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Manitou Farm Machinery For Harvest

Harvest Time in Northern Ireland

At this time of year, Northern Ireland’s farmers find themselves immersed in crucial harvesting activities, diligently gathering their crops and making preparations for the next phases of the agricultural cycle. As the region’s grain harvesting season takes centre stage, arable farms hope for bountiful yields of staple crops like wheat, barley, and oilseed rape. These crucial grains play diverse roles as a major human food group, valuable livestock feed, and fundamental raw materials for various industrial applications. The month of August holds immense significance in shaping the agricultural landscape of Northern Ireland, marking a time of productivity and planning for the farming community.

Farmers walking in field during harvest

Harvest Activities

Harvest is an integral part of the agricultural calendar, during which arable farms witness a host of common activities, including:

Harvesting Crops

Field of crops awaiting harvest

During the harvest season, farmers embark on the essential task of reaping crops like wheat, barley, oats, and oilseed rape. Employing the aid of farm machinery, they skilfully cut and gather the mature crops, meticulously separating the valuable grain or seed from the surrounding straw or chaff.

Storing Crops

Grain stored in barn

Following a successful harvest, the grains or seeds are carefully stored in silos, bins, or other storage facilities strategically positioned on the farm. Proper storage is essential to maintain the quality and value of the harvested crops.

Bale Collection

Hay bales rolled and ready for collection

A valuable by-product of the harvest, farmers collect and store straw bales from harvested cereal crops. The straw can be used for livestock bedding, animal feed, or other agricultural and industrial purposes.

Farm Machinery: Meeting The Demands of Agriculture

Farmers require a comprehensive range of tools, machinery and equipment in their repertoire to effectively and productively manage the diverse aspects of agricultural operations. This multi-faceted toolkit enables them to tackle a wide range of tasks, from planting and cultivating, to harvesting and post-harvest activities. The integration of modern technologies and specialised implements allow farmers to optimise their efforts, increase yields and enhance overall farm productivity.

Harvest time marks a period of intense activity as farmers harness the power of modern technology to optimise their yields and secure the fruits of their labour for further processing and utilisation. Without a doubt farm machinery plays a crucial role in summer harvest, aiding farmers in efficiently gathering, drying, storing and clearing crops.

Modern, materials handling machinery for crop harvesting has revolutionised agriculture, significantly improving efficiency, productivity, and reducing the manual labour required for harvesting. Farm machinery allows farmers to handle larger areas, harvest crops quickly, and minimise losses during the harvesting process.

Harvest activities for Manitou farm machinery

Benefits of using machinery for crop harvesting:

  • Efficient Harvesting: Gather crops and cover large fields quickly, minimising the time crops are exposed to potential weather risks compared to manual methods.
  • Higher Productivity: Faster harvesting operations are achieved, gathering more crops within a shorter time frame with speed and precision. This allows farmers to make the most of any favourable weather windows and complete tasks promptly, ultimately leading to increased overall productivity and higher yields.
  • Reduced Labour Costs: The use of harvest machinery significantly decreases the requirement for a large manual labour force, assisting farmers in effectively managing their labour costs.
  • Improved Crop Quality: Modern farm machinery handle crops gently, minimising damage and maintaining the quality of harvested produce.
  • Timely Harvesting: Machinery allows farmers to harvest crops at their optimal maturity, ensuring better-quality yields.

The Challenges of Harvest in Northern Ireland

Undoubtedly, the Northern Irish weather presents considerable challenges for farmers. Unpredictable weather conditions throughout the growing season, such as rain, storms, or unseasonal temperature fluctuations, significantly impacts crop growth and ripening, making the harvest process even more demanding. Having the right farm machinery on hand becomes paramount in such circumstances.

Farm machinery plays a crucial role in helping farmers manage and navigate the complexities of harvesting during adverse weather conditions. By investing in the right farm machinery, farmers in Northern Ireland can mitigate the risks posed by unpredictable weather conditions, increase their productivity, and safeguard their harvest yields. The proper equipment empowers farmers to make the most of the opportunities presented during the summer harvest and navigate the ever-changing weather patterns that influence their livelihoods.

Manitou Machinery for Agriculture: New Ag Range

On numerous farms across Northern Ireland, machines hailing from the esteemed materials handling manufacturer, Manitou, quietly and efficiently carry out simple yet critical tasks, earning their keep as an invaluable member of the team.

The New Ag Range from Manitou is a range of telehandlers and articulated loaders, specifically designed for agricultural applications. Tailored to meet the unique needs and challenges of agricultural harvesting and other farming tasks, New Ag machines provide versatility, efficiency, and productivity in agricultural operations.

