The 8100 is part of a larger series of feeder and bedding machines from Teagle. It includes a three-point linkage version similar in capacity to the 8100 and the Teagle barrel-type straw chopper and blower, the T505XLM. The largest in the series is a trailed 10m3 machine, the Teagle Tomahawk 1010SC.

Local dealers Joe O’Toole & Sons Ltd, Tullow, Co Carlow, and Tom Teagle were on hand to help us to put the machine through its paces. You can read our condensed test reports on the McHale C460 and the Kverneland Taarup 853 Pro on the following pages.

Machine features

The Teagle Tomahawk 8100 is a trailed machine capable of handling two 4’x4’ round bales or the biggest of square bales, a 4’x4’x8’ foot straw bale. We found that like many machines of this type, it is designed to feed out silage and shred/blow straw.

The first impression is that the Teagle 8100 does not look that different to the competition. It has an hydraulic tailgate, chain and slat floor, stripper/chopper rotor, blowing flywheel and chute. There is no hydraulic/electric restrictor over the rotor and the rotor features direct drive in combination with the flywheel.

Tom Teagle, an engineer and third generation member of the Teagle family, came over from Britain to explain the design of the current Tomahawk 8100. He said that the 8100 is of an entirely bolted construction rather than welded. Even the blowing paddles on the flywheel are bolted on. Considering the working environment of these type of machines, it is a sensible approach.

If it digests a concrete block or timber stake, the access to the jammed item or damaged components is far simpler. The fact that the flywheel paddles are bolted on means that if one is bent or badly damaged, it can be easily replaced. All the panels on the machine are bolted, giving access to all areas. Many manufacturers fit a flywheel shear bar if the machine is used for blowing/feeding out silage. The Teagle does not and nor is it an option.

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Tom explained that a shear bar is just not needed when the blower is designed correctly. The same engineering has gone into the stripper-chopper rotor as well.

Tom explained that the rotor’s positioning is critical to achieve just the right amount of aggression against the bale to cause it to tumble and generate even feed-out of both straw and silage bales. The Teagle Tomahawk 8100 does not have any device, electric or hydraulic, above the rotor to control the aggressiveness against the bale. Drive to the shredder rotor is direct through a chain and incorporates shearbolt protection.

Tom explained that Teagle uses a direct drive-through chain rather than belts because it maintains rotor impact during operation.

With a belt system, there is the potential to slip and interrupt or slow material flow.

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Another feature added to the latest generation Teagle series machines are cleats welded to the floor slats.

They claim that these help the slats to grip the bale better and improve bale feed into the stripper rotor, which then aids a consistent feed-out.

On the underside of the machine the bottom floor skin is removable to gain access to slats and chains. Removing four bolts and the bottom skin’s slides allows a blockage to be cleared.

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The electrohydraulic valve chest is an in-house Teagle item. The electronic control system is manufactured almost exclusively for Teagle. Tom said that the position of the valve chest at the front lower section of the machine means it is out of the way if any element of the machine has to be dismantled for repair or servicing.

Interestingly, lights are optional as these type of machines rarely see the road in Britain. Other options include a second fixed chute to provide a greater blowing distance, a swivel chute, greedy boards and cable controls.

Tomahawk in operation

Yoking to the tractor is relatively straightforward.

A pick-up hitch eye is standard as is a wide angle pto with slip clutch and over-run.

Machine controls are electric, so an electric supply is needed as is a double-acting hydraulic service or single-acting with return.

The control box is very simple and clear. Two joysticks are used, one for all the chute controls and one for operating the rear tailgate and second fixed chute, if equipped.

There is an on/off button for the floor chain and a dial for speeding it up or slowing it down. At the tailgate, there is a second control panel with buttons for operating the tailgate and floor. Like most others we tested, it requires two hands to operate, keeping both safely away from the closing tailgate. Unlike the competition, there is no step profiled out of the tailgate side in the down position. This is claimed to be for health and safety reasons.

Loading a bale is no problem; the tailgate can be closed from the ground. We decided to shred and blow some straw first so that the machine’s two-speed gearbox was set in the higher speed. The lower speed is used for feeding out silage.

Starting up the pto and not as big a grunt is required as first thought when starting flywheel and rotor simultaneously. The CaseIH Maxxum 110 started it up with little or no objection. The Teagle Tomahawk 8100 did exactly what it was supposed to do; it spread the entire shed from a side passage. Teagle quotes a spread distance of up to 22m.

Bale feed to the rotor could be feathered nicely and chute control was simple and intuitive. Once chopping started, it was quite even. Then a silage bale was loaded for feeding out into a trough. A change in gearbox speed is required for feeding out the silage and the chute angled down onto an adjustable slide.

Again, the 8100 was surprisingly easy to drive and feed out rate was pretty steady and consistent so forward speed and trough filling was easy to manage.

AT A GLANCE

Overall, the Teagle Tomahawk was a surprising machine for many reasons, especially its simplicity, achieved through clever engineering. Designers at Teagle clearly studied and understood the process of reducing a bale to lengths of fibre and blowing out for bedding or feeding.

They incorporated features like a removable belly plate to cater for what could happen. When all put together, it was very easy to drive and had an even feed-out in silage, for example.

The typical price on farm for the Teagle Tomahawk 8100 as tested, complete with swivel chute and full electric controls, is €16,250, plus VAT.