Linsay and not a Valmont. Valmont sold all their production overseas, so no parts or new systems for months unless in dealer stock.

A brand new zimmatic will look real good next year if they had insurance. We had some green snap in the corn up here. Raining right now.

canyonag, what crops to you raise, if you don't mind me asking?

Is that your Case in the background?

This farm has two Zimmatics two very old Rienkes and a new Valley. In 14 years I've had two pivots blow over...both Zimmatics. I think I discern a pattern.

I'd love for them to replace it with a Valley.

Power.b: Wheat, corn , sorghum, though my corn silage buyer (dairy) moved out of town, so no corn this year. This pivot was being prepped for some late sorghum...will still go in, I'll just have to work around construction.

I also lease out some grazing, I'm a crops guy not a cattle guy, but I've got a good partnership with a cattle guy...

...and that's his Case 4690 4WD tractor in the background. He and I swapped tractors for a little while, he needed a row crop tractor and I loaned him my 4960 John Deere. Obviously, neither of us are using the latest and greatest that Waterloo makes...who can afford it?

For the photography nuts out there, the photo was taken with a Canon Digital Rebel XT with the 75-300 zoom on. The Case is a little over a half mile (probably about 1,000 yards) from the camera.

The zoom is also why the terrain looks so rolling. It does have some relief, but not that much.

If you get another Zimmatic get the bigger tires. Zimmatics have better center drives, motors and gear boxes in my experience on our farm right now. The taller tires are outstanding compared to the smaller ones.

It's the landlord's choice, though when they put the Valley in, they went for bigger tires.

I've always seen Valley as the Cadillac of pivots, not real impressed with Zimms. Unfortunately, I don't get to run the Valley right now to compare.

My father farms on the South Plains and has encountered many of those storms - once he had to stop in the middle of the field because a wall cloud came through and he couldn't see the ground from the tractor. Anyway, he has all Valley sprinklers - even a towable one and has never had one turn over due to wind. (knock on wood) He has personally replaced all other brands with Valley because of the way they hold up and such. We drive green and irrigate wtih Valley...what can I say.

I love valleys but the zimmatics are just cheaper up here right now. We have a new valley 1/2 mile sprinkler that I like. All of our old valleys just have gearbox/centerdrive problems. They are both excellent choices compared to t&l/reinke/lockwood/gifford hill.