WITH AN annual 'spread' of 350,000 acres, Kent-based FGS Agri needed high capacity machines to fulfill a long-term contract.

It recently took delivery of two new Vervaet Hydro Trike self-propelled spreaders from UK-importers, J Riley, after renewing a five-year contract to spread 350,000 tonnes of bio-solids per year on behalf of Thames Water.

With five self-propelled machines in its inventory, it should know what it's talking about when it comes to spreading.

The latest Vervaet machines are powered by 510hp DAF engines and fitted with specially designed integral 18-tonne Panien spreader bodies. Large tyres spread the weight evenly over a 4.5m width when in work thanks to extending mid-axles.

Bio-solids contract manager, Bert Essink, commented: “The new models are an evolution, rather than a revolution. The concept hasn’t changed but thoroughly redeveloped, so it has only got better and been improved.

"It’s a very reliable machine and the spread pattern is very good. It’s even better than we expected and features like the automatically tightened bed chain are important."

“The five wheel layout works well,” he added. “We spread some land which had been deep cultivated and it didn’t make a mess. We also work on some steep hills and, with the extending axle, the Vervaet is very stable – the driver says he feels very safe, and that’s important.”

The engine is on one side in the front for easy maintenance and the cooling pack on the other side.