The fading of the splash plate in favour of ground level application of slurry has led to the adoption of 7.5m as being the standard width for dribble bar-type booms.
Yet the industry never stands still, and can barely see any sort of standard without wanting to challenge it within 5mins of its establishment.
Doubling the standard
This is what Slurrykat has just done by designing a boom of double that width. Despite this extra reach, the 15m boom still folds into a transport height of just 3.2m, the same as the company's 7.5m booms.
The booms manage this with a novel tri-folding design. The outer booms fold first, followed by the inner booms. The machine then lifts vertically into the transport position.
It is claimed that the first full production machines will operate at an impressive flow rate of up to 300m, or around 60,000 gallons/hr. Which, if fitted to a 3,000gal tanker, gives a theoretical emptying time of 3mins.
New dribble bar is wider but lighter
This is quite a step up from the normal application rate and to maintain such a flow, the size of the tanker pump may need to be revisited.
The company also claims that the 15m boom is actually lighter than its 12m offering which, when coupled with the use of stronger steel, ensures that the machine weight is minimised.
The extra width does mean an overall reduction in field traffic, halving the damage caused by soil compaction, especially early in the season when soils will still be damp.
Dual use dribble bar
However, the impact of field traffic can be reduced even further by using the boom attached to an umbilical system, to which it is ideally suited.
This may be of particular interest to contractors wishing to move between the two systems.
Prices start from £24,250 plus VAT. Isobus control and flow meters are also available as options.
