EQUIPMENT ▶▶▶
New machines to boost on-farm practices
BY TREENA HEIN E
very year, more new electric and automated farm machinery is released onto the market, and that’s no surprise. Farmers are very interested in environmen- tally friendly equipment and systems with no emis-
sions and no noise. And, now that battery lifespans are longer and some equipment can even use solar power, demand is stronger than ever. To get the latest news on products, we’ve contacted some major manufacturers, along with two farmers and a scientist for their perspectives on use and their outlooks. Klaas-Jan Buist of Buistlane Farms in Canada (Mount Elgin, Ontario) purchased the 8m3
We round up some new electric, mobile and/or automated machines currently available to producers and have a look at how much the demand for this equipment is growing.
Siloking eTruck TMR feed mixer in
2018 after having it on the farm as a “demo” for a few months. Buist explains that for years, he had already had a self-pro- pelled TMR mixer and feed cart all-in-one, and he was in fa- vour of another self-propelled machine to do these jobs in an expanded way in a new barn. “We did our research and found that Siloking had an electric mixer and I thought, this is worth trying,” says Buist. “The total cost of ownership was compara- ble to other systems and when we had it as a demo, we found it really shines for energy consumption.” Buist charges the unit every third day, at night when electrici- ty rates are lower. “In the winter, you usually have to charge it every second night, and the cost is about $ 3 CAD (€ 1.92) to charge it, so that’s $ 1.00–$ 1.50 (€ 0.64–€ 0.96) a day,” he says. “And minimal noise and no emissions. In the autumn, winter and spring I can load feed the night before and start it up with no issues in the morning, even after the feed has settled. The electric motor has tremendous torque. I was not going to sacrifice anything on mixing quality and I don’t with this unit. It makes a fantastic homogeneous mix. The feedout is con- sistent and cleanout is perfect.” Siloking also makes the “eSilokamm”, a self-propelled elec- tric-powered silage collection and distribution machine. For its batteries, Siloking works closely with a European forklift manufacturer that has many years of proven experience. “One of the challenges of the battery technology in general is still the weight and space it takes,” says Reto Ammann at Siloking Canada. “But in our situation, Siloking made the heavy weight of the battery pack an advantage for the machine concept. We use the weight of the battery to put more weight on the
drive axle, which results in more traction in the winter months, for example on snow and ice.” He expects battery technology to continue to improve. Ammann believes that with the current battery-driven elec- tric equipment technology, electric feeding machines are nicely suited for small and medium dairy farms in terms of being cost effective and efficient for feeding. He believes that “government grant programs, similar to those in some Euro- pean countries that support environmentally friendly tech- nologies on the farm, would for sure propel the market for this technology.”
Feeding robot For automated feeding in the barn, Trioliet offers the rail-sus- pended Triomatic HP 2 300 hanging robot if there are height differences between barns. “We have the Triomatic WP 2 300 feeding robot on wheels using a power rail if everything is quite even, and a high capacity is required,” says sales
Trioliet offers the Triomatic WB 2 300 bat- tery-driven ro- bot if rails are impossible in the case of low roofing or if the robot travels be- tween barns with an impor- tant driveway between.
▶DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 7, No. 4, 2020
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PHOTO: TRIOLIET
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