Coming from an agricultural contracting background, Iggy O’Brien has always had a great interest in machinery.

Now milking 150 high-yielding Holstein cows just outside Athenry, Co Galway, Iggy carries out most of the machinery work on farm, himself. A trained mechanical fitter by trade, he has run most major loader brands on the farm and in his previous contracting business over the years.

Earlier this year, he took delivery of his first new wheel loader – a Weycor AR 580. This 134hp loader with an operating weight of 9,700kg is one of 30 such branded units working in the country.

History with loaders

The O’Brien family first went down the route of a wheel loader in 1983 when they purchased a used Cat 910. In 1994, a used Volvo L50B with 3,500 hours was picked up in Dublin. This loader was run on the farm until 2019, when it was sold with over 24,000 hours on the clock.

“The Volvo was a brilliant loader. I’d say if it cost €5,000 on mechanical work to clock the 20,000 hours it was as much. It was a non-servo model. It was a great machine and I was genuinely sorry to see it go,” said Iggy.

When it came to upgrading, Iggy once again looked at Volvo L45s and L50s with 9,000 and 10,000 hours but felt they were quite expensive. He was also looking for an upgrade in weight and horsepower, and felt these were too light, while he added that the jump to an L60 was too big for general farm duties. He then looked at new Weycor loaders. Although he was impressed, he felt the jump to a new machine was a bit steep at the time. At this stage he needed to pick up a machine, and opted for a used 2015 JCB TM 320s with 6,000 hours.

Why Weycor?

Iggy said: “I ran the TM 320s for three years. Although it was a good machine, it felt like a handler that had a lot of work done and it didn’t prove overly reliable at times. It was a handler at the end of the day, and I was used to the weight and sturdiness of a wheel loader. One day, I called Tommy in Seamus Vaughan and Sons in Cork, the Irish Weycor distributor. I went and looked at a demonstration loader. I decided to buy it there and then. I had my homework done; I knew they were a good, solid, well-built machine. We took delivery of the new AR 580 this spring.”

Engine

Weycor and the machines under its previous name Atlas have been using Deutz engines for over 40 years. The AR 580 follows the same trend and sources power from a 3.6l Deutz engine. This water-cooled four-cylinder in-line engine is capable of churning out 136hp. Through the use of a DPF (diesel particulate filter), the engines comply with the Stage V emissions standards.

The bonnet neatly folds towards the rear of the machine, providing easy access to the air filter, oil filters and battery. Instead of the grille being to the rear, it is on top of the bonnet, drawing in less dust and debris. To access the diesel tank, the bonnet must be opened where the tank is hidden to the side. Iggy opted for an auto-greaser on the loader. A pendulum joint in the centre of the machine allows the front of the loader to swivel 30° to each side.

Transmission

The loader is hydrostatically driven. The transmission offers a low and high option, with two hydraulic gear shifts in each range. As standard, the units come with a top road speed of up to 20km/h, but Iggy’s machine features the optional high speed 40km/h transmission.

Selecting the direction of travel and the speed ranges is carried out through the cab joystick. The drive is operated by accelerator, while a separate inching pedal is used for the best distribution of the hydraulic power.

The loader sits on the well-known Italian-built Spicer axles. The machine is fitted with multi-disc brakes in an oil bath which acts on all four wheels. This particular loader sits on Michelin 500/70 R24 tyres which are also optional extras. For clamp duties, Iggy attaches a set of dual wheels on the front of the machine.

The loader has a sizeable reach from ground level to the bottom of the quick hitch of 3.81m (12.5ft). The machine is fitted with a variable 138.6l/min hydraulic pump controlling both the steering and the lifting.

The cab

“The cab would be smaller than what we were used to with the JCB,” Iggy said. “There isn’t room for a second person inside, but this may not be a bad thing. Visibility is very good, with the exception of one or two restricted areas around the quick hitch. But this is solely down to the sheer size of the quick hitch. It’s built seriously strong. We would be more than happy with the control layout, except for the positioning of the handbrake, which is a button under the steering wheel.

“The joystick controls forward and reverse, the quick hitch and hydraulic attachment, the high and low gear options and the electronic differential lock. The boom suspension, an optional extra, provides very good comfort. I’m very fond of the way the doors latch back. It means I have the option of using the air conditioning or leaving both doors open.”

Weycor fits inching pedals as standard in its loaders. According to the manufacturer, the inching pedal allows for less wear and tear and fuel consumption in contrast to the conventional combined brake/inching pedal. The function allows the operator to set the maximum forward speed of the machine, while maintaining full hydraulic capacity.

Who are Weycor?

Weycor is a still a relatively new brand to the Irish market. However, the German company has a long tradition building wheel loaders, just previously under a different livery.

In 2016, the brand Atlas Weyhausen, changed its name to Weycor. Atlas built its first wheel loader back in 1971, with the AR 70. AR stood for Atlas Radlader, which signified wheel loaders in the manufacturer’s range of equipment, which remains the case today.

Weycor currently offers 16 different wheel loader models, from 25hp up to 215hp. Seamus Vaughan and Sons Ltd started importing and distributing Weycor loaders in Ireland in March 2018. It’s understood there is currently upwards of 30 Weycor branded units working in Ireland.

“We are delighted with the Weycor,”said Iggy. “It’s a solid, well-built piece of kit. It’s nimble enough to have a small turning diameter for working around the yard, yet it’s heavy enough to push up the silage on the pit. For the first cut this year, we used our own wagon and hired in two more. The AR 580 was still able to keep up with the three machines, while doing a good job.

“We found the loader to have good pushing ability, while being well capable to climb a pit of silage. One point that really impressed me was the responsiveness of the hydraulics, and the flick. It was well capable of flicking the grass a few yards ahead of the machine. The use of the inching pedal was a big contributing factor to this. The inching pedal allowing the forward speed of the machine to be slowed down, while maintaining high revolutions and full hydraulic capacity. It’s a great job,” said Iggy.

Engine: Four-cylinder Deutz.

Horsepower: 134hp (100 kW).

Transmission: Hydrostatically driven.

Travel speed: standard 20kmn/h (40km/h optional).

Hydraulics: 138.6l/min.

Operating weight: 9,700 kg.

Height to bucket hinge pin: 3,810mm.

Rated operating capacity: 649 kg (with ballast).

Turning radius (outer shovel edge): 5,250 mm.

Tipping load: 7,573 kg.

Fuel tank capacity: 120 litres.

Starting price: €118,000 plus VAT.