Philip Britton from Ballynennan, Mullinahone, Co Tipperary had a demonstration of the Kverneland Taarup Self Propelled Mixer two years ago and liked what he saw. He then tried out one of the larger 22cu meter Trailed machines in 2010 and liked that so much that he bought the demonstrator unit. This is a nicely “specked” twin tub machine fitted with Tandem Axles. It has an elevator mounted on the front right corner to feed directly into the high troughs in both sheds, and a second outlet on the rear left side. All the electric controls are operated from within the cab, with a clear weight display unit mounted close to the driver, located outside, which makes it easy to see when loading. Philip has been a Diet Feeder man for many years having gone through four Keenan machines, before the Kverneland.
“What made you change?” I asked him. “Really it was the speed of mixing and the ability to incorporate straw quickly. The running costs on the Keenan had also become a problem with a set of knives at around €2000, which needed constant sharpening. I just had to look at other systems. The twin auger design of the Kverneland machine mixes and cuts very efficiently and quickly and it does the whole mixing job well. With our animal numbers, we have to get on with the job. Because of different dietary needs, we need to do six or seven mixes per day. This we can comfortably do with the Duo 22 in around an hour and a half. Even with difficult mixes, we can easily finish within two hours. After the first day we fitted a set of auger lifters—weld on plates to give extra lift the material—this was a master stroke - making the job of mixing even better.” “The knives are still razor sharp on the Kverneland, even after the first season’s work”.
“We grow most of our own feed-- a mix of grass and maize silage. Barley is still grown on the farm providing both grain and straw for feeding. We currently farm around 600 acres with all the silage work being contracted out”.
“I work the Feeder myself” said Philip, “and find the electric controls easy to work. When I get to the bottom of the tub, I simply engage the high speed gearbox, the faster rotation speeds up the flow, and I get a total clean out of the tubs”. “One thing I will add for 2011 is an electric variable speed on the elevator. Currently I have to reach out to adjust the oil flow manually—it’s not difficult, but it’s nice to be able to adjust the flow as you move”.
“I think the Tandem Axle is an absolute necessity on a machine this size. The large wheels spread the weight well and I get no damage on yard surfaces. The machine runs smoothly if you have a distance to cover as well. This set up costs a little more but it is well worth it over the lifetime of the machine.”
Philip can be contacted at 086-8292155.
Information on the range of Kverneland Taarup Diet Feeders can be had from Paraic McCarthy, Product Specialist, Kverneland Group, Kilkenny Tel No: 00-353--87-9508510 or at http://ie.kverneland.com
August 10th 2012
