This week we feature an old slurry tanker that was converted to a meal bin. Michael Bergin from Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny sent us in the photos.

He had an old 1,100 gallon slurry tanker on the farm that wasn’t used since 2008. His family had always bought grain directly from the combine and got it rolled by a contractor at home.

The grain would then be kept in a store and bagged by hand and carried to the sheds at feeding time.

Michael was looking for a way to simplify feeding and thought a mobile unit would be an advantage. That is when he got the idea to convert the old slurry tanker.

To start off, he cut a 7ft long and 18in wide hole in the top of the tank to allow enough room to tip in meal and room for a lid. The inside of the tanker was covered in rust that had to be cleaned out. Michael said this was a long process involving a hammer, a pair of earmuffs and patience. Once all the rust was knocked off he painted the inside with an oxide paint.

Next he cut the main drum of the tanker free from the axel and lifted it away safely with straps and the tractor front loader. Heavy duty flat plates were drilled and used to make hinges for the drum so that it could be tipped.

At the front of the tanker a 9ft hydraulic ram was used to enable tipping. There is an on/off valve on this for safety so the ram isn’t just relying on the hydraulics.

Stability

The whole tanker was brought forward on the axle to increase the stability when tipped. Michael now fills the old tanker with barley using the bucket on the front loader. He says it can hold approximately 2t of rolled barley.

He took the splash plate and ram off the back of the tanker and replaced it with a slide to let meal out. Michael says it is ideal if you have an outfarm – the tanker full of meal could be left there and tipped up as the meal goes down. It’s both waterproof and vermin proof.

According to Michael, the conversion wasn’t easy and took approximately two weeks working at it on and off. This setup would also be ideal for farmers who purchase small quantities of meal from the local creamery.

He said cleaning the rust inside was very time-consuming. The ram, welding rods and steel cost approximately €600. Michael says if he employed someone to do the work it would cost at least €1,000 in labour.