In response to the dribble bar omission from TAMS III, well-known Cavan slurry equipment manufacturer Mastek has unveiled a new FlexiShoe trailing shoe applicator.
The firm says it has been designed to address the concerns of farmers who have been struggling with the limitations of traditional trailing shoe designs.
Mastek managing director Paul Quinn said: “Farmers are concerned because the new TAMS III scheme has not included dribble bars, which means they have to purchase trailing shoes.
However, traditional trailing shoes are not suitable for all farms, particularly those with hilly or uneven fields and stoney ground and for farmers with smaller-horsepower tractors.”
Mastek said its engineers set out to create a new type of trailing shoe that will satisfy both farmers’ requirements and meet the TAMS III specifications which states that the equipment must “split the grass and place the slurry directly on to the soil”.
The FlexiShoe
The FlexiShoe can be door – or chassis-mounted, and weighs in at less than 500kg. It is equipped with heavy lay flat hose, a rubber boot and coulter to split the sward. It also has a boom breakaway system.
The FlexiShoe features Mastek’s SuperCut macerator. As with the firm’s universal PUDB range, the FlexiShoe will be available in 7.6m and 9.2m working widths to begin, while Mastek has said it plans to introduce the concept to wider applicators and its umbilical range later in the year.
The 7.6m FlexiShoe is priced at €16,500 inc VAT, which is €4,000 including VAT less than the firm’s traditional 7.5m trailing shoe, but is priced at €2,000 including VAT more than the same-sized dribble bar. Meanwhile, in terms of the larger unit, the 9.2m FlexiShoe is priced at €18,500 inc VAT. This comes in €7,000 including VAT cheaper than the firm’s same-sized trailing shoe, and €3,000 including VAT more expensive than the same-sized dribble bar.
