As Combine harvesters go to work around Africa, growers can’t relax until the crop is in. Farmers are rightfully concerned about critical crop losses.
The last few years of La Nina rainfall have brought rain, and now the pendulum is swinging back to a drier and hotter El Nino. The threat of grass fires and crop fires is accelerating. It’s tragic to run the risk of fire, having worked so hard all year, invested in fertilizer, diesel fuel, equipment maintenance and vital seed itself, only to see it go up in flames during harvest.
Research shows that fires can be started from a lightning strike, a cigarette butt, or even from sparks generated from the Combine itself.
“Having water and a pump on hand to douse spot fires can be the difference between a minor incident or catastrophic crop and equipment loss,” said Aussie Pumps Export Manager, Mel Jansen.. “We recommend a diesel powered pump under these extreme conditions because it’s safer to refuel when there are embers or hot equipment around.”
Australian Pump is Australia’s leader in fire pump design and development, and have worked with farmers to develop pumps capable of providing real protection. “There is no point in having a 10,000 litre capacity water cart if the pump isn’t powerful enough to use that capacity effectively,” explained Mel. The five year pump end warranty shows how confident the company is of the quality of their products.
The Aussie Mr T 2” twin impeller pump is regarded by the market as a leader in its class. The Mr T comes with a genuine 10 hp Yanmar electric start, air cooled diesel engine. The pump is superbly matched with the engine’s capability, and is designed to get the most out of both pump and engine. The Yanmar offers loads of torque and allows the pump to deliver up to 90 metres head and a maximum flow up to 450 litres per minute.
“An added bonus is the pump’s ability to draft water from creeks and dams. It has an unequalled vertical suction lift of 7.6m,”
The Aussie Mr T is available in either 2” or 3” configuration. It can deliver flows in excess of 200 litres per minute at 65 metre head. A tanker version of the Mr T is supplied on a stainless steel base plate with anti-vibration mounts ready for easy installation on the tanker’s platform.
For larger applications Australian Pump developed a 3” pump that delivers flows of up to 1,000 litres per minute. “If you’ve got the capacity in the water cart, it’s smart to use a pump that’s got serious flow capabilities. Aussie has developed a QP310SX for just this type of application.
Aussie Pumps originally developed the big 3” high pressure pump as a village fire protection unit. The company claims that this 3” pump is the first of its kind to provide genuine ‘knock down’ performance — high volumes at high pressure.
“We’ve accelerated production of our Yanmar powered fire pumps ahead of the fire season this year to support farmers in their preparations. Conditions are set for a horrific summer and we want to help protect crops, livestock & lives,” said Mel.
Australian Pump has printed huge quantities of their FREE Aussie Bushfire Survival Guide to give away. It is a terrific document that shows a wide range of actions that can be taken to minimise the risk to property and livestock.
For further information visit Australian Pump Industries. aussiepumps.com.au
