Stihl Launches BT140, Its First Battery-Powered Auger
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
Aimed at the contractor market, or at end users who demand a top-quality machine to achieve low operating costs, the Bunning Lowlander GT4 muck spreaders, imported into the North Island by Hamilton-based Ag and Civil Limited, fits the bill.
Designed to spread all types of manure, the key 105 Compact and 150 models both feature a fully welded, heavy-duty construction, using 4mm steel plate for the sides and 5mm thick material for the floor. With capacities of 12.6 and 16.6 tonnes respectively, a 1500mm wide, tapered body can carry loads of 12.9 to 21 cubic metres. This is moved rearwards, by a variable speed hydraulic floor drive, utilising a combination of 16mm/32 tonne capacity floor chains and full-width beaters.
At the rear of the machine, dynamically balanced, twin vertical beaters take their drive from a centrally mounted gearbox, with an intermediate cushioned drive to protect against shock loads.
In the event of an immoveable object shear bolt protection in the beater driveline prevents damage.
Equipped with 10mm thick Boron steel flights and cutters, the rotors offer spreading widths of up to 16 metres, depending on material, with a rear canopy for spreading fine materials like chicken manure.
Meanwhile, a lift-off configuration, means the rotor module can be quickly removed to allow the trailer to be used for other haulage duties.
Both machines feature on-board weighing systems, in the case of the 105, a Topcon GT400 system, while the 150 model uses a full specification ISOSCAN application rate controller, allowing a targeted application rated by automatically adjusting the floor speed to travel speed, or via a predefined application map can be loaded via the USB port. The system also allows live weighing using 20-tonne weigh cells situated on both axle and drawbar.
Standard equipment includes a rear vertical slurry door, 1000 rpm PTO input, hydraulic brakes and parking jack, with the whole machine covered by a three-year warranty.
B+LNZ's Wormwise veterinarian Mary Bowron has won the Best Sheep and Beef Vet of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector.
Researchers at Massey University are using a special piece of scientific equipment to improve the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from pasture soils.
More signs of a booming kiwifruit sector.
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Opuha Dam's ability to protect South Canterbury communities from major flooding has taken a significant step forward, with Opuha Water Limited (OWL) successfully commissioning a new outlet valve capable of releasing record volumes of water from the dam ahead of a weather event.

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