Heavy metal fever strikes at the Ploughing

Walking around the machinery area of the National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore, the plethora of shiny new equipment from Irish and international manufacturers was a feast for the machinery enthusiast. With some launches of completely new machines and some being introduced to the Irish market for the first time, there was no lack of ways to spend any hard-earned money that is burning a hole in your pocket. We look at some of the machinery highlights from Ploughing 2017.

Komatsu 911/230h harvester

This monster of a machine is making its Irish debut which coincides with the announcement of McHale plant as the Irish distributor of Komatsu forestry machinery. The size and specs of this machine make for interesting reading, producing around 230hp which is impressive but not mind-blowing. The hydraulics are where the 911 shows it real teeth, with a massive flow rate of 400l/min. This machine weighs in at 17,610kg but still has the capability with its half track half wheel layout to harvest timber in the most harsh conditions. Depending on the specification the list price is in the region of €400,000.

The Ursus Z-597 round baler

Ursus balers are produced in the main Ursus factory in Poland and are not a common sight in Ireland. This is the newest model in the range and this is the first time one has been seen on Irish soil. The importers plan to start a rigorous testing regime in Ireland post-Ploughing. Testing has already taken place in five other European countries.

The baler produces a standard 4x4 bale from a pickup width of 2.16m and an overall weight of 2.85t. The Ursus looks to be a sturdy piece of kit. The list price of the Z-597 is €22,500 including VAT.

The McHale R 62-72 rake

The first official sighting of this rake was on Tuesday morning at the Ploughing in Tullamore. The rake is Irish-designed and Irish-made and it is believed that a larger version will follow later in the year and will be available for silage 2018.

The R62-72 has not been given a public list price yet but they say a price is available on request. This is the fifth year in a row that McHale has had the world premiere of a new machine at the National Ploughing Championships.

The Massey Global series

The Massey Ferguson 5700 series of tractors has arrived in Ireland. It has been touted as the successor to the evergreen and much loved 300 series. The global series comes with horsepower ranging from 100hp up to 130hp. These tractors are aimed directly at the livestock sector and having seen them in person, the dimensions are perfect for loader and yard work. Prices start from €79,000.

The OCE engineering 19ft silage rake

This rake is a on the OCE stand at the Ploughing. It is 19ft wide and comes with a very heavy duty chassis and with 6ft 2in tines. They say that when put on to a Volvo L110 loader in Germany that the loader was getting light at the back so a bigger loader would be advisable, certainly if being used with wet Irish grass a serious pushing and lifting machine would be required. In the hands of anyone but the most talented of loader operators, this rake would see the demise of many silage pit handrails.

K two Roadeo Trailer

The K two roadeo made its Irish debut in Tullamore on Tuesday. The model on display on the Clarkes of Cavan stand was the 2000 HP. This has a capacity of 20t and a body length of 23ft. This is the latest of these compacting-type trailers which have a hydraulically moved headboard that compresses the load and also ejects the load from the trailer without the requirement to tip the trailer. This trailer retails at €40,950 including VAT.

McConnel Agribuggy A280

McConnel chose this year’s Ploughing for the world launch of its first self-propelled sprayer. The A280 is manufactured by McConnel’s sister company Kelland which has been producing sprayers for many years. This is the first of these machines in Ireland and it is believed to be going straight to work after the Ploughing. The sprayer is powered by a Cummins engine and a direct drive system is used instead of the hydrostatic on many of its competitors. They claim that it will go places where others will get stuck.

JCB teleskid

This little machine is new to the Irish market. Being a hybrid between a skidsteer loader and a teleporter, there are many agriculutural uses for it.

The little JCB comes with 74hp and weighs in at a chunky 5.7 tonnes.

With a lift height of up to 13 feet and a forward reach of 8 feet this little machine could be very useful on many Irish farms where manoeuvrability and lightness of foot are essential.