Techneat Engineering’s specialist applicators are now available through a new hire scheme, which offers the chance to avoid capital expenditure or to try out a machine before committing to a purchase.

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The service covers tractor-mounted and trailed Multicast granule applicators; the Weed Wizard 6m three-bed spot sprayer for row crops and carrot, leek and onion beds; and the Placement Pro GR fertiliser band application kit.

Farms can also hire a bundle of 20 Vari-Scary gas guns or Rotoscare bird scarers through the service, while outdoor pig producers can quickly get their hands on a Con-Tented Easy Feed trailed dispenser with a 3t capacity plastic hopper, front-mounted discharge auger and galvanised steel chassis.

Alternative to buying

Techneat Hire is described as a new service designed to give UK farmers and growers flexible, affordable access to the latest precision application technology, direct from the manufacturer.

The Cambridgeshire-based company has been designing and manufacturing spraying, spreading and applicator systems for the past three decades and wanted to offer an alternative to an outright purchase as technology investment decisions have come under pressure.

Growers can hire the seasonal kit for anything from a day to a month or more, either as a matter of policy to avoid capital expenditure, to match equipment to prevailing workloads or projects, or to try out application techniques before committing to a purchase.

The list price of a 400-litre tractor-mounted Multicast with 12m boom and Garmin GPS is £14,923, but it can be hired daily for £350, weekly for £1,075 or monthly for £2,800.

Techneat emphasises that every unit in the hire fleet is built, serviced and maintained by the engineers who designed it, with technical advice also provided by the company’s in-house engineers.