Feed pad with rubber matting hailed as game changer
For Otago farmers Michelle and Rogan Borrie, a newly constructed feed pad on one of their three farms has been a game changer.
Ideally suited for feed pad operations, yet still offering the versatility to be operated in the paddock, the wagons can handle a wide variety of products and feeds, with many farmers incorporating large square bales with their grass, cereal or maize pit silage as required.
Many farmers are using vegetable waste such as fodder beet that can be broken up far better in a Beater Wagon. Likewise, vegetable waste, citrus pulp and other products can be blended to a ration without going to the full expense of operating any other traditional silage or combi wagon.
There is no need for the tractor to be running during loading or stationary time to mix the products together, rather the PTO-driven beaters mix the feed as it is moved forward by the floor of the machine.
The company says some customers report that they have halved their labour and fuel costs by replacing their old mixer wagon with a McIntosh Beater Wagon, which doesn’t require additional mixing time, a high horsepower tractor or extended running times.
The versatility of these machines has also seen them utilised in different applications: Working closely with a grape grower in South Australia, the company developed a beater wagon for applying straw and compost directly on to the grapevine rows; the machine’s capacity, efficiency and even spread suiting this application.
Offered with capacities from 12 to 27 cubic metres, a heavy-duty construction sees a 5mm thick floor and 3mm sides with 75mm by 40mm channel floor slats. At the front of the machine, three PTO-driven, horizontal beater/augers with Bisalloy tips rotate towards the centre to create a homogenous mix as the floor moves forwards. A 900mm wide discharge conveyor allows a controlled delivery, while the extended range of options includes four floor chains, braking systems, 1200mm wide conveyor, a chain cross conveyor and a range of tyre options.
McIntosh Farm Machinery has strict attention to detail, long lasting value, and quality engineering and manufacturing ensures lasting value, widely recognised in the Australasian marketplace.
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