With recent spells of good weather welcomed, the housing of livestock has been postponed for many farmers. However, as it gets cooler and growth slows, the winter feeding season is not far away.

Nigel and Desmond Condell, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny.

If not already done, now is the time to look at the diet feeder before it’s pulled out of the shed and put to work. Or if already in use and just overdue a service, now is the time to do it. We visited FeedAll in Castlecomer to get the lowdown on servicing and maintaining a diet feeder regardless of type or brand. Alongside manufacturing its own diet feeder range, FeedAll specialise in the refurbishment and repair of all feeder makes and models, from full auger replacements to body realignments and resprays.

FeedAll based in Castlecomer specialises in the repair and refurbishment of all diet feeder makes and models.

There are two main types of diet feeder available – paddle and tub types. Tub feeders have generally fewer wearing parts in comparison to paddle feeders. Here, the PTO directly drives the 90° auger gearbox, with the addition of a two-speed gearbox upfront not uncommon. Whereas a paddle feeder has a series of paddles rotating around a central axis. This machine type generally consists of a number of chains, sprockets, bearings, rubbers and gearboxes. Both designs have their place on the market and work well once properly maintained.

Blunt knives should be replaced as they leave the machine harder to drive and affect chop quality and mix times.

Before starting any servicing on the machine, it may be worthwhile to give it a thorough wash down exposing all components leaving the machine easier to work on. Washing also helps expose potential cracks or wear that may go unnoticed otherwise.

Knives and wear parts

Once the feeder has been washed and disconnected from the tractor, inspect the tub and auger or, if it’s a paddle feeder, check its body and paddles for cracks and wear. Here, you should look for cracks or wear on the auger and sweeper arms. Pay close attention to auger flights and the main tube, which are the main points of contact with forage over the machine’s working life. Signs of severe flight wear are sharp blade-like edges where metal ends up wafer thin. Depending on condition and if spotted in time, the auger can be reinforced with wear strips.

The auger should be inspected for signs of excessive wear and cracks.

If beyond the point of saving, a new auger may need to be fitted. Nigel said: “A typical tub feeder should last a farmer feeding 150 cattle 10 seasons before needing refurbished if correctly maintained. The fitment of wear strips will typically cost in the region of €1,400 plus VAT with a complete new auger costing in the region of €1,800 plus VAT.” The side walls of the machine should also be examined for wear and dealt with in time if badly worn so the overall structure is not affected.

FeedAll provides a repair and refurbishment service, including the fitment of new augers and side walls.

Knife condition should be checked regularly and, if worn, they should be replaced. Nigel noted how most knives are self-sharpening and that it is worthwhile spending the extra few euro on quality hardened-edged knives which have an increased lifespan. He said: “Blunt knives will leave the machine harder powered, slower to mix and it will burn more diesel as result.” Buyers can expect to pay anywhere from €32 each for spurious knives to €45 plus VAT for hardened knives. When replacing blades, it is worthwhile replacing their nuts and bolts too.

PTO shafts should be greased and checked over, with all safety covers fully intact.

Gearbox and shafts

Gearboxes, once dry and not leaking, are often easily ignored. Oil levels should be monitored regularly by checking the sight glass on the gearbox itself (two-speed box) and on the expansion bottle (auger drive box). Nigel recommends replacing auger gearbox oil every 500 hours or before every season if possible. Different gearboxes require different amounts of oil so it may be worth checking with the manufacturer before draining. The gearbox powering the auger on a FeedAll machine requires 18 litres of 85 W140 oil for example.

Both the auger gearbox and two-speed gearbox should have oil level regularly checked and replaced at the outlined intervals.

Fitted to the front of many feeders is a two-speed gearbox. Its oil should also be changed every 500 hours or every season depending on the amount of work done. It may be worth inspecting oil quality even if levels are OK as milky looking oil indicates water is present. This oil needs to be replaced regardless of how long it has been in the gearbox. Advised service intervals may vary depending on manufacturer so it may be worth checking with your service agent or dealer. Check gearbox oil levels regularly over the working season. In the event of auger gearbox failure a replacement will cost in the region of €2,500 plus VAT.

Auger gearbox oil should be replaced every 500 hours.

A machine not fitted with a dual-speed gearbox will be fitted with two block bearings. Both should be checked for play and greased regularly throughout the feeding season. This ultimately determines their lifespan.

