It’s almost 30 years since an Irish-manufactured double-chop silage harvester hit the market, when Tullow Engineering introduced a machine that was to revolutionise the market. I had expected to see one in action at the Silage Extravaganza in July, but none appeared. I’m sure that there are some still in sheds around the country.

The development of the Tullow Double Chop began in 1983/‘84 when the company, then based in Tullow, Co Carlow, was managed by Ned Nolan along with other members of the Nolan family. The machine was Ireland’s first ever double chop and at that time, sales of double-chop silage harvesters were running close to 1,000 per year.

Tullow invested £0.5m in the two-year development of the machine, which it claimed had some unique features. It had heat-treated flails that were designed to last longer than the competition. The shearbar, paddle plate and knife of the chopper section were induction hardened and this was claimed to create further sharpness on wear, meaning a longer working life and claims of lower power needed.

The Tullow machine had a wide wheelbase with equal size wheels and the chute design was claimed to be able to cope with wet Irish direct-cut silage-making conditions. It claimed extra heavy protection to guard against excessive use of acid-based silage additives that were a feature of silage making in the 1980s.

The machine had a spring flotation and height adjustment mechanism to follow the ground and a simple chain tensioning system for the auger unit and belt drive to the flails. It was fitted with 32 reversible flails in eight banks of four.

The chopper box was fitted with six knives and could be operated with three, four or six, depending on the length of chop needed. Tullow claimed that these hardened knives had three times the life of those used by the competition.

The first machines were manufactured in 1985 following a year of testing in 1984. Some machines were tested by Teagasc in Oak Park in 1985. Their report showed that the Tullow double chop was capable of harvesting between 42t and 45t of grass per hour, resulting in a field output of 2.5 to three acres per hour with a tractor rated at 81hp at the PTO.

During the years 1985 to 1986, Tullow reported that it had produced 60 double chops and in spring 1987 they reported that another 60 machines had been produced for that season, with “a daily increasing order book”, sales director Thomas Nolan told the Irish Farmers Journal at the time. The price of the Tullow double chop in 1987 was £5,255 plus VAT.

Oak Park gave the Tullow double chop a big thumbs up after testing three versions of the machine during its development. They concluded that “the specific power consumption (0.6kWh/t) and the maximum throughput (about 40t/hr) are at least as good as those of any similar machine on the market.” They added that the Tullow double chop, “is one of the most significant developments in the history of Irish farm machinery manufacture.”

Tullow Engineering closed down in 1987 and some members of the Nolan family went on to establish the successful Hi-Spec Engineering based nearby in Bagenalstown. The Tullow double chop never made a reappearance.

Carlow hosts vintage ploughing championships

The Carlow Vintage Ploughing Championships will be held on the lands kindly given by the Dawson family at Kilnock, Ballon, Co Carlow, on Sunday 6 September.

Sheila Murray (087-237 1695) of the Carlow Vintage Ploughing Association said that she expects to have between 30 and 40 competitors at this weekend’s event. There will be four classes – trailer, hydraulic, single furrow and horse ploughing, with €1,200 in prize money up for grabs. The event starts at 11.30am sharp.

5 September Seaforde Working Vintage Club Rally Down 0044-792 8730 162

5 September Mid Ulster Club Vintage Ploughing Tyrone www.muvvc.co.uk

5 September Derryhennett Vintage Road Run, Keady Armagh 0044-771 8363 887

5 September Garvagh Clydesdale and Vintage Fair Derry 0044-779 1086 221

6 September Carlow Vintage Ploughing, Ballon Carlow 087-237 1695

6 September Lough Rynn Harvest Festival, Mohill Leitrim 086-340 7643

6 September The Farm Harvest Extravaganza, Grenagh Cork 021-462 9816

6 September West Limerick Vintage Club Show Askeaton 087-699 5904

6 September Tulla Vintage Rally, Tulla Clare 086-823 4746

6 September Carrickmacross Vintage Club Field Day Monaghan 087-237 1221

6 September Barnacoola Vintage Lough Rynn Vintage Festival Leitrim 086-080 3266

6 September West Limerick Vintage Show, Askeaton Limerick 087-699 5904

6 September Ballymachugh Four County tractor run, Finea Cavan 087-272 6658

6 September Tulla Vintage Day, O’Halloran’s Field, Tulla Clare 086-170 4889

6 September Fota Island Road Run, Shanagarry, Midleton Cork 087-256 8261

12 September Dungiven Parish Church Vintage Rally Tyrone 0044-777 5632 570

12 September Tullylagan Vintage Road Run, Cookstown Tyrone 0044-783 2336 014

12 September Braid Valley Vintage Tractor Road Run Antrim 0044-780 2537 124

12 September Rathfriland Vintage Club Rally Antrim 0044-787 9417 079

12 September Killelagh & St John’s Annual Vintage Day Derry 0044-775 9964 550

12 September Peninsula Vintage Club’s Annual Rally Down 0044-771 0621 452

13 September Ford Heritage Event, Ford Homestead, Ballinscarthy Cork 087-670 0620

13 September Charleville Autumn Tractor Run Cork 087-273 1336

13 September Ballincollig Vintage Club Road Run Cork 087-909 6616

13 September Knock School Threshing Day, Spink Laois 086-827 0189

13 September Courtbrack Vintage Threshing & Day Cork 087-783 8513

13 September Camp Vintage Rally, Camp Kerry

13 September Camross Vintage Club Working Day, Camross Laois 087-979 3807

13 September Anglesboro Harvest Fair Limerick 086-254 9014

13 September Knockbridge Vintage Show Louth 087-976 3355

13 September Borrisokane Vintage Threshing, Terryglass Tipperary 086-067 8124

13 September Caim Vintage Run & Threshing Wexford 087-634 1532

13 September Suncroft Vintage 8th Annual Harvest Rally Kildare 087-251 1665

13 September Tullogher/Rosbercon Vintage Road Run Kilkenny 086-106 0689

13 September Carnew Heritage Club Working Field Day Wicklow 087-643 6482

13 September M&M Diescast Models Show, South Court Hotel Limerick 087-327 7757