Although a well established company on the continent, Goweil balers have not made a great impression upon the Irish market over the years, a situation which is now changing rapidly thanks to the efforts of Cooney Furlong.
Two years ago, the Wexford-based company started to import the brand from Austria and sales of the machines started to take off.
Goweil: Doing it differently
Goweil’s legacy lies in producing balers for general waste, a job that requires machines of a heavier specification than those for agricultural crops.
This experience has led them to make balers with a good deal more metal in their construction than many other marques, indeed, the company suggests that its baler-wrapper unit weighs 2-3t more than similar machines on the market.
This heavy duty engineering is not wasted according to Ken Lucas of Cooney Furlong, who runs a combination unit himself and has come to appreciate the benefits it brings.
The desirability of density
The chief advantage, he reports, is the ability to create a denser bale. Even at half its maximum setting it will produce a bale of around 100kg more than some of its rivals at full setting.
Denser bales have several advantages, these include a tendency towards better fermentation, along with reduced transport costs, as less bales need to be brought in from the field.
The chamber is fed by a full width 2.2m pick-up reel that passes the crop over 31 reversible knives prior to packing it in the chamber, which is formed from reinforced rollers running on 65mm shafts.
Chop length ruminations
Chop length is becoming an important consideration for many dairy farmers, with opinion divided on the matter.
Ken notes that the shorter chopped material in Goweil bales makes for a faster mixing process in diet feeders as the bales fall apart more easily in the tub.
The manufacturer produces two basic models, one a straight baler and the a combination baler wrapper unit, the latter running on twin axles to provide a smoother ride and reduce soil compaction.
Goweil conversion
Goweil also provides what it calls a ‘shortline’ model – a frame and wrapper unit alone into which can be fitted a baler of your choice.
This enables the conversion of standard baler to a combination baler and it is possible fit to models from all the leading manufacturers into the frame, upgrading your old baler in doing so,
Baling silage in Ireland is big business and there are many companies competing for a slice of the action. Goweil has brought a distinctive machine to the market and sales are said to be expanding rapidly as its solidity becomes more widely appreciated.