Machinery

Apr 1, 2001 12:00 PM

Bale slicer for skids

Precision Farm Machinery (PFM) introduces a bale slicer designed for use on skid steers instead of traditional tractor mounting. The series 600-20 bale slicer cuts open bales of hay, straw or silage in a few seconds and chops them into loose hay in a couple of minutes for indoor or outdoor feeding or bedding, the company claims. A large, double-acting hydraulic cylinder powers the knife. Four bale spears carry the bale securely from storage to the feeding location. The bale slicer has a universal mount to fit all newer makes of skid steers. Suggested list price: $2,280. Contact PFM, Dept. FIN, 801 Second Ave. S.E., Oelwein, IA 50662, 319/283-5695, www.abcoveyor.com.

Save a pump

A Savepump device attached to a field sprayer will detect failure of the pump and alert the operator before total pump destruction occurs. The device, manufactured by Comet, works only on Comet pumps. It consists of an electronic control board and one or two sensors that plug into the pump crank case. It retails for $400. Contact UNICO Distributing Co., Dept. FIN, 3807 S. Packard Ave., St. Francis, WI 53235, 800/331-7727, www.cometpumps.com.

Plug-free shredder

Reduce hairpinning when chopping corn stalks, rice straw and wheat straw for residue on no-till acres with the new 1800 series flail shredders by Sukup Manufacturing Company. L knives on the rotor are mounted to leave a gap between the knives so that stalks pass through and get chopped without getting caught, according to Nicole Poock, Sukup's director of advertising. “But the knives also overlap, so that when they are spinning, residue gets hit frequently,” she says.

The multipurpose shredders come in 20- or 25-ft., mounted or pull-type models and have a cutting width of about 19 to 25 ft. Suggested list price starts at $12,900. Contact Sukup Mfg. Co., Dept. FIN, Box 677, 1555 255th St., Sheffield, IA 50475, 641/892-4222, www.sukup.com.