US chaser bin stacks up during Wagin harvest with ‘smooth’ running auger

Wagin has become home to the first US-manufactured Unverferth chaser bin to been sold in WA to cropper Ben Ball of R.E. Ball and Son.

Mr Ball bought the Unverferth UM1138 Dual-Auger Front Folding Grain Cart a few weeks before harvest from WA’s new OzValue Ag Machinery sales representative Darren Smith of Kukerin, who started in the role in April 2023.

Mr Ball’s farm operations manager Jack Stallard said the 30-tonne single compartment bin had been used “flat out” during the harvest of 600ha of barley and 800ha of canola.

“We’re moving on to oats next where the real test will be because it is lighter and bulkier,” Mr Stallard said.

Mr Ball said the bin arrived as a bolt-together kit.

“Some may view that with suspicion, however, the consensus from those who used it seemed to be that bolting allows flexing, whereas welded bodies being more rigid can be prone to cracking,” Mr Ball said.

They both said they were “very happy with the machine”, and it had “exceeded expectations”.

“The Unverferth UM1138 has a computer-balanced auger system for a smooth and quiet unload,” Mr Stallard said.

While maintaining maximum power the auger is able to transfer grain at 10 tonne per minute. It can be fully operated from the tractor cab, and came standard with a hydraulic grain-flow gate, scales and monitor.

Mr Stallard said they had gone from operating a “seed and super two compartment chaser bin” with two augers, which was “slow to unload”, to the more efficient upgrade.

“We’d been looking for a new chaser bin because we are expanding the property in the next year,” he said.

“There was a mix of reviews on brands over here, so we ended up giving Darren a call.

The Unverferth UM1138 retails for $162,800 including GST and is one of four models available.

OzValue Ag machinery has a head office at Ballarat in Victoria, with branches in Wagga Wagga, NSW, Kingaroy, Queensland, and sub branches in WA and Rochester, Victoria.

The farming family-owned company imports a range of products from Unverferth Manufacturing Co based in Ohio in the US.

Mr Smith, who also farms 566ha at Kukerin, said last year the company sold 49 chaser bins in the Eastern States and he was hoping that with a few more sales under his belt the company would open a dealership in WA with full-time staff.

“There’s been a lot of interest in WA in the 55T chaser bin,” Mr Smith.

Mr Ball also recently purchased the new Massey Ferguson 8S Series 245 tractor which was on display at Wagin Woolorama on March, which has been used as an “all round tractor” due to its “handy size”.

He said “not having to wait around” for the delivery was a key factor in the purchasing decision as machinery dealers have been experiencing wait times of up to 14 months for machines to arrive in country and clear customs.

The tractor “presented better value for the capability versus many other brands”.