increase font size
West Coast dairy farmer and inventor Jock Nolan with his Hose Runner.
Rakaia-based equipment manufacturer Pluck’s Engineering will soon start production of a new machine designed to simplify the deployment and retrieval of temporary water troughs used in winter break feeding.
The trailer-mounted Hose Runner – unveiled at the South Island Agricultural Field Days where it was runner-up in the Innovation Awards – was invented and patented by Jock Nolan, from Hari Hari in South Westland, where he runs a 200-cow dairy farm.
“It’s just me and my partner Jade and the kids on the farm,” said Nolan. “So everything we do on farm we like to make it easy and simple, so we’ve come up with this system.”
The Hose Runner consists of a small, specialised trailer that carries a portable water trough and a 300m reel of 20mm diameter alkathene hose. Plugged into a permanent water supply, the unit is towed out to unwind the hose and the trough placed where needed by the stock.
Water delivery is via a fitting at the hub of the reel, so the hose stays on the reel and the full length doesn’t have to be unwound. The reel is also dismountable so it stays with the temporary trough, meaning a farmer with more than one mob can have several reels and troughs serviced by a single trailer.
Nolan says “the cunning bit” comes when it’s time to move the trough and wind the hose back in. The reel is lowered in its trailer until its rims are on the ground and the trailer’s wheels are in the air. Then towing the trailer back along the run automatically winds the hose back up.
“It’s extremely quick and extremely efficient, taking around two minutes to roll out or roll up 300 metres of pipe. If you tried to do that manually, you’ll probably be there for three hours,” said Nolan.
Nolan built his prototype in 2023, while the new production version on display at SIAFD, incorporates some Plucksuggested refinements such as a friction brake that stops the reel overrunning, and a ratcheting screw jack to raise and lower the reel in the trailer chassis.
With the first public unveiling at Kirwee, Pluck’s Engineering owner Neil Pluck says, “We’re yet to find out if anyone wants to buy one, but the vibes have been bloody good”.
“There’s a long way to go but we wouldn’t have got this far down the track had we not been confident that they would sell, a lot.”
Pluck suggests it will be of great value under new livestock rules that say farmers must not leave stock to congregate in a paddock and turn it into a “puggy quagmire”. This means cows on a feeding break should be confined to the current break rather than having access back to a permanent water trough in an area where they’ve already been, so they need to have a portable water trough accompanying them across the paddock. Pluck also points out that there’s also the health and safety aspect top consider, regarding the effort required to manually roll out and retrieve a 300m hose of alkathene.
The arrival of new F8 and F9 designations for its 8000 and 9000 series forage harvesters, signals a swag of upgrades from John Deere, highlighted by topping the 1000hp mark for the first time.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty farmer Hugh Jackson recently secured this year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year title in Invercargill.
Ashburton-based Carrfields has signed an agreement with Manitou to take over the distribution and retail rights for Manitou Agricultural Equipment covering the lower North Island and the South Island, effective August 1, 2025.
With June ending and following the most upbeat National Fieldays for several years, tractor dealers are reporting a lift in sales.
Samasz distributor FarmShop has introduced the new XDF Series Front Mowers, said to be refined for local conditions and to improve cutting precision and wear resistance.
One of New Zealand’s largest fertiliser plants could be forced to shut down for four months as uncertainty looms over gas supply.
Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Bex Green says two public meetings held this week should have made it loud and clear that rural families and businesses are concerned about proposed staffing changes at NZ Police.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is consulting on a proposal to ban weedkillers containing chlorthal-dimethyl (DCPA).
August 6 marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day, a moment to recognise the dedication and hard mahi of dairy farm workers across Aotearoa - and DairyNZ is taking the opportunity to celebrate the skilled teams working on its two research farms.
OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.
A Taupo company says it's the first to bring CO₂-powered water heating technology to New Zealand dairy sheds, helping farmers cut energy costs by up to 85%.
OPINION: Sydney has a $12 million milk disposal problem.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait's recovery seems to have hit another snag.
