Strautmann Adds Hay Edition Auger to Verti-Mix Mixer Wagons
Strautmann has introduced a new Hay Edition auger for its Verti-Mix feed mixer wagons, aimed at operators using rations with larger proportions of hay or other long-fibre materials.
However, there won’t be quite so much enthusiasm for getting the crop covered with a sheet and tyres, with the latter being heavy, filled with cold, slimy, smelly water and a likely visit to the chiropractor after the event.
The interestingly named Tyre Tosser is a machine built by Palmerston North fabrication specialists RMI and marketed by Strautmann Hopkins, who have recently relocated to Feilding.
The machine is designed to remove the ‘chore’ and offer a relatively stress-free method of delivering tyres up onto the clamp, and indeed, an easy way of removal for feeding and stacking for future use.
Despite the name, the machine features a modular steel spine, not dissimilar to a giant chainsaw cutter-bar, with an integral, notched chain, driven by a bi-directional Parker hydraulic motor.
Hot-dipped galvanised to endure the corrosive nature of its intended working environment, the 7m-long unit is quickly mounted to the pallet forks of a telehandler, removing the need for any dedicated adapter plate, and has a capacity of around 35 car tyres.
In operation, it can be “loaded” onto the Tosser by staff manually by reversing the direction of rotation, or by picking upper-arranged stacks using the 7-metre “sword’. The load can then be lifted over the clamp, where forward rotation of the chain discharges the load under the guidance of a spotter who, when the machine is being reloaded, can place the tyres in their final position to achieve a good seal.
Weighing in at around 330kg, the unit needs an oil flow of approximately 76 litres per minute, typically delivered by the handler’s third service connection without the need for any sensors or complex electronics. The distributor notes that the unit can be modified, to allow towing between jobs.
www.strautmann.co.nz
