Drought Feeding Guide

Page 15

Minimum Maintenance = Maintenance Cost & Less Hassle With fewer moving parts, a chainless requires minimal ongoing maintenance and is easily the quietest of all mechanical feeders. When it’s time to feed out, all that’s required is the greasing of four bearings. Other feeder types are subject to a range of issues: • • • • •

Foreign matter causing blockages or damage Time consuming drive belt replacement Regular gearbox servicing (oil changes, etc) Replacement and sharpening of knives and flails A shortened lifespan from constant vibration.

Worn flails and drum, wrapped with baling twine of a bale processor. Stones or wood in a bale cause premature wear and maintenance.

Worn blades from grinding up whole bales in TMR after one season.

The original feed rotors of a 12 year old Chainless feeder, after feeding out in excess of 36,000 bales. Virtually no wearing parts.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“The Hustler bale feeder is reliable and easy to operate. It handles rounds and squares, runs 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and has been operating since 2003. It feeds evenly, and maintenance is virtually nil because there are no chains and the bearings are all sealed.” Paul Reynolds Rebaler, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

$100

$50

$0

$40

$1,200

$2,500

Approximate maintenance cost $80 over first three years

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