AFTER initially deciding to invest in a LiuGong wheel loader to operate a trommel screen, it didn’t take long for one of Australia’s largest mushroom compost suppliers to then add a further two LiuGong loaders to its fleet.
ELF Farm Supplies, located in the Hawkesbury region, west of Sydney, supplies compost (substrate) to the Australian mushroom industry that supports about 70 per cent of the production in New South Wales and 25pc nationally. Around 50,000 tonnes is produced annually.
It is manufactured from recycled materials, including wheaten straw, poultry manure, stable bedding, gypsum and other nitrogen-rich products, which are combined with a well-engineered environment to produce a high-quality compost.
The materials are blended a number of times on a conveyor line with water added, and then the compost is stored in tunnels for air circulation and is temperature-controlled to allow mycelium development.
Mushroom spawn is added to the intensively cleaned and disinfected compost before it is later loaded for bulk shipment, while some is also manufactured into blocks, including for use by the landscape industry.
The business supports about 800 agricultural jobs, plus a further 200 in contracting work.
General Manager David Tolson said ELF Farm Supplies purchased a LiuGong 856 wheel loader to hydraulically turn the trommel screen and then added a further two LiuGong 848 loaders over the past 18 months. All of the loaders are the manufacturer’s high specification (H) models, which offer extra machine options including reversing fans, variable hydraulic transmissions, radial tyres, ride control, rear view cameras, extra counter weights, air suspension seats and auto lubrication.
David said one of the buckets with the loaders offered a capacity near 6m3. The 160-horsepower 848H model has a 10.2t tipping load, while the 217hp 856H loader offers a 12.4t tipping load.
He said upon first considering the LiuGong wheel loaders, their renowned Cummins engines, German ZF transmissions and their specifications were an attraction, plus they had European appeal and a lot of creature comforts.
“They looked like a good loader,” David said.
The turbocharged and air-to-air intercooled, six-cylinder, Stage III Cummins engines with the loaders offer speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour, while the countershaft, power shift transmissions provide four forward speeds and three reverse speeds.
The 848H loader has a Cummins QSB7 engine with Stage IIIA emissions and the ZF200 automatic transmission offers more comfortable operations and reduced gear reduction. When in second gear, and if the speed is lower than the maximum speed for second gear, at the touch of a key, the gears will automatically shift to first gear in the current direction of operation. If the operator changes the driving direction, the gearbox automatically shifts to the reverse direction of two gears.
The 856H model can consistently deliver higher breakout force at lower engine speeds. Operators can achieve maximum torque output and minimal fuel consumption thanks to LiuGong’s intelligent powertrain technology matched to the Cummins engine.
“The 856 did a great job and then we bought the 848 loaders for handling the poultry manure and straw bales. They replaced Hyundai loaders and we also use Volvo L90 loaders,” David said.
“The 848s are very comparable to the L90 and they also come with a long warranty of 4 years and 6000 hours, which gives you peace of mind.
“They handle the poultry manure in buckets, and tynes are used for picking up to four 0.5t bales of wheat straw. We start the composting process with dry bales. We load the bales on to the processing line, loosen the straw, add water and mix in the poultry manure and gypsum.”
He said the LiuGong 856H wheel loader was more comparable to a Volvo L120 machine, however it was proving to be an excellent backup for a larger Volvo L180 loader.
The loaders working on the processing line generally clock-up about 1500 hours annually and ELF Farm Supplies looks to upgrade its loaders after they have notched around 8000 hours.
AFTER initially deciding to invest in a LiuGong wheel loader to operate a trommel screen, it didn’t take long for one of Australia’s largest mushroom compost suppliers to then add a further two LiuGong loaders to its fleet.
ELF Farm Supplies, located in the Hawkesbury region, west of Sydney, supplies compost (substrate) to the Australian mushroom industry that supports about 70 per cent of the production in New South Wales and 25pc nationally. Around 50,000 tonnes is produced annually.
It is manufactured from recycled materials, including wheaten straw, poultry manure, stable bedding, gypsum and other nitrogen-rich products, which are combined with a well-engineered environment to produce a high-quality compost.
The materials are blended a number of times on a conveyor line with water added, and then the compost is stored in tunnels for air circulation and is temperature-controlled to allow mycelium development.
Mushroom spawn is added to the intensively cleaned and disinfected compost before it is later loaded for bulk shipment, while some is also manufactured into blocks, including for use by the landscape industry.
The business supports about 800 agricultural jobs, plus a further 200 in contracting work.
General Manager David Tolson said ELF Farm Supplies purchased a LiuGong 856 wheel loader to hydraulically turn the trommel screen and then added a further two LiuGong 848 loaders over the past 18 months. All of the loaders are the manufacturer’s high specification (H) models, which offer extra machine options including reversing fans, variable hydraulic transmissions, radial tyres, ride control, rear view cameras, extra counter weights, air suspension seats and auto lubrication.
David said one of the buckets with the loaders offered a capacity near 6m3. The 160-horsepower 848H model has a 10.2t tipping load, while the 217hp 856H loader offers a 12.4t tipping load.
He said upon first considering the LiuGong wheel loaders, their renowned Cummins engines, German ZF transmissions and their specifications were an attraction, plus they had European appeal and a lot of creature comforts.
“They looked like a good loader,” David said.
The turbocharged and air-to-air intercooled, six-cylinder, Stage III Cummins engines with the loaders offer speeds up to 40 kilometres per hour, while the countershaft, power shift transmissions provide four forward speeds and three reverse speeds.
The 848H loader has a Cummins QSB7 engine with Stage IIIA emissions and the ZF200 automatic transmission offers more comfortable operations and reduced gear reduction. When in second gear, and if the speed is lower than the maximum speed for second gear, at the touch of a key, the gears will automatically shift to first gear in the current direction of operation. If the operator changes the driving direction, the gearbox automatically shifts to the reverse direction of two gears.
The 856H model can consistently deliver higher breakout force at lower engine speeds. Operators can achieve maximum torque output and minimal fuel consumption thanks to LiuGong’s intelligent powertrain technology matched to the Cummins engine.
“The 856 did a great job and then we bought the 848 loaders for handling the poultry manure and straw bales. They replaced Hyundai loaders and we also use Volvo L90 loaders,” David said.
“The 848s are very comparable to the L90 and they also come with a long warranty of 4 years and 6000 hours, which gives you peace of mind.
“They handle the poultry manure in buckets, and tynes are used for picking up to four 0.5t bales of wheat straw. We start the composting process with dry bales. We load the bales on to the processing line, loosen the straw, add water and mix in the poultry manure and gypsum.”
He said the LiuGong 856H wheel loader was more comparable to a Volvo L120 machine, however it was proving to be an excellent backup for a larger Volvo L180 loader.
The loaders working on the processing line generally clock-up about 1500 hours annually and ELF Farm Supplies looks to upgrade its loaders after they have notched around 8000 hours.
