Growers wanting greater area coverage from a single reel irrigator have a new flagship option from Bauer’s Rainstar range.

The E55 XL is available with 125mm or 140mm diameter pipe manufactured in the firm’s Austrian factory and can cover up to 7.7ha a run.

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The newcomer is equipped with a galvanised steel chassis and integral hydraulic ground anchor to keep the drum stable in spite of the driving torque needed to reel-in the hose.

Pulling power is generated by Bauer’s TVR 60 radial water turbine, which works in conjunction with a four-speed gearbox, a 1.5in drive chain and large diameter sprocket.

The turbine’s design is meant to minimise water pressure loss, while the variable output nozzle should deliver full-stream flow over the turbine’s impeller at all times.

The new irrigator is controlled as standard by the Bauer Ecostar 4300 controller but the new Ecostar 6000 controller is an option and provides a 4.3in LED touch-screen for entering and adjusting settings.

The Ecostar 6000 can store up to 12 different irrigation programmes that define retraction speed, pre-irrigation, post-irrigation and speed zones, and collects operational data that can be stored for farm records.

The Rainstar E55 XL can also be managed through Bauer’s SmartRain mobile device app, which provides remote monitoring, alerts and control functions.