How to choose a compost turner: start with the tractor and windrows, not power
Match a compost turner to the tractor, real windrow dimensions, material and work site. Machine power alone is not enough to choose the right model.
Start with your tractor and your windrows, not with the model name. The tractor decides how the machine can be connected and driven. The windrow dimensions and the material decide whether the machine can work in your yard at all. Everything else comes after these facts are checked.
Start with farm conditions
A compost turner is a tool that works in a specific place, on a specific pile, behind a specific tractor. Two farms with the same machine on paper can have very different needs.
- Tractor: its power and how it connects to the machine.
- Windrow: its real width and height, measured on site.
- Material: what you are composting.
- Scale: how much material you handle and how often you work it.
- Site: the surface, the space for manoeuvring and access.
If one of these is unknown, the choice is a guess.
What information to prepare
Collect this before you contact anyone:
- Tractor model and power.
- PTO. Check what your tractor offers.
- Linkage or hitch.
- Hydraulics.
- Actual windrow dimensions.
- Material.
- Scale and work frequency.
- Working site.
- Photos or video, if the conditions are unusual.
The 10 kW machine: confirmed specifications
According to the current BioFarmLab machine page, the 10 kW machine has:
- a 10 kW hydraulic motor,
- PTO drive,
- an independent hydraulic pump,
- three-point linkage CAT 1–2,
- a tractor requirement of about 20 HP or more,
- a maximum windrow width of 170 cm,
- integrated watering.
The maximum windrow width of 170 cm is the one hard windrow limit stated on the page for this model. Compare it with the width of your piles first.
The 40 kW machine: confirmed specifications
According to the same page, the 40 kW machine has:
- nominal power of 40 kW,
- PTO drive through a 3:1 gearbox,
- an adjustable wheel and drawbar,
- a variable-pitch auger rotor,
- its own water pump,
- a 1000 L tank,
- a gate 300 cm wide and 160 cm high.
Two limits apply when you read these numbers.
First, 300 × 160 cm are the gate dimensions. The page does not state them as the maximum windrow size, so do not treat them that way. The gate dimensions also do not show that this machine suits every windrow wider than 170 cm. Confirm the windrow fit for your piles directly.
Second, the page gives no tractor requirement for this model. Confirm it before you decide, using your tractor’s data.
Comparison of confirmed values
| Parameter | 10 kW | 40 kW |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 10 kW hydraulic motor | 40 kW nominal |
| Drive | PTO drive | PTO through 3:1 gearbox |
| Hydraulic pump | Independent | Not stated on the page |
| Linkage | Three-point, CAT 1–2 | Adjustable wheel and drawbar |
| Tractor requirement | From about 20 HP | Not stated on the page |
| Maximum windrow width | 170 cm | Not stated on the page |
| Gate dimensions | Not stated on the page | 300 × 160 cm (width × height) |
| Rotor | Not stated on the page | Variable-pitch auger |
| Watering | Integrated | Own water pump, 1000 L tank |
The table lists only what the page confirms. An empty cell means the page says nothing, not that the feature is missing. The numbers also do not make one model better than the other. They show which model has to be checked against your tractor and your windrows.
How to prepare an enquiry
Put the information from the checklist into one message: tractor model and power, PTO, linkage, hydraulics, measured windrow dimensions, material, scale and frequency of work, and the working site. Add photos or video if the conditions are unusual.
With this information, the machine can be matched to your situation instead of to a model name. If a parameter is not on the machine page, ask about it before you buy.
Source
- BioFarmLab, machine page
