Self-propelled cubicle sweepers and dispensers were the order of the day at RUAS Winter Fair in Balmoral Park on Thursday.The Winter Fair is in its 34th year and is the main dairy event for farmers in Northern Ireland. With exhibitors from all over Ireland and Britain in attendance along with dairy showing, it’s a major event in the farming calendar.
Self-propelled cubicle sweepers and dispensers were the order of the day at RUAS Winter Fair in Balmoral Park on Thursday.
The Winter Fair is in its 34th year and is the main dairy event for farmers in Northern Ireland. With exhibitors from all over Ireland and Britain in attendance along with dairy showing, it’s a major event in the farming calendar.
There are four main manufacturers of cubicle sweepers and dispensers in attendance.
The Bobman range of diesel powered ride-on cubicle sweepers and lime and sawdust dispensers are manufactured in Denmark and distributed in Northern Ireland by Henry Porter and distributed in the south by Moreway.
The Bobman Super with galvanised hopper, hydraulic brush with hydraulic height adjustment and fixed hopper is retailing at the Winter Fair for £12,500 (€14,793) plus VAT. Self-loading and additional disinfectant hopper is also available. The Super comes with a 10hp HATZ air cooled engine.
The Bobman Super costs £12,500 plus VAT.
The Q-Bed range of cubicle sweepers and dispensers is manufactured by Plant-Mec in Co Armagh. The 10hp diesel engine powered machine is fully galvanised and hydraulically driven. The machine is not self-loading but it is capable of spreading lime or sawdust. The price of the machine on display at the Winter Fair is between £12,000 and £13,000 (€14,200 to €15,380) plus VAT depending on the specification and amount of accessories on the machine.
The Q-Bed machine costs between £12,000 and £13,000.
These machines are new on the market and were designed and manufactured by the Broderick family based at Omagh in Co Tyrone. These ride-on machines are self-loading and can spread lime, sawdust and peat.
The machine is driven by the rear wheels with each wheel receiving power. The price of the machine displayed at the Winter Fair was £14,750 (€17,445) plus VAT. However, the representatives were keen to say that prices vary depending on specification and euro/sterling exchange rates.
The Broderick cubicle brush and dispenser costs £14,750 plus VAT.
Connacht Agri had a number of types of cubicle sweepers and lime/sawdust dispensers on display. The Westermann CM2 diesel was described by the sales representative as being more of a mini-tractor than just a cubicle sweeper. The cubicle sweeper and dispenser can be removed and the machine can be used to drive other implements. This diesel powered machine is retailing for around €14,500 (£12,260) plus VAT.
They also had a fully electric sweeper and lime/sawdust dispenser. This is a new product which has only recently been launched on the market. The machine is not ride-on is self-propelled. The retail price is €6,500 (£5,500) plus VAT.
The new electric sweeper and dispenser from Connacht Agri costs €6,500 plus VAT.
Also at the Winter Fair was the Ag Mini dispenser which doesn’t sweep but it does dispense sawdust or lime on to cubicles. The machine is pushed by the operator and the dispenser is powered by battery. Charge lasts for two hours of continuous use. The retail price for this machine is £1,250 (€1,477) plus VAT.
The Ag Mini dispenser is retailing for £1,250 plus VAT.
Read more
Lakeland Dairies sets November milk price
Dairy in-calf heifers in demand
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: