F I R S T F O R FA R M M A C H I N E R Y O P E R AT O R S
February 2024 // Issue 118
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FIELD TEST
King of the clamp The self-propelled TMR mixer wagon keeping 1,100 cows fed in Cheshire
THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND TECHNOLOGY
FERTILISER SPREADER UPDATE
FIRST IMPRESSION
CLASSIC COMBINE
HOW A BRITISH-BUILT £4.50 HORIZON DRILL FARED THE RARE McCORMICK-BADGED IN THE WET AUTUMN COMBINES AT WORK IN THE UK RUNNING REPORT
BUYING GUIDE
VALUATING SSECOND-HAND NEW BUNNINGS’S SSOPHISTICATED OPHISTIC BUNNINGS’S LOWLANDER EEVALUATING 175 HD HBD MUCKSPREADERS AT WORK HOLLAND 35 SERIES TRACTORS 001_FMJ118_Cover_FINAL.indd 1
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King of the clamp
Front Link Field Test // Siloking SelfLine 500+ 2519-22
COVER STORY
Cheshire farmer Alan Winstanley took delivery of his second self-propelled feeder wagon in December. FMJ went along to see it in action to find out why Siloking machines have won out on this farm WORDS AND IMAGES KEN TOPHAM
here are three important points to consider when you have 1,100 Holstein milkers to feed every day – reliability, efficiency and consistency. At Highfields Farm Limited, milking is carried out three times a day and feeding is done twice, with pre-mixes of ration also made at either end of the day. This means the multiple elements of the feed are loaded and mixed after feeding when the pressure is off, and attention to detail can be priority.
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There’s no questioning the capital expenditure involved in operating a self-propelled machine on a farm the scale of Highfields, where there are 2,000 head of cattle in total – with dry cows and followers – most of which are fed using the Siloking.
There’s an argument that self-propelled feeders save on capital investment by negating the need for a loader and tractor to pull the wagon, but in reality how many dairy farms can manage without a loader? There are two used at Highfields Farm – both centre-pivots – and plenty of tractors too because the business takes care of most of its own field work, including silage making. Alan Winstanley factored an estimate of 60% of a loader into his costings when making the comparison with a trailed machine, accepting that he still needs a loader. But, in real terms, 1,000 hours/year is saved on the loader, and probably the same on a tractor that would pull a trailed wagon, which would need to have a 30cub.m tub to match the output of the selfpropelled unit.
Premium trike Previously, Highfields Farm owned a Siloking Premium 2215 with a 22cub.m tub. This was a trike model with a low-slung tub and narrowly set rear wheels. To say this machine served the farm well is an understatement; in three years it clocked 11,000 hours and mixed a total of 115,000t of feed. To help put that in perspective, there are only 26,300 hours in 36 months, so it did a lot of work! This previous machine and the new Siloking SelfLine 500+ 2519-22 that replaced it have tubs fabricated from Silonox, a hard-wearing stainless-steel alloy. As well as Above: Loading takes no time, and the operator doesn’t need to leave the cab or switch machines.
“The uniformity of the ration is where you really see a gain with this machine” FEBRUARY 2024 WWW.FARMMACHINERYJOURNAL.CO.UK
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Front Link Field Test // Siloking SelfLine 500+ 2519-22
TECHSPECS Siloking SelfLine 500+ 2519-22 Tub size 22cub.m Milling head 2m wide Engine 8-litre Volvo Penta Tyre equipment 445/65R22.5 and 435/50R22
Below: In one pass, the 2m wide milling head can extract 800-1,100kg of fodder in less than a minute.
resisting corrosion, this option is also extremely resistant to abrasion. Measurements taken from the tub and augers when the Premium 2215 left showed just 5% wear. This respectable figure makes resale easier, and the residual value resulted in a more favourable price to change. Delivered two weeks before our visit, the new Siloking SelfLine 500+ – which is marketed by Kverneland in the UK – was already settled in and its newness had disappeared. This latest machine still has a 22cub.m tub, but mounted higher on a more truck-like chassis. Where it differs from a truck is its four-wheel steering, although the running gear is commercial spec equipped with road-type tyres, and the whole machine is mounted on airbag and spring suspension. Usually we get to have a drive and give an opinion, but here that would be like taking a learner driver and sticking them in an F1 car – they just aren’t going to get the best from it. Instead, we left it to the professionals. In this case, it was owner Alan Winstanley, one of three operators on the farm who use the wagon regularly – both the
daily operators were on annual leave. That said, you wouldn’t know Alan wasn’t the main operator, looking slick loading, and unloading. “It was easy to get used to,” he says. “The controls are identical, but the axle layout does make you think. The previous machine steered like a combine, whereas this one is more like a telehandler, as if you’re sitting in the bucket. So it handles a little differently, but is just as manoeuvrable when you get used to how it steers and reprogramme your brain to the different machine.”
Above: Loading is fast, and because the fodder uniformly feeds into the tub there’s no over-processing.
Below: To access the machine’s workings, a door opens and a drop-down ladder offers entry.
Longer elevator The new SelfLine 500+ sits higher and the elevator that carries the milling head is 300mm longer, allowing it to reach a height of 5.2m. This gives the machine a safer feeling when loading out of clamps. “In the previous machine you were a bit lower, and in a clamp that’s full you’d feel like the silage was hanging over your head, to the point we’d rake it down with a loader to be safe,” says Alan. There’s no need to do that with the
“The previous machine steered like a combine, whereas this one is more like a telehandler”
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Left: The paint is still on the Silonox tub, a stainless-steel alloy highly resistant to abrasion and corrosion. Below left: Alan’s least favourite part of the machine; the steps placed under the cab are less than ideally positioned. Right inset: All frequently used functions are on the lever, providing effortless operation and adjustment.
new machine as the arc of the elevator is wider, so there’s little overhang on the clamp face. Visibility is also less of a neck strain, whether looking up at the clamp or loading premix from the floor, which is part of the daily routine. The Siloking cab is compact, but not claustrophobic. There’s headroom to spare, and the steering column has loads of adjustment in rake and reach. The armrest is comfortable and the lever is well placed. The display for the machine is bright and clear, and the position for the ration instructions screen is good. Loading is where these machines win, taking 15 minutes to fill a 22cub.m tub’s worth of ration that can contain up to three clamped ingredients and concentrates. This is where it demonstrates its value, taking 800-1,100kg of maize out of the clamp in one pass is just a minute’s work,
even with the shunt to sweep the bottom of the run-up. Sweeping up pre-mixes from the floor is as clean as you could reasonably expect without using a brush. The milling head has a bucket-like wearing plate under the rotor, allowing it to run on the floor to cleanly sweep up pre-mixed rations. Most loading functions are accessed through the joystick, and there are two throttle memory functions, activated at the push of a button. “You have to pay attention loading with the elevator low down,” says Alan. “If you use too many revs it can send feed over the back.” Milling from the clamp face requires more effort; in grass silage there’s a notable power demand, whereas maize is easier to load. Power comes from an eight-litre Volvo Penta motor that produces 252hp. That’s nearly
30hp more than the previous model, and Alan reports it’s noticeable.
Three pumps Everything is hydraulically powered, so the motor drives three pumps: one for the transmission; one for the milling head and elevator; and the other for the tub and ancillaries. The cooling pack is quite large compared to a 250hp tractor, but there’s room for everything to spread, so compact dimensions aren’t necessary. Mixing efficiency is notable with a self-propelled machine, and another time-saver, because the ration being loaded is fairly uniform making the process fast. “The uniformity of the ration is where you really see a gain with this machine, you don’t over-process it and end up with sorting at the feed barrier,” Alan adds.
Above: Ride quality is very good on the road thanks to airbags all-round. The road speed is 40kph.
Below left: The information screens are well placed; Highfields Farm uses Cowconnect through mobile devices. Below: With a good spread of LED lights, the Siloking can work safely in the dark at either end of the day.
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“You have to pay attention loading with the elevator low down, if you use too many revs it can send feed over the back” Total mixed rations (TMR) have to be consistent and the Siloking produces top results, according to tests at Penn State University in the United States that examined the sorting and ration quality. Alan reports he’s seeing excellent results with low variation from the start of the load to the last feed dispensed. The previous Siloking proved very reliable in its 11,000 hours, with only two days of downtime (excluding regular servicing): one planned to
carry out some welding on an auger; and one where a weigh cell had broken. Neither were considered breakdowns as the machine was still able to function. Financially, there was £14/hour depreciation on the previous machine, and £4.54/hour servicing costs (including non-warranty repairs). Fuel comes in at about 140 lit/day, on average mixing 90t/day. Alan says it
Above: Retaining energy in the silage is a huge bonus of milling the feed compared to other methods of loading. Above inset: Operators need to take care not to eject the feed over the back by carefully setting the revs for the material.
needed only two sets of milling head blades fitted, with odd ones replaced due to breakage. Siloking provides its own weighing system that stops the elevator when each ingredient reaches the set quantity. Highfields Farm and its nutritionist, however, use the Cowconnect system so the intake has to be managed manually. Operators use a tablet that holds the ration list and this counts down the weight. After the intake is stopped, any Far left: The machine is equipped with HD doors, which have a larger opening than standard machines. Left inset: The cooling pack is big, but it looks after a lot of oil as well as needing to cool the 252hp engine. Below: The fuel filler and auto lube are situated together under a panel, well-positioned for easy daily checks.
Left: Concentrates can be added in small volumes through a small hatch in the side of the tub.
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Front Link Field Test // Siloking SelfLine 500+ 2519-22 Left: Mixing is kept to the necessary, thanks to quick loading and little time between loading cycles.
Below left: Hoovering up pre-mixed rations leaves minimal amounts on the floor – only a brush would leave less behind. Below: The milling blades last the distance, with only two sets and a few replacements used on the previous machine in 11,000 hours.
remaining ingredients are reversed the clamps in good shape because out, back to the heap. The milkers are the face is milled, reducing spoilage. currently on a ration of 63kg/day of compact, short-chopped fodder. Outlying bases It’s the ease of loading and The milking herd is based at precision that produce the gains from Highfields farm, with two outlying using a self-propelled machine. bases for dry stock and followers For example, extra within a five-mile radius. The ingredients don’t get Siloking feeds them all, helped tipped in to save a by its 40kph road speed. Owner trip back to the The feeder has three Highfields Farm bunker with the cameras: one looking down Location Cheshire Business type loader. It also keeps at the rear bumper; one on
FARMFACTS Dairy farm Herd size 1,100 milkers
Below: The cows are, ultimately, the customers of the consistent rations, and Alan’s herd is on 63kg/head/day.
the off-side; and another looking into the tub. There are mirrors as a back-up. Watching Alan manoeuvre around the buildings was impressive; he wastes no time shunting – dispensing rations while reversing up the passages, or driving forwards, depending on which direction he needed to head next.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Alan Winstanley and Battlefield Machinery for help with this feature.
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