Inside the Southland Dairy Farm Where Robots and Pasture Work Together
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
At the country’s recent Highland Show, held over four days in Edinburgh, they showcased a new four-axle trailer, designed to carry a payload of thirty-five tonnes.
Called the Tetrad, the first model has a minimum tractor power requirement of 300hp and an empty weight of around 12 tonnes and was developed primarily for the Australian market.
The first of the new range is headed for a large dairy operation to of the country, which already operates 50m³ versions of the company’s trailers. The buyers hope that the move to 70m³ with silage sides will improve efficiency. It is equipped with front and rear steering axles and the customer specified mechanical suspension, although Stewarts confirm that Tetrad can also be delivered with air suspension.
The Scottish manufacturer has exported trailers to Australia since 2009, with units currently imported and distributed by the New South Wales-based Armour Group. Stewart expects a good uptake for the trailer in the eastern states of Australia where there are large areas of grass grown for silage.
The company also distributes to New Zealand via its North Island agent TRC Tractors in Feilding and IKON Machinery based near Geraldine in the South Island. Exports to the Southern Hemisphere are said to account for a considerable proportion of the Scottish company’s turnover, with the range including several models designed specifically for Australia and New Zealand.
“The concept and design of a new trailer need a considerable amount of time and effort,” says Stewart’s designer Lukasz Sobaszkiewicz.
“The weight carried by the Tetrad requires a robust construction, meaning many of the heavy-duty parts needed are not readily available off the shelf, so we spent a lot of time researching sources of components.”
Legislation for road going trailers in Australia allows for larger models, so the company can build trailers up to 3m wide to give increased capacity and stability, says Mandy Stewart.
“We fit hydraulic jack legs, as not many of their tractors have pick-up hitches, alongside safety chain attachment points on the drawbar which are a legal requirement. The majority of trailers we supply to Australia are also factory fitted with on-board weigh cell systems and automatic lubrication.”
Visit www.trctractors.co.nz or www.ikonmac.nz
