increase font size
The McIntosh Double Bale Feeder has a 315mm overhang from the tyre edge to the outside of the bale feeder frame, meaning feed is never run over and pushed into the ground and wasted.
Palmerston North's McIntosh has a reputation for building feed equipment that’s of robust construction, features clever engineering and a has long working life.
Its Double Bale Feeder builds on this reputation and offers the ability to deal with round or square bales.
From a practical point of view, one of the worst traits of a ‘normal’ bale feeder is the tendency to run over the feed it has just delivered. In the case of the McIntosh Double Bale Feeder, a 315mm overhang from the tyre edge to the outside of the bale feeder frame, means that delivered feed is never run over and pushed into the ground and wasted. This represents a huge cost saving – especially when operating in wet conditions.
The construction layout sees two box sections running through the bale cradle to increase overall strength, while also lowering the loading height and the centre of gravity. This gives the machine greater stability and makes it safer to use on hillsides or sloping ground.
A choice of wheel settings enhances safe operation on difficult terrain, as well as the option of fitting larger tyres. Standard equipment features 11.5 x 15.3 tyres, a detail that helps to reduce rolling resistance, while making towing easier in poor conditions. There is the option of increasing the footprint by fitting 400/60x15.5 tyres.
At the rear, an overdimensioned lifting arm can deal with the heaviest bales, while also offering the ability to carry a second bale to the feeding area. The design features twin lift rams, which gently lower the bale onto the unrolling cradle and helps prevent damage to the feeder bars.
The unrolling cradle uses a zinc-plated, 12,000lb-rated chain, with slow running shafts utilising bronze bushes for resistance to silage juice and a greater service life. Unloading slats are manufactured from 8mm steel with integral teeth to promote bale rotation by increasing the contact area, while in the cradle, aggression pins restrict bale movement to encourage the teeth to pull the bale apart.
The large hydraulic motor comes with a 1 ¼ shaft and heavy-duty key. The machine includes a rubbish bin and a chequer- plated platform on the drawbar a-frame to allow the user to safely remove the film and net wrap. Practical options include a third central tine for the rear lifting forks – said to be useful for dealing with soft or mis-shaped bales. Meanwhile, for those handling square bales, lateral extensions, each carrying an extra tine, ensure positive lifting onto the cradle.
Jeff Farm is a 2433ha property near Gore, owned and run by the Salvation Army since the early 1950s after it was gifted by farmer Edmund Jeff, with the stipulation it be "used to train young people with a passion for agriculture, who would not otherwise have such a career option" - for a career in the New Zealand agricultural industry.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the iconic Milk Bar mobile calf feeder products, alongside calf and feed trailers.
Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with the latter delivering a platform for problem-solvers to showcase their innovation to the primary industries.
StocksAg has introduced a mounting kit to fit its Turbo Jet 8 or 10 units to pneumatic trailed SKY EasyDrills, allowing separate metering and accurate application of products like Avadex through an additional set of outlets behind the drill’s press wheel.
More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.
The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) says securing more China label registrations and developing its own nutritional manufacturing capability are high on its agenda.
Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.
As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.
Livestock can be bred for lower methane emissions while also improving productivity at a rate greater than what the industry is currently achieving, research has shown.
The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg.
OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…
OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…
