Machinery and equipment: Quad mowers, manure spreader controls, JCB specs
The latest Quad-X innovations in all-terrain (ATV) machinery were at Balmoral Show in Belfast.
The local manufacturer had a new model in their mower range on show, along with their eye-catching commercial spec dump trailer, and 5-foot ATV power shredder mower.
More than 100 ATV attachments are made by the firm in Ballymena, Co Antrim.
The new mower is designed to take the back ache out of keeping overgrown areas tidy, work that would traditionally be done with a strimmer.
This new invention has been developed for use under fences and electric fencers, under solar panels, along laneways and verges.
Designed to fit on any ATV, this novel machine allows the user to keep at a safe distance from any flying debris and clippings, getting the job done from the seat of their ATV.
The Quad-X ATV Dump Trailer was launched last year and has filled a gap in the market among landscapers, farmers, and groundcare professionals.
It is a commercial specification tipping trailer for an ATV.
Manure spreader controls
Carlow-based Hi-Spec Engineering have added the new options of weigh cells and application rate monitoring systems to their Xcel 1250 rear discharge manure spreader.
The ISOBUS compatible RDS iSOCAN Apollo spreader control system enables users to follow best practice and advice when spreading solid manure.
Operators can set and maintain the required application rate, using the iSOCAN Apollo colour touch screen terminal.
Furthermore, it allows work records to be stored, recalled and exported.
Weigh cells in the spreader ensure that the weight of manure carried is constantly measured.
The speed of the heavy duty chains is also monitored and constantly adjusted to ensure that the correct application rate is maintained, irrespective of forward speed.
There is also the option of headland control that will automatically start and stop the spreader at the headland.
Other updates to the Xcel 1250 include the option of a sprung drawbar for greater shock absorption and operator comfort.
JCB safety glasses
JCB has its sights set on a new market, launching a range of branded prescription safety glasses with leading high street retailer Specsavers.
JCB already licences around 50 leading companies which sell products bearing the JCB name, from batteries to tools and toys.
Now the company has teamed up with Specsavers Corporate Eyecare to launch the safety eye wear.
Senior JCB Licensing Manager Paul Tudor said: “The reaction to the launch has been fantastic, with thousands of pairs of the JCB safety glasses sold already.”
“We worked very closely with Specsavers on the designs, and we are delighted with the results.”
A total of 20 JCB frames are being made available in men’s, women’s, and unisex designs, under the licensing agreement between the two companies.
They are available from Specsavers stores with metal and polycarbonate frames, with a wide choice of lenses suitable for a range of industrial settings.
They come complete with side shields bearing the famous JCB logo.
By the end of the year, all 1,700-plus Specsavers stores globally will offer the JCB range.
Specsavers Corporate Eyecare Director of Strategic Alliances Jim Lythgow said: “We have subjected more than 440 pairs of prescription safety glasses to extremely rigorous tests. As you would expect from Specsavers and JCB, these glasses are tough!”
