Liquid manure serves as an important agricultural fertiliser and contributes significantly to plant growth and thus to the success of farmers in the fields. For more than 25 years, Fliegl has been manufacturing manure distributors equipped with an in-house developed screw conveyor for application close to the ground. The trailing shoe spreader “Skate” has been on the market since 2016 and is available in working widths of 6 m, 7.5 m, 9 m, 12 m, 15 m, 18 m, 21 m and 24 m. A test by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) proves that years of experience in the field of application technology have a very positive effect on practical use. 

The Fliegl Skate 120 is a trailing shoe spreader with a working width of twelve meters. Thanks to the sophisticated design of frame and applicator, the “Skate” is a true lightweight construction with its 1,300 kg. Nevertheless, it impresses with an extremely robust and durable structure. 

The application of liquid manure inevitably results in emissions because the ammonium nitrogen contained in the liquid manure is converted into gaseous ammonia when it comes into contact with air. This needs to be prevented as far as possible because this nutrient is an important factor for plant growth. In order to avoid emissions as best as possible, an application close to the ground is essential. Short discharge hoses and a coulter pressure of 8 kg, as well as spring-loaded shoes ensure optimal conditions during manure driving and an exact application of the manure close to the ground. With the “Skate”, in flat regions as well as in mountainous areas, Fliegl focuses on agricultural success through technical innovations. On the slope, the “Skate” impresses with the slope compensation it is equipped with as standard. This ensures an equal manure spreading also on uneven surfaces. Furthermore, the Skate enables good tramline management and precise application at field boundaries thanks to the optional individual hose shut-off for the outlets. An either mechanical or hydraulic section control is optionally available for the Skate 120. 

The screw conveyor contributes to the decisive advantage of the “Skate”. The principle is simple: The “Skate” 120 has 24 hose outlets on each side, each having a diameter of 40 mm. The distance between the hoses is 25 cm. The augers prevent these outlets from becoming blocked. The control changes the direction of rotation at short intervals. The augers rotate outwards for about 20 seconds to remove foreign objects such as wood and ear tags. Then they are turned backwards for about five seconds in order to remove coarse residues from the holes of the hose outlets. Two of these screw conveyors are installed in the tested Skate 120. 

At the end of the applicator, there is a storage box with a brass gate valve that can be opened mechanically or hydraulically if required. The foreign bodies are collected in these storage boxes which are then emptied by the driver.

With the TWIN nozzle, Fliegl offers a good solution for those who fear forage contamination from liquid manure bands in the field. The reduction of the distance between the manure bands to 125mm increases the substrate infiltration. The TWIN nozzles ensure an optimal work result in terms of lateral and longitudinal distribution. 

A simple and convenient handling is important in order to avoid operating errors and to be able to employ changing drivers without long training periods. Here, the drag shoe distributor impresses with its “Easy” control, which can optionally also be operated via ISOBUS. With the help of three attached angle sensors, the folding of the distributor arms is monitored in every position, which enables dampened folding even on slopes. To unfold, the distributor lifts out of the transport lock, folds the distributor arms back and then lowers into the working position. This is done by using the automatic folding mechanism. 

Then, the discharge slide is opened using the automatic discharge control and the augers start to work. The automatic headland control switches off the augers, closes the slide and folds up the distributor, which prevents liquid manure from dripping.

Maintenance, which is also important for successfully working with the “Skate”, is easy due to the good accessibility of the four lubrication points. In general, the trailing shoe distributor is very user-friendly. The outlet hoses do not kink thanks to the special folding mechanism. Furthermore, the Skate has an already integrated overpressure protection and many other impressive technical details. 

You are always safe in road transport with the “Skate”. The transport width is extremely compact at 2600 mm at the bottom and 2300 mm at the top. The trailing shoe distributor also impresses due to its very low height. 

During the DLG test, the Skate 120 trailing shoe spreader, attached to a Fliegl PFW 18000 pump tank, was evaluated based on various criteria. With regard to the application, the lateral distribution of cattle and pig manure was measured on a test stand.