Robotic milking keeping cows happier, healthier
The De Leeuw family has been running their dairy farm in Kaitake, Taranaki, for over 20 years.
Now a Lely Tigo PR 70 loader wagon their business Campbell Agriculture bought last November is helping their quest for improvement.
Scott will soon complete a heavy diesel apprenticeship and Leighton is in his final year at high school.
Scott says they had a look at other brands before choosing the Tigo, with parts and service through their local Harihari Motors.
The Lely Tigo comes in two series: the PR with capacities of 45m3 to 70m3 at medium compaction, and the XR with capacities from 65m3 to 100m3.
The Campbells have a PR70, with capacity of 70m3 and a 1.9m pick-up which “follows the ground really well,” Scott says. “It has a roller underneath which holds it so it floats and doesn’t dip into hollows, which means there is less wear.”
The loader wagon has a moveable bulkhead that can be tilted forward to increase the load space. “The moveable bulkhead means we can load a bit more than normal wagons and it also takes the pressure off the back door. We used to run another brand, and when it was fully loaded it stretched the back door out.”
The wagon is easy to run, Scott says. “We operate ours on automatic load. All we have to do is steer and lift the pick-up at the end of each load. Once it’s loaded the bulkhead comes forward and you can put more in.
“The bulkhead can be set at different pressures. We have it on 10% for wet ground and 20% for dry. When it reaches that pressure the board comes forward.”
Having so many automatic functions makes working easier. “There’s less to worry about. When you’re driving you’re looking back all the time and there’s a lot happening. Having a wagon that does a lot of stuff itself makes it more user-friendly.”
The Tigo PR has 40 knives and the Campbells cut at 37mm chop lengths. There is an option to cut longer, but so far every farmer has wanted the grass short.
“The knives are fitted with protective springs. We’ve had the odd rock go through and the knives survived it. We also bought a Lely knife sharpener. The knife bank swings out from underneath so you can work on it.”
The brothers pull the wagon with a 200hp tractor. “We wouldn’t want to go bigger as it’s too much weight and also the gateways and races aren’t that big.”
Many of the soils they work are swampy, so they specified their wagon with 800mm-wide tyres. The wide tyres also give them even more stability on a stack. The wagon generally travels at 41 kph and follows the tractor well.
Lely Tigos are offered with a variety of suspensions and axles to keep the wagon parallel with the slope. The Campbells’ PR70 has a tandem axle.
The Campbells also use auto-unload on their wagon. “It’s quick to unload. We put the tractor in crawl and fill out paperwork as it spreads the grass. It spreads out on the stack well enough that we don’t have to flick it out on the stack.”
The unload function has two speed options. When it first starts the two chains move slowly and the bulkhead pushes back on the load to assist. Once the load is moving the chains can go into the second faster speed.
Scott has been pleased with the service he and Leighton have received from Lely. “Nothing has gone wrong. After the third job, a guy came out and sat with me for a few loads. He adjusted the pick-up chains and drive chains and made a few adjustments after it had been worn in a bit.”
Lely staff also spent time with the Campbells when they first bought it. “They sat with us and gave us operator training and showed us the tricks of the trade.”
Lely Tigo wagons are dual purpose. They can also be loaded from the top to serve as a transport wagon.
Tel. 07 850 4050
