A new six-wheel-drive slurry tanker made in Ireland is set to help farmers safely navigate tough hills and soft, wet ground. Its ground-driven axle and additional tyres will enable slurry spreading in wetter conditions.
The Slurry-TEK tanker is expected to be available on the island by the end of September. The company specialises in rain gun technology, and focuses on products that facilitate safer spreading on dangerous ground.
The position of the axle means that there is always slurry below its centreline. The tank has the axle running through the chamber, which lowers the tank’s position and reduces its centre of gravity. It holds the slurry in a more stable position (so it can’t slosh around as much), and makes it less likely for the machine to overbalance on tough hills or tight bends.
What’s more, because the tanker sits 16 inches lower, the operator has better visibility. There are fewer blind spots, which improves safety if they are working in yards where there are other operators working or children nearby.
Some customers have even been able to spread slurry on land previously inaccessible to tankers.
The LCG (low centre of gravity) tanker is especially sought after in Cork, and the South-West, in steeper, more mountainous terrain. It should also cause less damage to the ground. It’s driven rather than being dragged, meaning that the tractor isn’t doing all the work to move the tank forward.