A Co. Kilkenny-based tillage and beef farmer has identified a more practical way to agitate slurry.
John Kearney (Snr), who ran an agricultural contracting firm for three decades, found that excessive time was being spent agitating slurry. He aimed to reduce the build-up of solids in tanks annually, while also producing a more uniform mix of slurry for spreading, and so, the CK Crust Buster was born.
“The product works in the same format as the conventional agitator with the addition of a macerator to chop thick crust pulled towards the macerator.” the Paulstown, Co. Kilkenny native explained.
“Traditional agitator pumps do not effectively break down and mix the organic solids with the liquid in the tank without prolonged use leading to higher costs.”
“Tanks with a layback, bedded with straw or other material, tend to be more problematic at agitating as they are more likely to develop a thick crust over the slurry which is difficult to remove entirely without sufficient breakdown.”
The practical innovation was trialled by three contractors in 2018-2019 and the European patent for the design was approved four years ago.
A hydraulic retro-fit has also been patented and it can be fitted to several existing agitators on the market which, according to the company, will improve the machine’s capabilities.
Benefits
“Advantages include less time spent agitating, less fuel, less ‘manpower’, better removal of build-up within tanks and better slurry mix and a reduction in fertiliser cost. It also has the same dimensions as a conventional machine.”
“It takes half the time to agitate a slurry tank – that’s the real benefit of it and it chops everything much better.”
The product is aimed at farmers contractors with the options of 100 and 150hp. “There is no machine like it on the market.”
“The long-term plan for the business would be to completely replace the conventional agitator with a more effective machine that offers benefits to the farmer and the contractor,” John concluded.
Information
For further information, contact John Kearney (Snr) on +353 86 826 4123 or Tom Carroll (company shareholder) on +353 86 232 4024 or see here.
