Winter feeding can be a time consuming task for many farmers across the country, especially farmers feeding large quantities of round silage bales. Almost every farmer knows the inconvenience of removing both net and bale wrap before feeding out bales.
This laborious job has created opportunities for engineering firms to design and manufacture labour-saving feeding equipment to streamline the job. As a result, there are multiple bale handling concepts on the market, from bale unrollers to bale processors, to the simpler bale shear. Having spent some time earlier this year with the Blaney X10W baler unroller, we caught up with a farmer using a Tanco I70 plastic retaining bale shear to see this feeding method in action.
James Cronin runs a dairy and beef enterprise just outside Tramore, Co Waterford. James made the decision back in the early 2000s that silage bales suited his winter feeding system best, having made pit silage for a number of years. He operates his own baler and wrapper and makes upwards of 1,200 silage bales annually. This means there was a lot of time spent during the winter removing wrap net from bales, before using the old shear grab to feed out the bales.
The bucket easily attaches to the bale shear, leaving it more versatile around the farm.
Tanco I70 bale shear
Tanco was the first company to manufacture a bale shear with a net and plastic gripping mechanism, which they later patented. The jaw-like mechanism works together with the cutting blade, so once the blade is open fully, the jaw opens to catch the plastic. When the shear is closed, the jaw clamps onto the bale’s plastic, where it does not release until the shear is fully opened again.
James bought his Tanco I70 (now I73) in 2010, shortly after it came on the market, having liked the initial concept and compact, simple design. Since then, The I70 has streamlined the daily feeding routine, freeing up time in the mornings. It now takes less than half the time to feed compared to using his old grab. Feeding can now be done from start to finish without the need to leave the tractor cab. This is where, according to James, the majority of time is saved, as well as staying cleaner than before.
In the beginning, it took five to eight bales to get a feel for how they should be lifted to ensure plastic would be gripped and held on to. He explained that bales need to be up against the back plate where the gripping mechanism is, to ensure a good grip of the plastic can be got each and every time. The I70 weighs 450kg, leaving it strong yet compact on the tractor’s front loader. This is a particular feature James likes, as he travels to an outfarm to feed daily.
Standing the test of time
Now coming into its 10th year feeding on average of eight bales daily, the build quality of the I70 cant be faulted James says, having replaced only worn tines and hydraulic hoses since new. Recently, he purchased the bucket attachment for his I70, a simple bucket that slides in across its tines and locks in place using a pin. He noted that this adds to the versatility of the bale shear, meaning it is rarely removed from the loader now that other jobs such as meal feeding can be done using the bucket attachment. The i70 has now be replaced with the new i73 model, which is priced at €3,400 plus VAT or £3,200 plus VAT in Northern Ireland.
Read more
Double chop and double jobs in Co Down
Two-in-one Strautmann feeder/straw blower in Ireland doing the business
Change in weather brings feeding equipment out earlier
Winter feeding can be a time consuming task for many farmers across the country, especially farmers feeding large quantities of round silage bales. Almost every farmer knows the inconvenience of removing both net and bale wrap before feeding out bales.
This laborious job has created opportunities for engineering firms to design and manufacture labour-saving feeding equipment to streamline the job. As a result, there are multiple bale handling concepts on the market, from bale unrollers to bale processors, to the simpler bale shear. Having spent some time earlier this year with the Blaney X10W baler unroller, we caught up with a farmer using a Tanco I70 plastic retaining bale shear to see this feeding method in action.
James Cronin runs a dairy and beef enterprise just outside Tramore, Co Waterford. James made the decision back in the early 2000s that silage bales suited his winter feeding system best, having made pit silage for a number of years. He operates his own baler and wrapper and makes upwards of 1,200 silage bales annually. This means there was a lot of time spent during the winter removing wrap net from bales, before using the old shear grab to feed out the bales.
The bucket easily attaches to the bale shear, leaving it more versatile around the farm.
Tanco I70 bale shear
Tanco was the first company to manufacture a bale shear with a net and plastic gripping mechanism, which they later patented. The jaw-like mechanism works together with the cutting blade, so once the blade is open fully, the jaw opens to catch the plastic. When the shear is closed, the jaw clamps onto the bale’s plastic, where it does not release until the shear is fully opened again.
James bought his Tanco I70 (now I73) in 2010, shortly after it came on the market, having liked the initial concept and compact, simple design. Since then, The I70 has streamlined the daily feeding routine, freeing up time in the mornings. It now takes less than half the time to feed compared to using his old grab. Feeding can now be done from start to finish without the need to leave the tractor cab. This is where, according to James, the majority of time is saved, as well as staying cleaner than before.
In the beginning, it took five to eight bales to get a feel for how they should be lifted to ensure plastic would be gripped and held on to. He explained that bales need to be up against the back plate where the gripping mechanism is, to ensure a good grip of the plastic can be got each and every time. The I70 weighs 450kg, leaving it strong yet compact on the tractor’s front loader. This is a particular feature James likes, as he travels to an outfarm to feed daily.
Standing the test of time
Now coming into its 10th year feeding on average of eight bales daily, the build quality of the I70 cant be faulted James says, having replaced only worn tines and hydraulic hoses since new. Recently, he purchased the bucket attachment for his I70, a simple bucket that slides in across its tines and locks in place using a pin. He noted that this adds to the versatility of the bale shear, meaning it is rarely removed from the loader now that other jobs such as meal feeding can be done using the bucket attachment. The i70 has now be replaced with the new i73 model, which is priced at €3,400 plus VAT or £3,200 plus VAT in Northern Ireland.
Read more
Double chop and double jobs in Co Down
Two-in-one Strautmann feeder/straw blower in Ireland doing the business
Change in weather brings feeding equipment out earlier
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: