Garrysallagh Farms Ltd is owned and run by the Owens family and headed up by brothers Paul, John and David alongside their father, Johnny.

Based near Gaulmoylestown, close to Mullingar, Co Westmeath, the family also own and run Owens Quarry Products Ltd.

Earlier this year, after much deliberation, the Owens family took delivery of a 2006 TerraGator 2104 model self-propelled spreader to apply sludge ahead of planting on their 1,000 acre tillage enterprise.

Background

We caught up with Paul as he was applying bio-solids at a rate of 5t/ac before immediate incorporation.

Over 8,000t of organic matter is spread on the farm annually, mainly treated bio-solids, or sludge as it’s commonly referred to as. The Owens family are firm believers in spreading organic matter on tillage land to help condition soil and reduce chemical fertiliser bills.

“We’ve been spreading bio-solids on the farm since 2015 which has been a great success to date. Given that it’s a heavily regulated product, nutrient management plans as a result of annual soil sampling need to be followed.

The 1050 tyres leave the TerraGator with a large footprint and low ground pressure.

“Until now we’ve had contractors look after spreading. However, last year we decided we would invest in our own spreader for this year so that we could have full control over when and how we spread. For example, conditions need to be right while spreading as the sludge needs to be incorporated directly afterwards. It requires a spreader with weigh cells, a suitable spread pattern, slurry door and disc beaters to keep the spread as low and as even as possible. Not too many contractors had spreaders with weigh cells, we found.”

Under the bonnet is a 8.1l six-cylinder turbo John Deere engine with 250hp on tap.

Paul said he had initially thought about buying a high-spec trailed spreader – the obvious decision. But, after receiving a few quotes, he came to the realisation that a suitable machine was going to cost in the region of €80,000 plus VAT. But in the meantime his father spotted a machine.

“It so happened that Dad at the same time came across a used 2006 TerraGator 2104 advertised on the internet by JR Firby for £45,000 (€53,350) plus VAT. It was believed to have been one of a family of eight machines that worked for Nutri-Bio all its life spreading sludge on hire,” Paul said. This got him thinking.

Even though it’s a 2006 machine, it still features GPS guidance and a basic rate controller.

Research

After some research into the Ag-Chem TerraGator brand, Paul liked what he had heard. He was satisfied that the TerraGator was fitted with a John Deere engine, Funk transmission and Tebbe spreader body.

Given that there are no current agents for TerraGator parts in Ireland, he made direct contact with Ploeger who are now responsible for the TerraGator brand in Europe aside from building its own machines. Paul was impressed by how helpful the firm was.

The joystick controls both the transmission and spreader functions.

“I didn’t want to buy a machine and then have an issue when it came to sourcing certain parts. But the lads at Ploeger were more than helpful and sent on numerous parts lists and diagrams. So we organised to travel to the UK in February to see the machine.”

The spreader had 8,000 hours on its clock but was clearly well minded. The engine for example was bone dry, everything worked as it should and it was on four good Michelin 1050 tyres. We struck a deal and Firby’s took care of all sanitisation and paperwork involved with getting the spreader home.”

All transmission and spreader controls are located on the main joystick.

Paul said when he saw the spreader shod on 1050 tyres he was sold on the self-propelled concept and its low ground pressure capabilities. This and the fact that weight is directly over the drive axles leaves the machine with much better traction and easier on ground over a trailed spreader, he felt.

“With a trailed spreader, the bulk of its weight is at least 20ft behind the tractor and usually on a single axle. So far, we’ve found the TerraGator to cause much less damage, therefore going forward it should allow us to get out spreading earlier in the season, weather permitting.”

The Tebbe body has a capacity of 16t.

Engine and transmission

The TerraGator 2104 chassis features an 8.1l John Deere six-cylinder engine which produces 250hp at 2,200rpm, the same power plant fitted in many of today’s modern classic Deeres such as the 7810 and 8400 series tractors.

Putting the large wheels in motion is the Deere-sourced Funk powershift transmission which is made up of 11 forward speeds and three reverse speeds. The machine is rear-wheel drive which at the flick of a switch becomes four-wheel drive. The transmission has a SelectShift automatic shift function and the machine has a top speed of 40km/h.

Between the chassis and spreader body are four weigh cells.

The 2104 is seated on John Deere Plant system’s own axles and brakes, similar to those used in dump trucks and Deere construction equipment. Unlike some TerraGator models, the Owens family’s machine doesn’t have the ability to work in crab steer or dog walk. It instead features a fixed rear axle and not the turntable type which allows the machine to operate in an offset position.

Spreader body

The TerraGator 2104 is fitted with a German-built Tebbe HKS 265 16t spreader body – a well-regarded brand within the spreader market, Paul noted. Tebbe is the same brand of spreader body mounted on today’s Ploeger and Vredo machines.

Inside the body are two sets of heavy-duty Rubig chains and slats, a single horizontal beater and two large rear beaters. Paul pointed out the rear beaters, noting their importance in achieving a good low spread pattern while still spreading at 24m. The low spread is important so that odours are kept to a minimum during application.

All grease points are plumbed into the auto greaser.

Between the spreader body and chassis are the four weigh cells to determine the weight within the body. Inside the cab alongside a GPS system is a Griffith Elder rate controller, doing pretty much what it says on the tin in terms of displaying the live application rate in t/ha and the live hopper weight.

Controls in general are kept simple, with all spreader and transmission functions done from the main joystick. Two rotary dials control floor speed and disc speed.

Having used the TerraGator to apply bio-solids ahead of planting this season’s spring crops, Paul is happy overall with how the spreader has performed.

“We initially had some teething issues with a floor chain coming off its sprocket, but got that sorted. Wear in the floor chains and sprockets is to be expected with a 2006 machine with just over 8,000 hours. We’ll see how they perform now in the autumn and consider replacing them if needs be,” Paul said.

The 16t spreader body is loaded with a Hitachi EX135 digger.

“Output and the consistent spread pattern are the big benefits, with the latter expected to result in less striping within the crop. When it comes to some machinery on the farm we lean towards quality older secondhand kit. It tends to be more straightforward when it comes to repairs too. Although it’s a 16-year-old machine, there’s plenty of work still left in it. For our situation its output couldn’t be matched for what it cost compared to a new trailed machine.”

Paul andDavid Owens, Gaulmoylestown, Co Westmeath.

Given the nature of the product, there is a lot of regulation and criteria to be met before applying bio-solids or treated sewage sludge including a waste licence, suitable storage facilities etc. Every year, ahead of application soil sampling must take place and from which a nutrient management plan is drawn up if the land is suitable.

One of the criteria is that the material is incorporated into the soil directly after application. The exact sludge Paul was spreading at 5t/ac he believes has an N-P-K unit break down of 40-28-10.

Year of manufacture: 2006.

Engine: 8.1l six-cylinder John Deere.

Horsepower: 250hp.

Transmission: Funk Powershift with 11F x 3R gears.

Max speed: 50km/h.

Tyre size: Michelin 1050/50 R32.

Spreader capacity: 16t (26m3).

Spread width: 24m.