Regional Victorian farm equipment manufacturer JN&R Engineering is celebrating the launch of its new hay feedout wagons, which became available to farmers and contractors in July this year.
Both units underwent a thorough research and development phase that involved the feedout of more than 1000 hay bales, with a number of design retouches made and then tested in action.
The original JN&R Engineering Bale Buggy Round, which was designed to feedout even extremely heavy round bales, was developed and released in the mid-1980s.
Its ability to carry two bales and feed on both sides, handle even tough silage bales and direct-feed through a 3.0 -tonne conveyor chain, made it popular with dairy and livestock farmers, according to JN&R Engineering managing director Gino D’Angelo.
Incorporating the same chassis, the Bale Buggy square model came in the early 2000s, and was specifically designed to feed square hay bales neatly and efficiently. Although not made for round bales, it was capable of feeding them as well, giving the unit added versatility.
The Bale Buggy Square featured an adjustable moving arm for feedout control, heavy-duty tines and a sliding bale carriage, and had the ability to use either a selector valve or plug into remotes.
Fast-forward 30-odd years and the team at JN&R has unveiled its new, improved BBR-16 (Bale Buggy Round) and BBSR-16 (Bale Buggy Square Round) hay feedout wagons.
Gino says he is proud of the end result: “Essentially we’ve made them more robust, and they have a more efficient chain design.”
A large focus of the redesign is on ease of maintenance and the ability to get these units to key export markets in Europe and the US.
“These new models have been built to unbolt, whereas they used to be fully welded, and we keep spare parts for all the different components of the design,” Gino says.
The benefit of this is two-fold, in that it makes it easier to export the units overseas and also makes them easier for mechanics to work on and maintain.
Another key aspect of the new design is the inclusion of bigger floatation tyres that give both units better ground clearance and reduces the likelihood of damage to the land.
Removable mud guards are another new addition that Gino says contractors and farmers who have purchased the new units really appreciate.
“It seems minor, but this is actually really important because you can wash them very easily and this stops you from getting mud on the hay,” Gino says.
He is also pleased with the more polished exterior, saying the overall look of the units is much improved and far more streamlined.
“They are just as tough and reliable, but now they look more like purpose-built machines,” Gino says. “Some people that I’ve spoken to say their old units have fed-out over 15,000 bales and they are still going strong.”
The BBRS-16 also now has a tilted floor that can be adjusted up to a 25-degree angle, which gives the unit more versatility for feeding square and round bales.
While the release of the latest JN&R Engineering feedout wagon models has the team excited, its focus on manufacturing drawn scraper buckets has not waned.
“Traditionally it has been the HD Series Graders that have been most popular, but I would have to say that the L-Series is the scraper models that’s been the most popular over the last 18 months, in the coming months we will also release a 4.2 LE to add to the range.” Gino says.
He puts this down to its ability to be pulled by tractors under 300hp, its relative affordability compared to other scrapers on the Australian market, and its large capacity.
The company itself is looking to increase overseas exports and increase the number of orders it gets from farmers and contractors in all states in the years ahead.
“We supply customers in all states, but we have been selling a lot of units to customers in North Queensland, particularly Mackay and Townsville,” Gino says.
“We are increasingly looking to overseas markets, particularly Europe and North America.”
JN&R Engineering is based in Kyabram, and currently has about 30 full-time staff across the administration, manufacture, repairs and maintenance and spare parts departments.
The company was founded by John D’Angelo in 1973 and his son Gino became managing director about a decade ago.
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