The Manitou New Ag Range of telescopic handlers and articulated loaders, play a vital role in facilitating efficient grain handling and straw collection during the August harvest in Northern Ireland. These versatile machines offer the advantages of high lifting capacity, extended reach, manoeuvrability, and various attachments, making them valuable tools for modern agricultural operations. With proper training and safety considerations, farmers can optimise their workflow, increase productivity, and enhance overall farm efficiency during the busy harvest season with Manitou farm machinery.

Manitou MLT telehandlers and MLA articulated loaders features that are well-suited for agricultural harvesting:

  • High Lifting Capacity: High lifting capacities, ideal for handling heavy loads commonly encountered during agricultural harvesting, such as bales, pallets, or equipment.
  • Extended Reach: The telescopic boom provides extended reach, enabling efficient loading, unloading, and stacking of harvested crops or materials.
  • Agricultural Attachments: Manitou offers a variety of attachments specifically designed for agricultural applications. These attachments can include forks, buckets, grabs, bale handlers, and grain pushers, allowing for versatile handling and manipulation of harvested crops.
  • Operator Comfort and Visibility: The NewAg range is designed for operator comfort, featuring ergonomic cabins with exceptional visibility and controls that facilitate ease of operation during long working hours.
  • Stability and Manoeuvrability: Known for their stability and manoeuvrability, a New Ag machine navigates challenging terrain commonly encountered in agricultural environments, including uneven fields and farmyards.
  • Time Efficiency: The combination of high lifting capacity, reach, and manoeuvrability allows Manitou telescopic handlers and articulated loaders to quickly and efficiently handle large quantities of harvested crops, saving time during the busy harvest season.

Manitou Farm Machinery: Meeting The Demands of Agriculture

There are many ways which Manitou Articulated Loaders and Manitou Telescopic Handlers can be utilised during harvest:

  • Straw Handling: After separating the grains, the remaining straw and chaff are discharged from the combine. Farmers may bale the straw for later use as livestock bedding or as a source of biomass for energy production.
  • Handling Bales: Equipped with the appropriate attachments, such as bale grabs or forks, a Manitou can handle and stack straw bales, hay bales, or other types of bales with ease, making them ideal for storage or feeding livestock.
  • Stacking or Storage: After baling, the straw bales are stacked neatly in the field or moved to a designated storage area. In some cases, bales may be temporarily stored in the field before being transported to a more permanent storage location.
  • Transportation: Depending on the farmer’s requirements and the intended use of the straw, the bales may be loaded onto trailers or other transport vehicles.
  • Loading and Unloading: With telescopic booms and impressive lifting capacities, these machines can easily load and unload harvested crops onto trucks or trailers with their ability to reach high and far distances to efficiently handle and transport bales, pallets, boxes, or other harvested products. They can also unload and stack incoming supplies, equipment, or harvested materials.
  • Clearing Fields: After the harvest, a Manitou telehandler or articulated loader can be used to clear fields of crop residue and debris, preparing them for subsequent planting or other agricultural activities.
  • Clearing Grain Storage Areas: Manitou farm machinery can be used to clear and clean grain storage areas, helping to maintain a clean and safe working environment.
  • Grain Storage Management: Manitou machinery can assist in managing grain storage facilities by moving and repositioning grain bins or containers, optimising storage space and improving accessibility. They can also be used for stacking and storing harvested crops. They can place bales, pallets, or other products in designated storage areas, maximising available space and facilitating organised storage practices.
  • Transporting Equipment: Manitou farm machinery can move and transport various farming equipment and machinery around the farm, facilitating smooth workflow during the harvest season.

In addition, there are many ways which Manitou Articulated Loaders and Manitou Telescopic Handlers can be utilised after the harvest:

  • Post Harvest Field Operations: After the harvest is complete, farmers may conduct post-harvest field operations, such as cultivating or sowing cover crops for soil improvement and preparing the fields for the next crop rotation.
  • Supporting Livestock Operations: Manitou farm machinery can transport and distribute feed for livestock, making a Manitou telehandler or articulated loader indispensable.
  • Handling Bulk Materials: Equipped with appropriate attachments, such as buckets or forks, your Manitou can handle bulk materials like grain, fertilisers, or animal feed. They can scoop, lift, and transport these materials with ease, enabling efficient movement and distribution within the farm.
  • Assisting in Equipment Maintenance: All machines in the New Ag Range can assist with maintenance tasks by lifting and positioning heavy machinery or equipment for repairs, inspections, or storage, ensuring that equipment is in optimal condition. Their manoeuvrability and lifting capabilities make them useful in agricultural workshops or maintenance yards.
  • Accessing Elevated Areas: When using extended boom attachments a Manitou can provide access to elevated areas, such as when inspecting tall crops, maintaining structures, or performing maintenance on farm buildings.

Manitou MLT Telescopic Handlers

Manitou MLT telescopic handlers (also known as telehandlers) play a vital role in agricultural operations, offering versatility and efficiency in various tasks. These machines are designed to handle a wide range of materials and are particularly useful during harvest time.

