| Slurry
Making best use of a valuable resource
Of all the techniques available for putting cattle slurry on to grassland, the simple dribble
bar has become the firm favourite amongst farmers in Scotland, according to a
contractor’s experience.
ee Dacre has been
handling farm
slurry pretty much
since he started
contracting 12
years ago,
operating on dairy and beef farms
south-west of Dumfries. He runs
two umbilical outfits, each
comprising a tractor-mounted
dribble bar, a reeler for the hose,
and an engine-powered pumping
set.
L
“Running costs have been
absolutely zero over the past
four years and 3700 hours of
work, even though it’s handled
around 70 million gallons of
slurry in that time”
The pump set supplied by
Bauer dealer Gordons at Castle
Douglas features a Bauer Magnum
SX2000 centrifugal pump, which in
a true sense is the beating heart of
the whole operation.
“The pump has a big influence
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on our efficiency and running
costs,” says Lee Dacre. “We’re
typically pumping slurry on level
going at close to 200cu m/hr but
more like 120-140cu m/hr uphill
when it can be a hard slog for the
engine, but it’s a fuel-efficient outfit
thanks to the efficiency of the
pump.
“The Bauer Magnum is not
cheap because of the specification
and high quality materials used,”
he acknowledges. ”But running
costs have been absolutely zero
over the past four years and 3700
hours of work, even though it’s
handled around 70 million gallons
of slurry in that time.”
Apart from changing the
gearbox oil and adjusting the
cutter plate twice a year to
compensate for slight impeller
wear, the unit has not been
touched, he adds. And re-setting
the cutter plate is a simple 15-20
minute job completed using
externally-mounted adjusters.
“When the time comes to a
change the different make of that’s
on a set I bought second-hand,
there’ll be another Magnum going
in, no question, because of its
proven performance, durability
and low running costs,” says Mr
Dacre.
Magnum SX centrifugal pumps
feature a suction flange with a
ribbed inlet and flow control
function, an impeller of spheroidal
graphite iron with hardened cutting
edges and a cutting flange made
of chromium steel casting.
Back vanes on the cast impeller
keep the large seal area free of
debris and the lack of internal bolt
heads minimises turbulence inside
the impeller housing.
October 2017 | Farming Monthly | 35