Benn Agri in Urlingford, Co. Tipperary are leading specialists in slurry equipment and self-drive hire for tractors and loaders. The family business services and supplies parts for a wide range of pumps and umbilical systems, making it a one-stop shop for all your slurry needs.
Established in 2011 by Elliot Benn, Benn Agri has become synonymous with quality-built slurry management equipment and outstanding back-up service. As main importers for Cri-Man and Tramspread umbilical systems, Mixit lagoon / tower stirrers and Talex grass mowers, and also representing leading Irish brands such as KME Agri dribble bars, tankers and trailing shoes, Alstrong Engineering aerators and seeders, Alan Ward Engineering grass harrows and R Wylie Engineering shear grabs and grass toppers, it’s easy to see why Benn Agri is the dealer of choice for many agri contractors and farmers nationwide.
Benn Agri’s aim is to supply premium quality equipment to its customers and to provide an unrivalled back-up service. Before supplying a machine, Elliot makes sure that clients receive a machine that suits their requirements and maximises their investment. The affable dealer prides himself in supplying quality, value-for-money machinery and with over 25 years’ experience in farm machinery sales, is confident that he knows what he’s doing.
“I’m a mechanic by trade with a wealth of experience in sales also,” he says.
“Coming from a farming background, I always had an interest in machinery. I cut my teeth working for local agri contractors during my school holidays and progressed from there to become a mechanic. I sold equipment for some of the biggest agri dealers in the country before seeing a niche in the market for a professional specialist dealer in umbilical sales and service.
“That led to me going out on my own in 2011. Thirteen years later, the business is getting bigger and bigger. We have a lot of new and repeat customers which we’re very grateful for. I’ve been involved in the trade for a long time and that has stood me in good stead.”
Elliot’s expertise in sales and service allows him to run the business as a ‘one-man operation’ with the support of his sons Aaron, David and Clive, and wife Charlotte. His workshop is well-equipped to carry out repairs on all makes of pumps and slurry spreading equipment, while he also has a fabrication workshop where he can manufacture bespoke orders for customers.
“We service what we sell and keep the customer working at all costs,” continues Elliot, whose garage is located on the Tipperary-Kilkenny border.
“We service a lot of our competitors’ machines which has helped to get us to where we are today. If the service side of things is right, the sales will look after itself. We have every product the customer wants. We can custom-build any pipework you need and also carry a large stock of spare parts for immediate delivery.
“Furthermore, our dribble bars, trailing shoes / splash plates and pumps are grant compliant.”
Benn Agri is proud to fly the flag for Cri-Man, Tramspread and Mixit in Ireland. The dealer offers the full range of Cri-Man and Tramspread umbilical systems as well as Mixit stirrers. An Italian brand, Cri-Man offers chopper and grinder pumps, mixers, screw press separators and aerobic digesters for livestock, biogas and industry plants. Tramspread also manufactures a wide range of slurry handling equipment, including umbilical and tanker applications, hose reels and pump units.
Offering performance, simplicity and reliability, Mixit stirrers have been tried and tested by farmers and contractors since 1988. Their unique rotating tube and auger means there are no submerged bearings or framework. Mixit’s impellers are the highest thrust in the industry and are therefore significantly faster than pumps or jetters.
“All of our brands are performing strongly,” Elliot happily reports.
“The Cri-Man range of umbilical pumps and separators are among the top three in the world. Cri-Man, Tramspread and Mixit are our three main imported brands. We are also agents for quality Irish brands like KME Agri, Alstrong Engineering, Alan Ward Engineering and R Wylie Engineering. KME Agri in Kerry may have been latecomers to the slurry market, but they make excellent dribble bars, tankers and trailing shoes.
“Likewise, Alstrong Engineering in Galway do top-quality aerators and seeders which we also have available for hire. Alan Ward Engineering in Kilkenny are leaders in grass harrows, while we stock the full range of shear grabs and grass toppers from R Wylie Engineering in Dungannon too.”
Umbilical systems are becoming increasingly popular as they improve productivity, reduce costs, reduce soil compaction and help the environment. They also help to reduce lameness in cows due to their lighter footprint on roadways compared to slurry tankers.
A sharp decline in second-hand slurry equipment sales following Brexit prompted Elliot to focus more on self-drive hire for tractors, loaders and other equipment. This aspect of the business has really taken off, especially in the busy spring, summer and autumn months. The modern fleet of tractors which he hires out are Case, New Holland and CLAAS, and range from 100-250hp. The Case and CLAAS tractors are supplied by local dealers Tobin & Cantwell and Breen’s Farm Machinery respectively, while the New Hollands come from WR Shaw.
“We insist on supporting local dealers, while I’ve been doing business with Billy Shaw of WR Shaw for the last 35 years,” the Tipp man explains.
“We always had a few tractors hired out locally, but it’s something we have developed over the last four or five years. When Brexit happened and it was no longer feasible for us to import second-hand slurry equipment from the UK, we placed more of an emphasis on self-drive hire and it has paid off.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the demand for our JCB TM 320 self-drive loaders from large-to-medium dairymen in particular. That demand is growing all the time.”
As Benn Agri continues to go from strength to strength, Elliot would like to take this opportunity to thank his customers and suppliers for all their support.
Benn Agri
Urard,
Urlingford,
Co. Tipperary.
Telephone: 086 837 7768
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.benn-agri.com
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 11 No 5, October/November 2023
