Farmer updates draining machine invention
Mr McNamee says has received many calls from contractors since he unveiled the machine last September.
Mr McNamee’s land needed constant draining, and he got fed up with blocked pipes.
First, he made the channels manually, but soon realised that a machine was needed, and he set about designing one, which took six months from conception of the idea to the first prototype.
The original machine carried out a significant amount of drainage work, and feedback was received from the contractor that used the machine.
Now a second version is being developed, and it should be ready to go on the market in March.
How does the Eco-Drainer work?
It consist of a set of powered discs mounted under a 5.5 tonne capacity trailed gravel hopper.
The discs cut out a seven inch wide slit in the soil to a depth of as much as 14 inches.
The depth of the slit can be changed according to the farmer client’s requirements.
Channels are nor mally made every 7-8m when draining fields.
Soil from the slit is macerated and spread evenly onto the field, and 80m can be drained in five minutes.
Channels are filled to field level with gravel, the recommended type is 4cm round stone, which allows surface water to drain freely into the channel — which may lead to an open drain, stream or stone filled sump.
It’s not a messy process, because the soil is macerated and spread over the surface of the field.
The channels are only seven inches wide, pastures can easily be repaired by shaking some grass seed on the disturbed soil.
At least 100 horsepower is required to operate the machine, which has three cameras mounted on the rear, so the operator clearly see what is happening. The controls are fully push-button, in a control box which is easily connected to the tractor.
The Mark 2 Eco Drainer (patent pending) has significant improvements, says Mr McNamee, and is more contractor focused, with a more robust design.
Perhaps the biggest improvement is the power driven rear axle. This allows the machine to work in almost all types of terrain.
There is significant weight involved, but the power driven rear axle allows the machine to travel.
Mr McNamee says the machine is designed so that smaller stones are shattered by the machine, but bigger stones will cause the machine to stop, and a shear bolt has to be replaced.
The stone will later have to be removed by some other means.
Mr McNamee says the contractor that carried out a lot of the work with the original Eco Drainer charged only €0.50 per metre.
A key benefit is that drainage pipes are not required, which drastically reduces the cost of field drainage.
Liam ’ s www. ecocombidrainage.com website has video footage of the original machine in operation.
