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Zero-grazing is a concept that has been around for a number of years now, but with the increasing dairy herd and challenges such as fragmented farms and testing weather conditions, it has become increasingly popular in recent times.
Based in Castledermot, Co Kildare, Jimmy Nolan runs an agricultural contracting enterprise offering square baling, slurry spreading and, more recently, contract zero-grazing on hire.
In 2016, after exploring the market and researching other zero-grazing machines, Jimmy made the decision to buy a Zero Grazer ZG80, a 40m3 capacity machine with a 2.1m drum mower.
At the time, the ZG80 was not available with a disc mower, although as of this year a 2.2m disc mower is available on the ZG80 models.
He originally intended to use the machine solely for his own beef farm, cleaning up ground in the spring before closing off meadows for silage.
It was one of the few zero-grazing machines in the area at the time, so local farmers, dairy in particular, approached Jimmy to see if he would be interested in offering his Zero Grazer out on hire.
Three years on and Jimmy has anywhere between 20 and 25 customers, working on an on-call basis. He also recently started zero-grazing for his son’s new dairy enterprise.
Last summer, during the drought, Jimmy was at his busiest as farmers were housing cows and zero-grazing.
Mower and elevator
Jimmy’s ZG80 is fitted with a 2.1m Galfre drum mower. Each of the two drums has four blades that can be reversed. The larger machines in the range offer an 2.45m disc mower, a feature Jimmy would like to opt for when upgrading in the future. The mower bed floats on a linkage system with spring suspension following the ground contours well. Toplinks each side of the mower allow a precise cutting height to be selected.
The cut grass falls back and is caught by one of the nine finger rows within the gearbox-driven elevator and is then lifted up into the body of the machine. The gearbox is driven with a slip clutch PTO shaft to protect the elevator from overloading. Two hydraulic cylinders lift the elevator and mower unit, incorporating a soft ride suspension system.
When ordering the Zero Grazer, Jimmy made a point to fully spec the machine with 620/40 R22.5 BKT tyres. He explained that the Zero Grazer travels super, even in wetter conditions, rarely leaving a mark behind. The chassis sits on a heavy-duty square-framed bogie which allows the machine to remain stable when in cutting position. Jimmy pulls the Zero Grazer with his John Deere 6830.
He explained that “120hp would drive it comfortably, weight is just as important when working on slopes in the cutting position”.
Control box
The machine is operated from the cab using two spool valves and an electro-hydraulic control box comprising two switches. The electro-hydraulic control box operates solenoid blocks to control oil flow, so fewer spools are required. One switch operates the raising and lowering of the mower unit and operates movement of the floor. The second switch operates the opening and closing of the back door and the draw bar positioning, depending on switch position. Jimmy explained how simple the machine is to operate: “Simply put, the machine in its working position, engage the PTO, lower the mower and go.”
It travels at speeds of 9km/h on average, depending on crop.
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It is clear from speaking to Jimmy that he is more than impressed with his ZG80, explaining that it is a straightforward reliable machine. Having loaded and unloaded in excess of 1,000 loads last year alone with the machine, he has had no issues.
This year is Jimmy’s third season out with the machine and so far he has just replaced bushings, bearings and knife carriers, simply as a precaution and to avoid breakdowns throughout busy periods. Regular maintenance mainly consists of regular greasing of the three wide-angle shafts and ensuring the elevator chain is receiving sufficient lubrication from the auto oiler, noting that the small oil lines can easily block.
When buying his next machine, having found himself offering a hire service, he would opt for a Zero Grazer equipped with commercial axles and airbrakes as his new Massey Ferguson 7718 has a top speed of 50km/h. He is unsure whether he would upgrade to the next size machine (ZG100) as the ZG80 suits some of the yards he operates in.
The only issue Jimmy has had so far is lifting stones with the mower, especially in fresh reseeds where surface stones are more present. After breaking his rear window he decided to mount a clear plastic shield to save both himself from injury and the tractor’s windows.
Machine Specifications
Model: Zero Grazer ZG80.
Mower unit: Galfre two-drum mowing unit.
Cutting width: 2.1m.
Tyres: BKT 620/10 R22.5.
List price: €48,000 including VAT.
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