IT’S hard to go past machinery you regard as reliable.
And when it comes to upgrading, those thoughts come to the fore, particularly remembering past seasons when particular machines caused only little dramas.
That was the case for Dowerin farmers Graham Ralph and his son Kane when it came time to upgrade their 18 tonne Trufab chaser bin at Boekeman Machinery, Dowerin.
“We’ve had Trufab chasers since the early 2000s and they’ve always been reliable,” Graham said.
“We upgraded to the new 22 tonne capacity Nyrex bin because it has a few more features than our existing model, including a 22 inch (55 centimetre) diameter unloading auger.
“It’s heaps faster than our old model which discharged 10-12 tonnes a minute.
“This model unloads between 15 and 17 tonnes a minute making it a little easier to keep up to the header.”
The other features the father and son combination liked were the choke on the cross auger to control grain flow and the fact the chassis is bolted not welded, to minimise cracking.
“It’s also got bigger 800 tyres on three metre spacings which makes flotation better and it’s easy to clean out,” Graham said.
The Nyrex is manufactured by re-badged Cunderdin manufacturers TRUFAB Global and is a flat-pack design with an eye to export markets.
It is available in capacities between 28,000 litres and 62,000 litres and the company uses high tensile steel with Huck bolts, similar to those used in building a truck chassis.
The military-grade fasteners have been specifically chosen due to their strength, the clamping and ceasing movement and vibration-resistant features.
“The combination of Strenx panels and Huck bolts make Nyrex a modular bin that can be easily repaired, as well as easily attainable around the world,” the company’s managing director Martin Trewarn said.
While strong, the overall result is a lighter bin, with the use of Strenx high-strength structural steel – high tensile, light weight steel from Sweden.
It is processed and cut by Trufab using a CNC method, ensuring every panel has been accurately laser cut.
The overall result is a bin about 700 kilograms lighter than the former Grain King range.
According to Trufab, the weight reduction will be a huge advantage with less ground disturbance and less pulling power, meaning less fuel.
The bin is designed with tandem axles and built-in brakes with the option of tyres or tracks.
It can be optioned with a firefighting tank fitted to the side.
Ken Wilson
Farm Weekly's machinery writer.
Farm Weekly's machinery writer.
