With the recent expansion of the dairy herd across the country, many farmers have found themselves getting busier. As a result, many have turned to technology to help save time and labour.
One such farmer is Senan Glynn, based in Dunmore, Co Galway, who milks just over 190 cows in a spring-calving system. When attending a farm walk six years ago, Senan first witnessed a self-propelled cubicle sweeper and dispenser in action and immediately thought he could do with one on his farm.
With the good milk price three years ago, Senan decided to treat himself. Up to this point, he was scraping down all cubicles with a hand scraper before shaking out the lime by hand.
He said: “Each winter, I normally use 6-8t of lime on the cubicles. Before I bought the Bobman, all of this was being applied by hand. I was carrying a yard scraper and a 15kg bucket of lime around. It was a job neither I nor the relief milkers were fond of, but it had to be done. I don’t know myself since I moved to the Bobman. I could never go back.”
Running gear
The Danish-built machine is very simple. It is powered by a two-cylinder Kubota water-cooled diesel engine. Senan likes the design of the air inlet. The air is sucked in at the front of the machine, well away from any of the lime. He said it is extremely light on diesel, burning around five gallons every six weeks.
The Bobman SL is serviced at every 100 hour interval at a cost of €130.
Everything is powered by two hydraulic pumps, including the drive, brushing, scraping and spreading. It can be driven in either one-wheel drive or three-wheel drive. Senan said: “We use one-wheel drive while working in the sheds and three-wheel drive around the yard. One-wheel drive offers great manoeuvrability – you can turn the machine on the spot. Meanwhile, three-wheel drive offers more traction around the yard, which is needed when it’s fully loaded.
Senan said that it takes around three minutes to clean and shake lime on 100 cubicles with the Bobman.
“The controls are very simple. Forward and reverse is on a pedal. After that, there are three handles. One lowers and lifts the rubber scraper that helps clean down the slats. The second opens out or tucks the brush back in. Meanwhile, the third tips/lowers the storage bunk for self-loading. Turning on the brush and operating the spreader is done by turning a switch.”
Improved herd health
“The Bobman means that none of us here who drive it skimp on applying lime on the cubicles. As a result, this has helped to improve hygiene. At the time I paid €22,000 which was a huge investment for such a specialised machine, but if I save one mastitis case a month it’s a €200 saving.
Senan said that it takes around three minutes to clean and shake lime on 100 cubicles with the Bobman.
So if it saves 1.5 cases per month, it’s paying for itself without accounting for the labour saving. It offers a huge time saving. When I put the clusters on the first 20 cows in the parlour, I run out with the Bobman and clean and bed the first 100 cubicles. By the time I’m back, the ACRs are just coming off. It takes around three minutes to do 100 cubicles”.
Senan said that three years after buying the Bobman SL, he could never see himself moving away from it. One of the few negatives was that at the start he found the steering a little heavy and that maybe power-assisted steering could be introduced. At the time he purchased it, a galvanised option wasn’t available. To date, he has clocked up just over 140 hours on the machine.
Although this seems quite low, he said it gets through that much work in such a little time, that it doesn’t clock up big hours. It’s serviced at every 100-hour interval at a cost of €130. Other than that, regular maintenance is only a matter of keeping the air filter clean. He said that it has performed completely trouble-free to date and intends to keep it for 10 years.
The spec
Model: Bobman SL
Engine: Two cylinder Kubota diesel engine with electric start
Fuel tank: 15 litres
Bunker: 1,000 litre capacity
Drive: 1WD or 3WD
Weight: 815kg
Speed: 12km/h
Length: 2.7m
Width: 1.2m
Starting price: €24,500 including VAT
With the recent expansion of the dairy herd across the country, many farmers have found themselves getting busier. As a result, many have turned to technology to help save time and labour.
One such farmer is Senan Glynn, based in Dunmore, Co Galway, who milks just over 190 cows in a spring-calving system. When attending a farm walk six years ago, Senan first witnessed a self-propelled cubicle sweeper and dispenser in action and immediately thought he could do with one on his farm.
With the good milk price three years ago, Senan decided to treat himself. Up to this point, he was scraping down all cubicles with a hand scraper before shaking out the lime by hand.
He said: “Each winter, I normally use 6-8t of lime on the cubicles. Before I bought the Bobman, all of this was being applied by hand. I was carrying a yard scraper and a 15kg bucket of lime around. It was a job neither I nor the relief milkers were fond of, but it had to be done. I don’t know myself since I moved to the Bobman. I could never go back.”
Running gear
The Danish-built machine is very simple. It is powered by a two-cylinder Kubota water-cooled diesel engine. Senan likes the design of the air inlet. The air is sucked in at the front of the machine, well away from any of the lime. He said it is extremely light on diesel, burning around five gallons every six weeks.
The Bobman SL is serviced at every 100 hour interval at a cost of €130.
Everything is powered by two hydraulic pumps, including the drive, brushing, scraping and spreading. It can be driven in either one-wheel drive or three-wheel drive. Senan said: “We use one-wheel drive while working in the sheds and three-wheel drive around the yard. One-wheel drive offers great manoeuvrability – you can turn the machine on the spot. Meanwhile, three-wheel drive offers more traction around the yard, which is needed when it’s fully loaded.
Senan said that it takes around three minutes to clean and shake lime on 100 cubicles with the Bobman.
“The controls are very simple. Forward and reverse is on a pedal. After that, there are three handles. One lowers and lifts the rubber scraper that helps clean down the slats. The second opens out or tucks the brush back in. Meanwhile, the third tips/lowers the storage bunk for self-loading. Turning on the brush and operating the spreader is done by turning a switch.”
Improved herd health
“The Bobman means that none of us here who drive it skimp on applying lime on the cubicles. As a result, this has helped to improve hygiene. At the time I paid €22,000 which was a huge investment for such a specialised machine, but if I save one mastitis case a month it’s a €200 saving.
Senan said that it takes around three minutes to clean and shake lime on 100 cubicles with the Bobman.
So if it saves 1.5 cases per month, it’s paying for itself without accounting for the labour saving. It offers a huge time saving. When I put the clusters on the first 20 cows in the parlour, I run out with the Bobman and clean and bed the first 100 cubicles. By the time I’m back, the ACRs are just coming off. It takes around three minutes to do 100 cubicles”.
Senan said that three years after buying the Bobman SL, he could never see himself moving away from it. One of the few negatives was that at the start he found the steering a little heavy and that maybe power-assisted steering could be introduced. At the time he purchased it, a galvanised option wasn’t available. To date, he has clocked up just over 140 hours on the machine.
Although this seems quite low, he said it gets through that much work in such a little time, that it doesn’t clock up big hours. It’s serviced at every 100-hour interval at a cost of €130. Other than that, regular maintenance is only a matter of keeping the air filter clean. He said that it has performed completely trouble-free to date and intends to keep it for 10 years.
The spec
Model: Bobman SL
Engine: Two cylinder Kubota diesel engine with electric start
Fuel tank: 15 litres
Bunker: 1,000 litre capacity
Drive: 1WD or 3WD
Weight: 815kg
Speed: 12km/h
Length: 2.7m
Width: 1.2m
Starting price: €24,500 including VAT
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