No different to any other machine, all shafts should be removed and checked over before use after being parked for a prolonged period. The sliding profiles should be removed and pulled out of each other, the heads and the crosses should all be greased. Locking pins should be functional with little to no wear.

Machines without a two-speed gearbox will have two block bearings that need to be regularly greased.

All PTO covers should be present and fully functional. The purpose of any cover is to ensure its chains are present and secured to both the machine and tractor’s U-guard while in use.

Discharge doors electrics

Doors on most diet feeders are straightforward. The hydraulic ram on each door should be inspected for damage or leaks. Oil leaks can either be from old perished hydraulic hoses or damaged oil seals. Often, machines fitted with multiple doors may have a door that is not used very often. These rams should have grease applied to their chrome to prevent corrosion which could damage oil seals once used.

A quick calibration method to test weigh cells is to place a known weight in each corner of the feeder and check to see if readings are equal and correct.

The sliding door profiles should be greased and the doors in this general area checked for wear. Any rubbers fitted should be replaced if damaged or worn. When checking the condition of hydraulic hoses, ensure cables running to the weigh cells (if fitted) are not damaged. Nigel noted that it is very common for these cables to be chewed by rats.

The most common cause of weigh cell failure is damage to the cables caused by rats.

To check the accuracy of the weigh cells, place a known weight such as a 25kg bag of feed into the feeder and see does the screen register 25kg, doing this in each corner to see are readings consistent.

Nigel said: “Weigh cells are generally trouble free once their cables are kept in good order. In a rare occasion a cell may become faulty and have to be replaced”.

Chassis, axles, and brakes

Some machines are built on an individual chassis while others have the chassis integrated into the body. Either way, it is worthwhile having a quick look for cracks or damage.

Some single-axle machines are offered on springs while some are rigid. An option worth having, Nigel said: “Not only on the road are springs a help but more importantly when loading and mixing, they help absorb the sudden impact of feed being tipped over the sides. Check that both leaf springs are intact and their U-bolts are tight. A tandem-axle machine will be more complicated due to the number of moving parts. These moving parts need to be checked over and greased regularly.”

The chassis, axle(s) and springs should all be inspected and brakes fully functional.

The torque of the axle’s U-bolts should be checked and that brakes are fully functional. In the event brakes are in need of repair, it may be worthwhile having this looked after by a dealer or manufacturer. The handbrake or breakaway system should be working if fitted. When the breakaway cable is pulled, the wheels should lock up. Tyre condition and pressures should be assessed and inflated to the recommended pressures. Wheel nuts should be torqued based on manufacturer recommendations too.

Tyre condition and wheel nut tightness should be checked.

General points.

The towing eye should be inspected for wear, especially on the older machines. On many feeders, replacing a worn towing eye is a matter of cutting off the worn eye and welding on a new one. For diet feeders with a split drawbar and bolt-on towing eye section, it can be replaced by simply replacing the full front section or by cutting off the eye and welding on a new one. Either way, a split drawbar should have its bolts’ torque checked.

More often than not these machines remain within the farmyard for the majority of their life. However, farmers should still take the time to ensure lights are intact and working. Often lighting issues can be as little as a blown bulb or corrosion issue within the seven-pin plug. All hydraulic fittings should be intact and not leaking.

All chains and sprockets on paddle feeders need to be checked for wear.

When talking about machine maintenance, one piece of advice Nigel gave was: “My advice would be – ‘A stitch in time’. All machines will wear, just how quickly depends on use and maintenance. Farmers that take the right approach and practise good machine maintenance, dealing with wear and tear in time, will have a lower overall running cost.”

Paddle feeders

Paddle feeder maintenance will differ in some respects given the nature of the machine. The main points that differ are the actual body and paddles along with the associated running gear. The paddles themselves should be inspected for wear along with each of their rubbers. Nigel noted how floor thickness is important to check on these machines as a weakened floor can affect a machine’s alignment. If the body of the feeder can be seen to be flexing, this generally indicates the body is in need of attention.

Paddle feeders should have all chains and sprockets checked over and replaced or tensioned if needed.

All chains and sprockets on paddle machines need to be inspected for wear and replaced accordingly. Chain tension may need to be adjusted. The lifespan of a chain will hugely depend on how well and how frequently it is oiled while in use. All bearings should be checked for play. Similar to chains, if maintained correctly there should be few issues. Bearings, especially the main central paddle bearings, need to be greased regularly throughout the feeding season, keeping in mind that prevention is the best cure.