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The most common questions and answers about the Vormair TG-650 frost-protection heat generator.
The Vormair TG-650 works as the heat source for the frost-protection wind machine, generating warmth that replaces the orchard's nighttime heat loss. Throughout the season the machine stays in one fixed spot beside the wind machine and works from there, in place — there is no need to move it around with a tractor at night. The key to its protection is that heat generation and the wind machine's air movement work together, reinforcing one another — so the various defence methods complement each other within a single system. Compared with traditional orchard heating, this is safer and more controlled: combustion takes place in an enclosed, regulated chamber, so the heat is directed precisely between the rows — and unlike open bonfires, it does not endanger the living trees, the hail net or the support system.
The TG-650 avoids the drawbacks of older solutions. Unlike the open, uncontrolled flames of bonfires, it heats in a regulated and safe way, so the surrounding trees, the support system and the hail net are never put at risk. Instead of the labour-intensive handling of many small stoves or towed heaters, it can be made ready for operation easily and runs automatically. Its running cost is far lower than that of diesel- or gas-fired boilers — per unit of heat, wood pellet costs roughly half as much as diesel and almost a third as much as bottled propane — and its operation is more environmentally friendly too.
For an average frost-protection wind machine it is worth providing around 1200 kW of heat output, so we typically recommend two 650 kW TG-650 heat generators per wind machine. This delivers the balanced heat supply with which the wind machine works most efficiently. The exact requirement naturally depends on the orchard's conditions, so we always provide a quote based on an individual assessment.
The TG-650 is a fixed-installation unit that is nonetheless easy to relocate: its steel frame can be lifted with a garden tractor's three-point linkage, so it is easy to position wherever needed. The linkage is only for placing and relocating the unit — installation, storage, or moving it to another block — not for continuous movement: during the season the machine stays in one fixed spot beside the wind machine, and there is no need to drive it around the orchard at night. No concrete base is required for installation — the levelling feet even out any unevenness in the ground, while the stable footplates keep the machine in place even on sandy soil. Its place is always next to the wind machine, from where the heat reaches the airflow most efficiently. Power is most often supplied by the wind machine's own generator, but a separate generator can also be ordered.
No. The TG-650 is placed beside the wind machine at the start of the season and stays there — it is a fixed-installation unit, not a mobile machine. The three-point linkage is only for positioning and relocating it (installation, storage, moving it to another block), not for continuous movement. When frost threatens, the machine starts in place at a single button press — no one has to drive around the orchard with it at night.
Starting the TG-650 takes a single button press: the boiler then ignites a stable flame within 10 minutes and reaches operating temperature roughly 30 minutes later. So as frost approaches, the machine prepares for protection quickly and on its own — with no need for pre-firing or a lengthy warm-up.
The value of frost protection can be proven in a single night: a severe spring frost can wipe out an entire year's crop, while the revenue from one saved season often covers the cost of the investment on its own. The TG-650 can therefore earn back its price on a single critical night.
The TG-650 is a frost-protection heat-generating device, so its purchase may also be financed from grant funding. Schemes that support the purchase of such equipment are likely to cover the TG-650 as well.