Waringa Distribution general manager Sam Abbott and SA farmer Jason Burton, Cleve, with the Burton family’s 36t tandem-axle Elmer’s Haulmaster chaser bin. Photo: Waringa Distribution

A SOLID cropping program that has grown over the years to now cover about 11,000ha near Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula constantly puts the focus on achieving any logistical
efficiencies possible for the Burton family.

Jason Burton and his wife, Julie, together with their sons, Hank and Jed, and with the help of Jason’s father, Ian, grow wheat, canola, lentils, barley, and lupins, over dune swale soils, including good clays and sand over clay, running through to loam rises.

They have been continuously cropping for about 10 years and, like many growers, have also put significant effort into soil amelioration works, including clay delving and assessment and application of lime and gypsum.

The cropping program is harvested by a fleet including two John Deere X9 headers, plus a contract harvester if required, tipping grain into chaser bins and a 150-tonne motherbin before it is hauled to a local Viterra grain receival site or down to T-Ports at Lucky Bay using their three road train rigs.

“It’s all about efficiency and logistics with the harvest operation,” Jason said.

Only having one 24t, single-axle J&M chaser bin, in addition to the motherbin, to handle around 55t/hr of grain coming off paddocks per header in an average harvest, the efficiency dial recently
turned to adding another chaser bin, which they did through local machinery dealer, Ramsey Bros.

The Burtons opted for a Canadian-manufactured 36t tandem-axle Elmer’s Haulmaster chaser bin.

Elmer’s tandem models provide 2.5m sq of ground contact, maximising flotation and limiting soil compaction, and four-wheel steering allows excellent manoeuvrability, minimal soil
disturbance, and reduced pressure on axles.

Jason said they target cost-effective logistical efficiency gains where possible, and, while the Elmer’s chaser was slightly dearer than some others, it did offer more attractive features including full
joystick control and an easily adjustable auger with four-way, proportional pivoting spout.

The joystick is part of Elmer’s optional Haulmaster Pro control system and works with five-point load cells and a Haulmaster Connect tablet to provide maximum auger control.

“I liked the joystick control,” Jason said.

“It’s easy to teach people and it gets rid of the hydraulic button. You can put someone on it and away they go.”

He said they used the load cells to check their grain weights with the headers and for the “truckies”, while the pivoting auger had proven to be excellent for filling the motherbin.

“We’ve even been using the scales on the chaser to help sell grain – lupins and sheep feed – off-farm and it has been great.”

“The pivoting auger is really good for filling the motherbin; it has great reach and you can get close and play with the spout to direct it where you want it.”

Elmer’s custom-designed, Powermaster direct drive gearbox eliminates any belts and drive chains and it further increases auger output, emptying at up to 18t per minute for even higher unloading efficiency.

“It’s pretty mind-boggling how very quick it is.

“The fast unloading means we also don’t have to speed across the paddocks,” Jason said.

He said it had resulted in a good jump in efficiency and productivity at harvest.

“Trucks come in, fill up, and go; the front trailer is generally filled from the motherbin and the chaser fills the back trailer.”

Jason said support from Ramsey Bros and Elmer’s national distributor, Waringa Distribution, including to ensure they continued operating when there was an issue, had been great.

“We had the use of a demo 41t model and we will see whether we go to a bigger chaser bin down the track – maybe to a 55t model.”

The Elmer’s chaser bins also have since been popping up in the local area, with two of the Burton’s neighbours now having a machine on their properties.

Meanwhile, the family’s chaser bin investment took Jason and Julie on a group tour to visit Elmer’s production facilities in Canada last year, including its latest 150t and 225t motherbins, while the group also enjoyed a host of other memorable sites along the journey, which stretched from Vancouver to Calgary.