30 Declan Gilligan, Contractor, Co. Galway, Ireland – by Alistair Chambers
Spreading the workload
Declan Gilligan has had CLAAS machinery at the centre of his contracting operation for the past 10 years. Over that time he has used differing CLAAS machines from a UNIWRAP combination baler in 2012, to a TUCANO 440 combine, tractors and many different rakes and mowers. Declan runs a sizeable contracting operation based in the midlands of Ireland. The mainstays of his business are baling silage and a large contract to bulk spread fertiliser for one of Ireland’s retailers. The fertiliser spreading business means that Declan covers a huge geographical area surrounding his home yard in Eyrecourt, Country Galway. He spreads fertiliser on farms that can be as much as 60 miles from his base. This means that his fleet of tractors need to be reliable, fast and comfortable. Currently his tractor fleet consists of an ARION 640, ARION 650, AXION 830 and an AXION 840. The most recent addition to the fleet is the AXION 830 CMATIC, which arrived for the fertiliser spreading season of 2019. There were many reasons for the purchase, but the requirement for a massive oil flow to run the fully hydraulic bulk fertiliser spreader was a major factor. The AXION 830 comes with a class leading 140 litre per minute which comfortably met his needs. This and the fact that
“The perfect tractor to do long days and come home fresh.” Declan Gilligan Declan says that CLAAS tractors give “amazing comfort on the road” meant that the AXION 830 was the only option for his business. Declan can spend more than 14 hours on the move, either spreading or on the road between jobs, so comfort and ease of use are very important. The 830 was specified with full CMATIC vario spec which, Declan says, gives him the full range of speeds required to get “the job done for his customers in a timely and precise way”. Declan has also added autosteer to the AXION 830 and says that this in combination with the CLAAS’ “outstanding “ comfort make this the perfect tractor to do long days and come home fresh. Since getting the AXION 830 Declan has clocked up over 1500 hours per year, spreading 5,500 tonnes for material, either fertiliser or lime, and making 12 to 15 thousand bales of silage, hay and straw per year.
