Farming, agricultural contracting and carrying out some civil engineering works in Co Offaly, Michael Kelly takes pride in his machinery and the work he does. This means that when making an investment in machinery, he carefully analyses all of his options.
In recent years, when his farmer clients requested he spread their slurry with a low emission application system, Michael took to the marketplace to check out his options. In the middle of his search for the right system, he saw a slurry tanker working in a field with an Alstrong front-mounted trailing shoe. Something he hadn’t seen before, he was intrigued by its design. He watched the machine in operation, before making enquires and contacting the Galway manufacturer. Also in the market for a new slurry tanker at the same time, he ended up buying a new 3,500-gallon Redrock tandem-axle tanker from Alstrong, and fitting the company’s bespoke 10m front-mounted trailing shoe.
Who builds them?
These front-mounted trailing shoes are built by Alstrong Ltd in Co Galway. Alstrong specialises in the design and manufacture of aerators and pasture rejuvenation equipment, most notably the Auctus one-pass reseeding machine. The business was set up and continues to be run by Alan Winters, a trained fitter fabricator by trade.
“After a request from a local contractor five years ago, we built a few front mounted dribble bars to begin with which were grant aided under TAMS II funding. When TAMS III was announced, obviously it only grant aided the purchase of trailing shoes. My local contractor, who we had already built two front-mounted dribble bar units for, then asked me to design and build a front-mounted trailing shoe and I couldn’t resist the challenge. This was three years ago, and to the best of my knowledge it hadn’t been done before at the time. We built this first unit on a 10-year-old 2,500-gallon HiSpec tanker and it worked perfectly. Since then, we have retrofitted numerous systems to both older tanks and also to new tankers of various sizes, from single axle to tandem axle machines,” explained Alan.
“We feel that the front shoe is especially suited to retrofits, as the weight is at the front of the tank, thus leaving the tanker in a balanced state. The additional weight of a trailing shoe over a retrofit dribble bar is significant and will throw the older tanks way off balance. This is not an issue with the front-mounted system.
“Horse power requirement is also another issue with farmers upgrading to a trailing shoe. Many are on the lower end of the scale when it comes to sufficient horsepower to operate a tank fitted with a trailing shoe. With the front-mounted system, the weight is pushing down the drawbar, improving traction which lighter tractors needed in early spring slurry application, when conditions may not be ideal. The rear of the tank is also left original so there is no additional tail swing or problems accessing fill points,” added Alan.
Alstrong uses Vogelsang, which it mounts at the side of the tanker chassis, with a gate valve directly underneath.
Why go front-mounted?
Alan explains that the idea of fitting a trailing shoe to the front of a tanker rather than the rear is to increase traction by putting more weight on the tanker’s drawbar, thus the back of the tractor, compared to rear-mounted units. This also reduces the overall length of the tanker compared to a rear-mounted unit, reducing the tail swing when entering tighter gaps into fields and yards. He explains that visibility to the trailing shoe is also much better, with any potential issues being easily spotted, instantly.
Another good point Alan made is that with the shoe mounted at the front, it doesn’t restrict the tanker from reversing in and filling out of older, lower sheds.
On the flip side, because these systems are bespoke, Alan explains that they are difficult to mass produce, and he tends to custom build each system for the tanker at hand. He also notes that they tend to work out at 10 to 15% more expensive than conventional rear-mounted systems, which is down to their bespoke nature.
Alstrong explains that it currently offers two working widths, a 7.5m (24 shoe outlet) model and a 10m (30 shoe outlet) model. Both models see the wings of the trailing shoe fitted at the front of the tanker, with the middle section fitted at the very rear of the tanker. Although this small section is at the rear, it sits neatly tucked in between the axle and the splash plate. The Alstrong system uses individually sprung shoes, each fitted with a hardened steel coulter to apply the slurry directly to the surface with a high force of downward pressure.
The middle section at the rear sits tucked in between the axle and the splash plate.
Tidy unit
The 7.5m model is a standard shoe, while the 10m option is hydraulically double inward folding to keep it below the height of the tank when folded. The firm has been using Vogelsang macerators from day one, which it mounts at the side of the tanker chassis. It says that makes a nice tidy unit, which works very well, with the macerator filled from the top. Instead of using a lay flat hose at the bottom of the macerator to collect stones and debris, Alstrong has fitted a gate valve directly underneath. The idea here is that when the tanker is filling, the operator can regularly open the gate valve, easily relieving the system of any debris.
