Watch: Galway dairy farmer clocks up 1,500 hours in 122hp Weidemann 5080T

Milking 130 pedigree Holstein cows near Dunmore in Galway, Darragh Ryder recently found himself in the market for a new telescopic handler. He purchased a new machine as cow numbers were increasing and the farm workhorse at the time, a 1996 Moffett MFT, needed to be upgraded.

Before buying the Weidemann 5080T, Darragh looked into a number of other brands including JCB, Schaffer, and Merlo. He explained that he needed a machine that was compact to suit the layout of his farmyard. In addition, not only would the machine be used on typical dairy farm tasks such as pushing in zero-grazed grass or loading a diet feeder, but it would also be used to push up the silage in the summer months.

Darragh opted for the 5080T based on its compact dimensions, high horsepower and the optional high speed hydraulics. These features, in conjunction with the reputation of the German manufacturer and the fact Kirrane Machinery, a Weidemann dealer, were located in close proximity, swung Darragh in the direction of Weidemann.

Engine and Transmission

The 5080T comes with two engine options. Both engines are four cylinder Perkins, one has a 75hp (55.4kW) output while the second has a larger 122hp (90kW) output. As the loader is used for pushing up silage, Darragh opted for the larger engine. “The 122hp Perkins engine is very lively and it has loads of power. It seems to be quite efficient on AdBlue too. When we’re working the loader hard at silage, it would burn around 10 litres in two days. Normally, we get three to four tanks of diesel from one fill of AdBlue,” he explained.

The handler is equipped with a hydrostatic transmission. “The transmission has two ranges, low and high. Our loader has a maximum forward speed of 30km/h. If I had my time back, I would have opted for the 40km/h option,” Darragh added.

Cab

He emphasised that there is super visibility all around the machine from the driver seat, noting that he really liked the control layout, especially the joystick. All major functions including the linkage movement, forward/reverse shuttle, telescoping of the boom and the third hydraulic service are carried out through the joystick.

One point he picked up on was that the cab is a little crammed and the addition of a passenger seat and slightly wider cab would be welcomed. He also noticed that the standard lighting package is quite poor. As a result, he replaced them with retro-fitted LED lights.

A unique feature offered by Weidemann is the ability to tilt the cab over to one side. This is a two minute job carried out by opening two 24mm nuts, and jacking it up. This in turn offers easy access to the engine, hydraulic system and electronics. The engine bonnet can also be opened up wide, allowing for easy routine servicing.

Another feature that led Darragh to buy a Weidemann was the simplicity of the articulated pendulum joint. The joint allows both the front and rear carriage to oscillate independently of each other. This main central joint is fully greasable.

Performance on the pit

To feed his herd of Holstein cows, Darragh typically takes three cuts of silage off 70ac. In addition, he puts up approximately 50ac of silage for a neighbour. To tackle pushing up silage, the 5080T is equipped with dual wheels on the front. The machine featured is fitted with 550/45-22.5 tyres, the largest tyre offering available.

Darragh explained that the handler has load power and hydraulic capacity to deal with an 8ft rake on the pit. On a 12 mile round trip draw, the handler keeps the grass of four forage wagons pushed up at its ease. He also noted that it’s steady, despite only being 6ft wide without the inclusion of the duals.

On the pit, the one area where the loader ran into trouble was that the driveshaft underneath was very exposed. As a result, grass was getting ravelled around the shaft. To overcome this, Darragh made a cover to protect the drive shaft at both the front and rear of the machine. This solved the problem, but he noted a little more ground clearance would help on the pit.

He also noticed that if the pit face gets too steep, the hydrostatic transmission will “sit like a duck”. But in fairness, the loader is very nimble and provides for a nice working environment, punching above its weight.

In the yard

Over the winter months, the 5080T is used to operate a number of attachments, such as a McHale bale splitter and a 7ft OCE shear bucket with a 1t capacity. This particular machine is equipped with a Matbro type pin and cone headstock. Darragh explained that the handler is a lovely machine to drive and that he would happily stay on it all day, but there is one issue that lets it down when hopping in and out around the yard.

The machine’s boom suspension is activated using two switches, rather than most loaders which have just the one switch. However, Darragh’s problem is that every time he gets off the operator’s seat, the boom suspension automatically disengages itself. He says that this isn’t ideal, as the boom suspension needs to be engaged when driving around any yard.