Located centrally between the towns of Ballybrittas and Monasterevin on the Laois side of the border with Kildare, Enda Luttrell and his father Peter are suckler and tillage farmers farming 120ha.

The farm recently commemorated 100 years of Shorthorn cattle on the Luttrell farm, a breed Peter and Enda feel very passionate about. The herd is made up of 100 predominantly purebred and crossbred Shorthorn cows.

Enda Lutterell.

On the tillage side of the business, a mix of winter, spring and fodder crops are grown.

In 2014, Enda graduated from UCD having studied animal crop production. He then worked with Origin Fertilisers in England for four years before returning home to farm in 2018 alongside his father.

One of his aims coming home was to reduce the workload on the farm where possible.

The Kuhn Primor 3570 M straw blower has a capacity of 3.5cm3 or two round bales of straw.

“With the way farming has gone, it’s all about making efficient use of your time, or as the saying goes ‘work smarter, not harder’. Bedding always took up a large part of the winter workload.”

To help reduce this daily workload over winter, the Luttrells made the decision to invest in a straw blower during autumn 2018.

Consequently, Enda researched a number of machines and spoke to farmers that had them, including Teagle, Kuhn and McHale. Based on good reports and a successful demonstration from nearby Kuhn dealer E V Condell, he opted for the 3570 M.

Saving time and straw

Three weeks into its fourth winter, bedding in the region of 600 bales annually, Enda has a good fix on the machine. Not only has it reduced bedding time sixfold, it has brought a number of other benefits.

The rotor is fitted with 24 double-sided serrated knives.

He explained: “What used to be a chore is now a quick easy job. Using up six bales daily would have taken anywhere up to 20 minutes per bale by the time it was lifted into place and shaken out. Now 20 minutes sees all bedding done from start to finish.

“The straw blower leaves a much better bed with less straw. Straw is fluffed up, with no layers or lumps scattered. Given that it is chopped, soakage seems to be better too.

“Initially, we were using the same amount of straw as we had previously. We soon figured it was too much. Depending on the weather, little and often tends to be the best approach.

The Polydrive system allows the rotor to be independently engaged via a hydraulic belt tensioner.

“Before, it was a matter of using the entire bale once it was opened in the shed. It wasn’t worth the additional labour taking the excess away. Now all that’s required is used with the remainder left in the blower.

“What was common during bedding was the cows and calves would run around, pawing and playing in the fresh straw as we’d shake it out. Now that we do not need to leave the cab, there is no possibility of getting hurt or knocked over.

Once the single-acting spool is pressurised the rear controls can be used.

“From a health aspect, we’re no longer near the straw if it’s dusty, which would have been the case shaking it out before.

“Since we use all our own straw, we don’t see the direct saving of buying less straw. But where we do see the saving is that we can now afford to sell an extra lorry load each year. It adds up to a considerable amount given the current market.”

Features

With a capacity of 3.5m3, the Primor 3570 M is the smallest trailed straw blower Kuhn offers without going down the route of the 2060 M (2m3) mounted or semi-mounted machine. The trailed range comprises three larger models too – 4.2m3, 5.5m3 and 15m3.

There is a stone trap located between the door hinge and floor chains.

Like the majority of straw blowers on the market, the Primor range doubles up as a silage feeder, an application Enda has not or does not intend using the machine for, since there is a diet feeder on the farm.

The blower can be loaded from the cab or while standing at the rear of the machine using the rear control box once the single spool has been pressurised.

Both hands are required to operate the rear door and floor via the exterior control box. A safety button needs to be pressed.

Each of the knife sections is reversible.

A scale to the front of the blower indicates the rear door position from the cab. Enda tends to use the rear controls during loading.

Firstly, he removes half the net and rolls the bale on to the tail door. The door is then lifted slightly, holding the bale in place before fully removing its net and closing the door. Using the floor, he then moves the bale towards the rotor and blower and loads a second bale if required.

Floor speed is adjusted from the cab control box through 10 settings (1-10) displayed on a scale to the front of the blower.

The 300° swivel chute claims a blow distance of 18m.

The floor can be reversed at the flick of a switch if needed. There is a stone trap positioned between the door hinge and floor, which Enda noted as a good feature.

The rotor chops and presents straw to the blower. It is fitted with eight discs with a total of 24 straight knives.

Enda outlined that the knives are reversible and that now, three weeks into their fourth winter, have not yet been touched.

A bank of manually adjustable tines pass between the knives, helping cut the straw while altering its flow. This feature can be hydraulically adjustable if opted for.

Blower and drive

The Primor uses a 1.25m blower flywheel, which is fitted with eight bolt-on paddles, two of which are longer than the others. Kuhn says this creates a speed differential for an even spread. The bottom of the blower housing is made from stainless steel for wear purposes.

Kuhn claims that the 3570 M has a blow distance of 18m when the chute is to the right side. Enda feels this depends a lot on factors such as wind, floor speed and the type of straw being bedded.

The Primor 3570 M has a 3.5m3 capacity.

However, he said the longest blow is four spans, which equates to around 19m, which it is just about capable of. The hydraulically operated chute can be swivelled up to 300° using the small four-way joystick.

On initial start-up, the Kuhn Polydrive system engages the blower independently of the rotor. At the press of a switch, the hydraulic belt tensioner engages the rotor.

Not only does this ease the load on the tractor during start-up, it allows the blower to achieve full speed before straw is fed in, minimising the risk of blockage. Enda often just disengages the rotor while moving between sheds.

Enda noted that the control box is easy used.

The Luttrells drive the straw blower using a Massey Ferguson 5455 in 540 Eco at roughly 1,600rpm. Enda complimented the manoeuvrability of the tractor and blower combination. Up front and centre is a two-speed manually selectable gearbox which offers speeds of 270rpm and 540rpm. The slower of the two is designed for feeding silage while the latter is for bedding.

Requiring just one single-acting spool valve and a free-flow return, the Primor 3570 M can be operated on tractors as small 51hp once hydraulic flow is 30l/min or more.

Verdict

“The move to a straw blower has been one of the better decisions made on the farm and is now a tool we wouldn’t do without.

“The major benefit is the time it saves. It has certainly freed up at least an hour each day that we can allocate to other jobs. We keep 600 store lambs this time of year. That hour can be spent managing them.

“I believe farming nowadays is about making efficient use of your time. This is a perfect example of a machine that helps do that. Not only does it result in time savings, but financial savings too.

“After three full winters, we’ve noticed that sheds are easier cleaned out after the blower. Dung is better broken down with fewer lumps, which leaves it easier to spread.

“It hasn’t given a minute’s bother so far. Its build quality and paintwork seem top class, something I consider very important with any machine if it’s to last,” said Enda.

Likes

  • Build quality.
  • Simplicity.
  • Reliability.
  • Dislikes

  • Chute grease nipples can be hard to access.
  • Spec

  • Model: 3570 M.
  • Capacity: 3.5m3.
  • Weight: 2,380kg.
  • Knives: 24.
  • Power requirement: 51hp.
  • Hydraulic requirement: One single-acting spool and free-flow return.
  • Flow requirement: 30l/min.
  • Chute swivel angle: 300°.
  • Max discharge distance: 18m (to right).
  • Control: Electric.
  • Price: €19,000 plus VAT.