The shoe on this particular tanker comes with a control box, which features folding/unfolding, raising and dropping the shoe for headlands, opening and closing of the splash plate and the hydraulic changeover of the pump from sucking to spreading. Alstrong explains that retrofits are generally priced individually depending on what work needs carrying out. Typically, the 7.5m (750kg) retrofit is €25,000 plus VAT and the 10m (1,000kg) retrofit is priced at €28,000 plus VAT.
The 7.5m model is a standard shoe, while the 10m option is hydraulically double inward folding to keep it below the height of the tank when folded.
Contractor verdict
“I was probably looking at different types of trailing shoes on the market for 12-18 months before I saw the Alstrong system. I saw friends of mine with the traditional rear-mounted trailing shoes getting blocked, and having to stand up on the trailing shoe in the heavy rain trying to free the macerator, getting covered in slurry. Standing on top of the machine at a height, I thought it was dangerous and I thought there had to be an easier way. With the Alstrong system, the macerator is mounted at the side of the machine at knee height. It makes life a lot easier,” explained the Rhode native.
“When selecting tanker size, labour availability was in the back of my mind. I wanted to go for a larger tanker than my previous Abbey 2,500-gallon tanker. However, accessing fields and tighter yards with a larger tanker, coupled with a large tail swing of a trailing shoe, worried me. This was another important factor that influenced me towards going with the front-mounted system, there is no tail swing from the trailing shoe. Build quality is very good, and the design of the system is clearly well thought out.
“The only negative I have is that occasionally when you finish spreading, and fold up the shoe, some slurry in the lines can run down the front of the tanker. It’s no different to any rear-mounted shoe, only that it will dirty the tanker from time to time. Overall, I’m very happy that I went this route, and I intend on retrofitting another slurry tanker I have in the yard with a front-mounted trailing shoe also,” explained Michael.
Typically, the 7.5m retrofit is €25,000 plus VAT and the 10m retrofit is priced at €28,000 plus VAT.
Farming, agricultural contracting and carrying out some civil engineering works in Co Offaly, Michael Kelly takes pride in his machinery and the work he does. This means that when making an investment in machinery, he carefully analyses all of his options.
In recent years, when his farmer clients requested he spread their slurry with a low emission application system, Michael took to the marketplace to check out his options. In the middle of his search for the right system, he saw a slurry tanker working in a field with an Alstrong front-mounted trailing shoe. Something he hadn’t seen before, he was intrigued by its design. He watched the machine in operation, before making enquires and contacting the Galway manufacturer. Also in the market for a new slurry tanker at the same time, he ended up buying a new 3,500-gallon Redrock tandem-axle tanker from Alstrong, and fitting the company’s bespoke 10m front-mounted trailing shoe.
Who builds them?
These front-mounted trailing shoes are built by Alstrong Ltd in Co Galway. Alstrong specialises in the design and manufacture of aerators and pasture rejuvenation equipment, most notably the Auctus one-pass reseeding machine. The business was set up and continues to be run by Alan Winters, a trained fitter fabricator by trade.
“After a request from a local contractor five years ago, we built a few front mounted dribble bars to begin with which were grant aided under TAMS II funding. When TAMS III was announced, obviously it only grant aided the purchase of trailing shoes. My local contractor, who we had already built two front-mounted dribble bar units for, then asked me to design and build a front-mounted trailing shoe and I couldn’t resist the challenge. This was three years ago, and to the best of my knowledge it hadn’t been done before at the time. We built this first unit on a 10-year-old 2,500-gallon HiSpec tanker and it worked perfectly. Since then, we have retrofitted numerous systems to both older tanks and also to new tankers of various sizes, from single axle to tandem axle machines,” explained Alan.
“We feel that the front shoe is especially suited to retrofits, as the weight is at the front of the tank, thus leaving the tanker in a balanced state. The additional weight of a trailing shoe over a retrofit dribble bar is significant and will throw the older tanks way off balance. This is not an issue with the front-mounted system.
