One of the more interesting machines that is likely to appear at the upcoming Agritechnica agricultural machinery show (in Germany) is the Fliegl Twist.
To limit soil compaction and damage, the manufacturer reckons that a slurry tanker shouldn’t follow a tractor’s wheel-tracks. Instead, its wheels should each follow a new path – thus avoiding rutting across a field.
In other words, Fliegl says that a slurry tanker should ‘crab’ behind the tractor – similar to the way in which some self-propelled machines spread their weight across a wider path.
To this end, Fliegl has built a special (single-axle) slurry tanker that incorporates a ‘crab-steer’ facility.
On the road, the tanker trails directly behind the tractor. However, in the field, the rear of the tanker runs offset – by approximately 1m.
According to media outlet Materiel Agricole, the so-called Twist will be available from mid-2020.
Novel bale transporter
In related news, Fliegl recently developed a self-loading bale trailer/transporter.
The so-called ‘Picker’ (pictured below) is designed to load and carry round bales (with a diameter from 1.2m to 1.8m).
According to Czech outlet Agroportal24h, the machine has a drawbar that can be offset – to change from its transport to its working/loading position. The ‘Picker’ can, as its name might suggest, pick up bales on-the-move.
Once loaded, bales are shunted towards the rear on a full-width belt. This same belt is subsequently used to unload the machine – by moving each bale onto a special frame at the back.
Of course, Fliegl – a well-known manufacturer of trailers for both commercial and agricultural use – is no stranger to innovation.
