Muck and slurry equipment is rapidly growing in size in a bid to keep up with the prodigious outputs of many farm contractors, particularly those shifting digestate from AD plants.

We have picked out five of the most eye-catching new faces at Lamma, which include the first German-built Hawe muckspreader to reach the UK, galvanised slurry tankers from Belgian maker Dezwaef and a 4,500 gal machine from HiSpec.

See also: Lamma 2016: 7 big kit highlights from the ag machinery show

© Jonathan Page

Hawe muckspreader

Suffolk Farm Machinery was showing the first German-built Hawe muckspreader to arrive on UK shores.

Models range from 12t capacity up to contractor-style 30-tonners and come Isobus ready and with the option of applying variable rate muck.

Hawe’s design uses three rear beaters and tri-axle versions come with a rear steering axle and hydraulically sprung drawbar.

There’s also the option of removing the muckspreader body and fitting a grain chaser or ejector section to keep the rig busy year-round.

© Jonathan Page

Zunhammer tankers

Agrifac UK was showing its German import at the show – Zunhammer’s slurry and digestate haulage kit.

The new agreement means Agrifac now has a complete set of spreading kit in its repertoire, including store-to-field and spreading tankers for use on tractors units such as the Holmer TerraVariant and Claas Xerion.

On-stand was a full-spec tandem-axle tanker, as well as a liquid system designed to hitch a ride on a Holmer tractor unit. The latter has a tank volume of 21cu m and will apply up to 25cu m/ha through a Vogelsang X-till injector.

Features include a filling system that can function fully with the engine idling to reduce fuel consumption. Most of the key functions are dealt with via the in-cab joystick and the Isobus control automatically regulates spreading volume.

Claas Xerion muckspreader

Contractors serious about muckspreading will have been kicking the tyres of Claas’ forward-controlled Xerion Saddletrac, which can now be fitted with a purpose-built body that turns it into a self-propelled muckspreader.

The demount spreader – built by German maker Tebbe – has a total capacity of 13.2cu m and is built with 3mm steel plate.

Two hydraulically driven conveyor belts transport the muck to the rear of the spreader, where there is a slurry door and two chain-driven horizontal beaters.

After the muck passes through the beaters it drops on to two 1m-diameter spreading discs. These are shaft-driven with overload protection and have four vanes to give an even spread.

The spreader fits on Claas’ Xerion 4000 Saddletrac, which has the cab positioned at the very front of the machine to give a large rear deck. Maximum power output is 435hp and this drives a CVT transmission with a top speed of 50kph.

© Jonathan Page

Dezwaef tanker

Wiltshire-based importer HVM Agri is now bringing in galvanised slurry tankers from Belgian maker Dezwaef.

So far one machine has been sold to a UK farmer – a 2,500 gal model – and it has a twin-axle 3,500-litre demonstrator running this season.

This is fitted with a steering rear axle, 7m trailing shoe mounted off a hydraulic three-point linkage and front-mounted turbo filler that slices 40% off the filling time.

To help iron out the bumps the tanker also has air-suspended axles and hydraulic suspension on the drawbar. This apparently gives a smoother ride than a standard sprung drawbar.

The fully specced machine on show at Lamma has a list price of about £50,000 and a prices for the twin-axle 2,500 gal model start at £25,000.

© Jonathan Page

HiSpec 4,500 gal tanker

Whopping tri-axle tankers were out in force at this year’s Lamma show, including this one from County Carlow based HiSpec.

The 4,500 gal machine is destined to deal with digestate from AD plants and comes with an auto top-fill attachment so that the spreader can draw directly from it.

There’s also an 8in auto filler at the front for faster filling.

To help get it round corners it as steering front and rear axles and its got leaf springs all round as well as a sprung drawbar.

ABS brakes are available, but they’re not fitted on this particular model. The list price for this machine is £42,000.