While the weather may not be overly favourable, the silage theme continues with a revert to loading shovels.
At the turn of the millennium, three brands of loading shovels had enjoyed successful favour with contractors in Ireland – Volvo, JCB and O&K, with a some also dabbling with Hyundai.
Volvo’s L series and JCB’s FarmMaster loaders still prove themselves as popular machines today, however in 1999, the Germany O&K company were acquired by New Holland.
The O&K L25 of the ‘90s and updated L25.5 of the early 2000s were quite popular, but when contractors came to replacing these machines, O&K was no longer an option.
However, there was a ‘new’ player after entering the agri market, the Japanese firm Komatsu. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020, Komatsu is ranked as second in the world in terms of construction equipment, producing some colossal machinery including the world’s largest bulldozer, the D575.
The Komatsu WA series of loaders spans eight models; however, it was the WA320-5 that found favour in Ireland, identified by Komatsu as a WA320 ‘dash 5’ model.
Released in 2004, the ‘dash 5’ is powered by Komatsu’s own 5.9l turbocharged and intercooled engine, producing 166hp at 2000rpm.
The WA320 tips the scales at 15 tons and has a hydraulic output of 167l/min. Both axles are fitted with limited slip differentials and traction control to enhance the grip when pushing loads.
One of the unique selling points for the for the WA320 for Irish contractors was the four-speed hydrostatic variable transmission, with other brands offering a torque converter transmission. Designed by Komatsu, it comprises of a pump and two motors, low and high speed. B
oth motors work at low speed, when travelling at higher speeds the low motor is cut off.
The hydrostatic transmission also has variable shift control allowing the operator to set the travelling speed of the selected gear, regardless of engine speed via dials.
This is particularly beneficial for pushing up silage as the loader can be worked to its maximum power at 2000rpm at the speed set by the operator, regardless of gear selected or the need for the operator to hold the machine using the brake pedal.
The Komatsu SpaceCab provides an impressive view thanks to the pillarless, three-part front windscreen.
Loader vitals are presented via dials on the dash, along with the loader management monitoring system. The joystick also has an integrated forward and reverse shuttle switch.
Contact Peter at psob1987@gmail.com or see Instagram @flashphotoscork.