With a focus on comfort, performance and cost efficiency, any model from the Manitou MLT range is a valuable addition to your agricultural applications, during harvest and throughout the farming season.

Exceptional visibility and optimal lighting equips the machines to work both day and night. With a comfortable and easy to access cab, Manitou telescopic handlers can be seamlessly integrated into existing farm operations and can be adapted to handle various crop types, making them versatile for different agricultural harvesting needs with all terrain handling, a choice of steering modes and a variety of transmissions for a variety of different tasks.

Highly regarded for their exceptional performance in agricultural applications, surpassing the demands of harvest-related tasks on any farm, these particular models from the MLT Range are particularly favoured for their versatility and reliability:

Manitou MLA Articulated Loaders

Another range designed specifically for farming is the MLA series from Manitou. Manitou MLA articulated loaders are capable of handling a wide range of agricultural tasks. They thrive on Northern Irish farms, fitting in perfectly with their operations and are suitable for applications such as loading and unloading, lifting and transporting materials, stacking bales, and working with various agricultural attachments

The manoeuvrability of a Manitou articulated loader plus their lifting capacity, and range of attachments make them valuable tools during the August harvest and throughout the farming season. Contributing to increased productivity and efficiency, a Manitou MLA articulated loader allows farmers to manage the demanding tasks associated with the harvest period effectively.

Harvest with a Manitou: Using Manitou Farm Machinery To Collect Straw

Collecting straw during the harvest season is the final stage of the crop harvesting process, especially for cereal crops like wheat, barley and oats.

Both a Manitou MLT Telehandler or MLA Articulated Loader are an increasingly popular choice for this task on farms, proving to be a valuable addition to modern agricultural operations. Using a Manitou for straw collecting offers several advantage, including:

  • streamlining the process
  • reducing manual labour
  • increasing overall efficiency on the farm
  • handling large quantities of straw bales effectively

By utilising a machine from the Manitou MLT or MLA ranges for collecting straw during the harvest season, farmers can optimise their workflow, improve productivity, and reduce the physical demands of manual labour. The versatile features of Manitou agricultural machinery, such as high lifting capacity, extended reach, and various attachments, make it an invaluable tool for efficient straw handling on farms.

Harvest with a Manitou: Manitou Farm Machinery to Load Grain Dryers

Loading a grain dryer is a task that resonates with all Northern Irish farmers, well-acquainted with its significance in the agricultural landscape. Grain dryers are essential equipment used to reduce the moisture content of harvested grains, such as wheat, barley, corn, or oats, to safe storage levels. Employing a Manitou to load the grain dryer proves to be a practical and highly efficient approach, widely embraced on numerous farms.

Using a Manitou telehandler or articulated loader to fill a grain dryer offers several advantages and benefits, making it a preferred method on many farms. In addition to their high reach, versatility, lifting capacity and manoeuvrability, here are some reasons why telehandlers are commonly employed for this task:

  • Quick Loading: Reduce loading time with a Manitou, as it can efficiently transport grain from storage areas or grain carts directly to the dryer, minimising the time grain is exposed to potential weather risks or moisture
  • Reduced Manual Labour: Manitou farm machinery reduces the need for manual labour in the loading process, reducing physical strain on workers and increasing overall operational efficiency.
  • Improved Safety: Equipped with advanced safety features, a Manitou ensures safe and controlled grain loading operations, where the machinery and the operators experience the highest levels of protection.
  • All Terrain Capability: Designed with all-terrain capabilities, Manitou MLT telehandlers and MLA articulated loaders easily navigate challenging ground conditions often encountered on farms during the harvest season.

Manitou farm machinery proves to be a valuable asset in handling grain and other materials on the farm to:

  • streamline the loading process
  • enhance productivity
  • contribute to efficient grain management during the crucial harvest period

Manitou Farm Machinery for Grain Storage

Using a telehandler or articulated loader to fill a grain store offers efficiency and ease in handling large quantities of grain. The MLT Range and MLA Range both operate with versatility, manoeuvrability, efficiency and precision. They also offer other advantages for farmers and grain handling operations such as:

  • Adaptability: Every Manitou from the New Ag Range can be fitted with different attachments, such as grain buckets or grabs, to accommodate various grain types and handling requirements. This adaptability makes them suitable for a wide range of grain store configurations.
  • All Weather Usage: Manitou New Ag models are equipped with all-terrain capabilities which can be used in various weather conditions, allowing grain stores to be filled efficiently regardless of the weather outside.
  • Labour Saving: Using Manitou farm machinery to fill a grain store reduces the need for manual labour, minimising physical strain on farm workers and streamlining the grain handling process.
  • Cost Effective: By improving efficiency and reducing the need for additional labour, a Manitou offers cost-effectiveness in grain handling operations.