“Horse power requirement is also another issue with farmers upgrading to a trailing shoe. Many are on the lower end of the scale when it comes to sufficient horsepower to operate a tank fitted with a trailing shoe. With the front-mounted system, the weight is pushing down the drawbar, improving traction which lighter tractors needed in early spring slurry application, when conditions may not be ideal. The rear of the tank is also left original so there is no additional tail swing or problems accessing fill points,” added Alan.
Alstrong uses Vogelsang, which it mounts at the side of the tanker chassis, with a gate valve directly underneath.
Why go front-mounted?
Alan explains that the idea of fitting a trailing shoe to the front of a tanker rather than the rear is to increase traction by putting more weight on the tanker’s drawbar, thus the back of the tractor, compared to rear-mounted units. This also reduces the overall length of the tanker compared to a rear-mounted unit, reducing the tail swing when entering tighter gaps into fields and yards. He explains that visibility to the trailing shoe is also much better, with any potential issues being easily spotted, instantly.
Another good point Alan made is that with the shoe mounted at the front, it doesn’t restrict the tanker from reversing in and filling out of older, lower sheds.
On the flip side, because these systems are bespoke, Alan explains that they are difficult to mass produce, and he tends to custom build each system for the tanker at hand. He also notes that they tend to work out at 10 to 15% more expensive than conventional rear-mounted systems, which is down to their bespoke nature.
Alstrong explains that it currently offers two working widths, a 7.5m (24 shoe outlet) model and a 10m (30 shoe outlet) model. Both models see the wings of the trailing shoe fitted at the front of the tanker, with the middle section fitted at the very rear of the tanker. Although this small section is at the rear, it sits neatly tucked in between the axle and the splash plate. The Alstrong system uses individually sprung shoes, each fitted with a hardened steel coulter to apply the slurry directly to the surface with a high force of downward pressure.
The middle section at the rear sits tucked in between the axle and the splash plate.
Tidy unit
The 7.5m model is a standard shoe, while the 10m option is hydraulically double inward folding to keep it below the height of the tank when folded. The firm has been using Vogelsang macerators from day one, which it mounts at the side of the tanker chassis. It says that makes a nice tidy unit, which works very well, with the macerator filled from the top. Instead of using a lay flat hose at the bottom of the macerator to collect stones and debris, Alstrong has fitted a gate valve directly underneath. The idea here is that when the tanker is filling, the operator can regularly open the gate valve, easily relieving the system of any debris.
The shoe on this particular tanker comes with a control box, which features folding/unfolding, raising and dropping the shoe for headlands, opening and closing of the splash plate and the hydraulic changeover of the pump from sucking to spreading. Alstrong explains that retrofits are generally priced individually depending on what work needs carrying out. Typically, the 7.5m (750kg) retrofit is €25,000 plus VAT and the 10m (1,000kg) retrofit is priced at €28,000 plus VAT.
The 7.5m model is a standard shoe, while the 10m option is hydraulically double inward folding to keep it below the height of the tank when folded.
Contractor verdict
“I was probably looking at different types of trailing shoes on the market for 12-18 months before I saw the Alstrong system. I saw friends of mine with the traditional rear-mounted trailing shoes getting blocked, and having to stand up on the trailing shoe in the heavy rain trying to free the macerator, getting covered in slurry. Standing on top of the machine at a height, I thought it was dangerous and I thought there had to be an easier way. With the Alstrong system, the macerator is mounted at the side of the machine at knee height. It makes life a lot easier,” explained the Rhode native.
“When selecting tanker size, labour availability was in the back of my mind. I wanted to go for a larger tanker than my previous Abbey 2,500-gallon tanker. However, accessing fields and tighter yards with a larger tanker, coupled with a large tail swing of a trailing shoe, worried me. This was another important factor that influenced me towards going with the front-mounted system, there is no tail swing from the trailing shoe. Build quality is very good, and the design of the system is clearly well thought out.
“The only negative I have is that occasionally when you finish spreading, and fold up the shoe, some slurry in the lines can run down the front of the tanker. It’s no different to any rear-mounted shoe, only that it will dirty the tanker from time to time. Overall, I’m very happy that I went this route, and I intend on retrofitting another slurry tanker I have in the yard with a front-mounted trailing shoe also,” explained Michael.
Typically, the 7.5m retrofit is €25,000 plus VAT and the 10m retrofit is priced at €28,000 plus VAT.
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