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16 December 2015

Michael Moroney on 16 Dec 2015

Major showcases TAMS II slurry options

Last week, Major Equipment, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, held a factory open day to showcase the slurry-spreading machines it offers to farmers and contractors under the TAMS II scheme.

Michael Moroney

16 December 2015

The new Major 4,000-gallon capacity slurry tanker, with large-capacity low-profile tyres coupled with a rear steering axle to minimise field damage.

The tanker has been fitted with a full set of amber side-lights to comply with the new trailer legislation coming in January 2016.

The tanker has been fitted with an impressive range of LED lights, a bank of three vertical road and indicator lights, as well as two bright, clear working lights to allow for working long days.

The Battioni vacumm pump on the big tanker where the Kennedy Bros have specified a hydraulic drive in place of a PTO drive system.

The machine has been fitted with two greasing banks of 10 nipples on each side of the chassis to provide simplified and convenient grease to the tanker’s axles.

The large tanker comes with rubber pads to the front of the drawbar to cushion the high load during transport.

At the Major Equipment slurry info day in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were (from left): Michael Toughey, Major Equipment; Michael Fleming, Mountbellew; Gerry Geraghty, Ahascragh; John Murphy, managing director Major Equipment; David Geraghty, Ahascragh; and Martin Fleming, Mountbellew.

At the Major Equipment slurry info day in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were (from left): Michael Cahill, Oran, Co Roscommon; Jarlath Farrell, Togher, Tuam; and Willie and Barry Cunningham, also from Togher, Tuam.

At the Major Equipment slurry info day in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were (from left): Sean Cahill, Ahascragh, Co Galway; Michael Walsh, Claregalway; Simon Donnelly, Ahascragh; and Eibhlinn Murphy, Major Equipment.

At the Major Equipment slurry info day in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were (from left): PJ Molloy, Michael Fahey and Tom Mannion, Arrabawn Co-op, Athenry; Martin Walsh, Major Equipment; and Tom Melia, Arrabawn Co-op, Athenry.

At the Major Equipment slurry info day in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were (from left): Paul Quinn, Mastek; Martin Walsh, Major Equipment; PJ Molloy, Arrabawn Co-op, Athenry; and Martin Keane, Major Equipment.

Last week, Major Equipment, based at Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, held an interesting factory open day to showcase the range of slurry spreading machines it offers to farmers and contractors who want to avail of the grant options under the TAMS II environmental scheme. The company reported that the new environmental scheme, where the purchase of a low-emission slurry tanker with trailing shoe or dribble bar can be eligible for a 40% grant aid up to an investment ceiling of €40,000, is encouraging a significant increase in interest in new machines.

The company reported that the new environmental scheme, where the purchase of a low-emission slurry tanker with trailing shoe or dribble bar can be eligible for a 40% grant aid up to an investment ceiling of €40,000, is encouraging a significant increase in interest in new machines.

The company used the opportunity to show the trailing shoe and dribble bar low-emission slurry spreading choices and announced a new marketing arrangement with Cavan-based Mastek.

Under this deal, Major will offer the option of fitting a patented Mastek dribble bar attachment to its range of slurry tankers.

For those seeking a shallow injector or a trailing shoe system, Major will offer the Vogelsang slurry system.

The Vogelsang unit is considered to be the European market leader and is used by a number of slurry tanker manufacturers as their trailing shoe attachment.

The Mastek dribble bar unit can be fitted to any slurry tanker without welding or fabrication. Simply remove the existing rear inspection plate and bolt on the Mastek universal 7.5-metre wide dribble bar.

This unit comes with an integrated macerator that feeds 28 dribble bar outlets. The Mastek unit weighs just 425kg, so it is not a significant extra weight on the slurry tanker axles. The unit costs €14,000 including VAT.

Major also used the occasion to show one of the larger slurry tankers that it has manufactured for the Irish market. There appears to be increasing interest in tandem-axle slurry tankers as contractors seek more output, coupled with improved wheel and tyre systems.

Roscommon-based contractors Kennedy Bros from Ballyforan is taking delivery of its new 4,000 gallon (18,000 litre) tandem-axle tanker this week. This tanker was purpose-built to suit their needs.

This impressive galvanised machine comes with a separate tanker chassis and high-speed truck-type axles, the rearmost of which has a steering system.

Major’s Michael Toughey said that the tanker has been fitted with a separate chassis for strength and was designed for high-output slurry spreading with a splash plate system.

The tanker pump is hydraulically driven rather than via a PTO shaft drive to allow for safer working conditions. The 13,500-litre Battioni vacuum pump can be easily driven by modern hydraulic motors where the tractor oil flow capacity is in excess of 100 litres/minute.

The hydraulic pump drive mechanism also allows for a tighter turning circle, giving the large machine greater manoeuvrability in smaller, tighter farmyards. The tandem-axle system uses four BKT 710/50R26.5 low ground pressure tyres to match the tanker load capacity.

The overall price of a large Major 4000 tanker will be from €35,000 plus VAT, depending on specification.