The contemporary agriculture practice of using a telescopic handler for loading grain stores presents further advantages including:

  • maximising efficiency
  • saving time
  • ensures precise and organised grain storage, which is essential for preserving the quality and value of the harvested crop.

Manitou Agricultural Attachments

Using the right attachment in partnership with your Manitou telehandler or Manitou articulated loader enables farmers to efficiently carry out a wide and varied range of agricultural tasks.

A Manitou attachment can be fitted and changed within seconds.

Manitou Agricultural Bucket

A Manitou agricultural bucket is a versatile and essential attachment used in farming and agricultural applications. The Manitou agricultural bucket is built to withstand heavy-duty usage and is made from high-quality materials to ensure durability and longevity. It comes in various sizes, typically ranging from around 1 to 2 cubic meters, allowing farmers to choose the one that best suits their specific needs.

The bucket’s design includes reinforced edges and a strong bottom, which enables it to handle a wide range of materials, including grains, soil, feed, hay, and other bulk items. The versatility of the Manitou agricultural bucket makes it an indispensable tool for loading, carrying, and distributing materials around the farm efficiently.

The Manitou attachment system allows for quick and easy mounting and detaching of the bucket, making it convenient for farmers to switch between different attachments based on the tasks at hand.

Whether it’s loading feed into livestock feeders, moving harvested crops, or handling various materials on the farm, the Manitou agricultural bucket proves to be a reliable and indispensable asset, contributing to the overall productivity and efficiency of farming operations.

Manitou Bale Clamp

A Manitou bale clamp is a specialised attachment designed to handle and transport large bales of hay, straw, or other similar materials. It is commonly used in agriculture and farming applications where the efficient handling of bales is crucial.

The bale clamp is built with a sturdy and durable frame, capable of withstanding heavy loads and rough handling. It is constructed to endure the demanding conditions often found on farms.

The attachment is equipped with a hydraulic system that allows the operator to open and close the clamp arms. This feature enables easy and secure grasping of the bales while the adjustable arms allow it to accommodate different bale sizes and shapes, ensuring a firm, yet gentle grip on the bales regardless of their dimensions.

In addition to handling bales, the Manitou bale clamp can also be used to handle other bulky and irregularly shaped materials, such as pallets, timber, and various loads found on farms.

The Manitou bale clamp significantly simplifies the process of handling large bales, making it an indispensable tool on modern farms. With its ability to securely grip and transport various materials, the bale clamp contributes to streamlining agricultural operations and enhancing overall efficiency on the farm.

NEW Manitou Grain Pusher

Manitou grain pusher attachment

The new grain pusher attachment from Manitou is a specialised tool used in agricultural settings to efficiently move and redistribute bulk materials, particularly grains. It features a large, flat, and sturdy blade at the front, which can be adjusted to the desired height using hydraulic controls from the inside of the cab.

The attachment is compatible with various Manitou models and allows operators to handle grain or other materials from a safe distance, minimising the risk of injury. By providing a smooth and controlled pushing motion, the grain pusher attachment reduces grain spillage and loss, resulting in cost savings and improved productivity. It significantly speeds up the process of moving and rearranging grain heaps, making it an indispensable tool on modern farms and agricultural storage sites.

Is that all a Manitou can do?

After the harvest season concludes, your Manitou machine remains invaluable, continuing to support a wide range of tasks on the farm. Our farmers know that the work doesn’t stop here for both them and their trusty Manitou machines. Beyond harvest, there are countless endeavours where Manitou’s capabilities continue to shine, ensuring productivity and efficiency throughout the farming journey, such as:

  • Preparing for Autumn Planting: As the summer season ends, preparations for autumn planting begin with cultivating the fields, making seedbeds, and potentially applying fertilisers or other soil amendments to ensure optimal conditions for the next crop.
  • Managing Cover Crops: Cover crops are planted in fields that have been harvested to improve soil health, prevent erosion, and add organic matter to the soil.
  • Livestock Management: On mixed farms, livestock management tasks can be completed with the help of Manitou, including breeding, health checks, and preparing animals for autumn sales or shows.
  • Maintenance of Machines and Equipment: This is an opportune time for farmers to conduct routine maintenance and repairs on their machinery and equipment ahead of the busy winter planting season.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or inquiries about Manitou farm machinery, its applications, or how it can benefit your farm operations, feel free to contact us. Our team of experts are ready to provide you with valuable information and assistance.

Northern Lift Trucks deliver innovative and reliable agricultural solutions to meet the diverse needs of farmers. Our range of telehandlers, loaders, and attachments optimise efficiency, productivity, and safety on the farm, helping you achieve success in your agricultural endeavours.

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Join the Manitou community and experience the power of cutting-edge farm machinery to take your agricultural operations to new heights. Northern Lift Truck’s look forward to serving you and being a reliable partner in your farming journey.