Test: Fliegl Maxx Line Plus

Fliegl is no stranger to effluent and has developed many impressive products over the decades, including the Maxx Line Plus tanker.

Formed in the late 1970s, Fliegl has been built from innovative ideas and efficient transport solutions. Founded and built in Germany, it’s no surprise the brand has a substantially high market share there.

For Fliegl, high-quality engineering is paramount, producing a product that’s built to last for generations. For this test review, we take a closer look at the Maxx Line Plus tanker, provided by Power Farming and hooked up to the Deutz Fahr Warrior 8280.

Specs

Fliegl has all bases covered with a wide variety of tankers to suit every need, from smaller farm spec single axle machines, right up to three axle tankers with all the bells and whistles (which are basically one step off being self-propelled).

The Maxx Line Plus tanker that we managed to spend the day with sits in the centre of the range, with a 16,000-litre capacity, achieved with a six-metre tank length and 1800mm tank diameter.

The smaller model is the same length but has a 1700mm diameter and a capacity of 14,000 litres. The largest of this model has an 18,000-litre capacity with a larger tank diameter of 1900mm. All models feature a recessed tank, which allows a taller and wider set of tyres to be placed under it. This keeps transport widths low and provides exceptional manoeuvrability, with help from a rear steering axle. The 750/60R30.5 tyres have a high rolling circumference to make the tanker easier to tow even while loaded. Another advantage of the larger tyre footprint is a reduction of impact on soil and pasture.

All models arrive in New Zealand ready for rear attachments, proving a bonus to upgrade your set-up as situations change. A turbo fill resides in the centre under the front of the tank. This does seem a little bit vulnerable to damage if situations venture out of the ordinary. The axles under this tanker need to be able to handle large loads and stress. Fliegl is a well-known and proven trailer manufacturer overseas for both agriculture and civil operations, with many years of experience and certainly knows what cavalry to put under their products.

Featuring two individual springs, braked axles, with the ability to absorb impact on rough tracks, the steering axle proves how easy a big machine like this one is to manoeuvre around.

Options

The Power Farming team realises how rapidly the effluent industry is changing, so keep stock orders to a minimum, as the array of options per tanker is phenomenal. It doesn’t take long to rack up a few extra thousand dollars with the additions of flow meters, full ISOBUS compatibility, and an injection system. That being said, all options are available from splash plates and dribble bars to trailing shoes and injection. All bases are well covered, paired with the vast range of size options from 5000-litre to 29,000-litre.

The Maxx Line Plus has an option for a filling from either the left or right side. This adds versatility to the machine if your situation suits one more than the other, but predominantly, this will be on the right side to suit most operators better.

The trailing shoe bar fitted on our test machine has its own set of unique advantages. Called the screw distributor, it’s a system designed to eliminate blockages, reduce maintenance costs, and ultimately be more efficient. Hydraulically operated, a motor automatically turns the screw for a number of seconds out, then back in for three seconds. This ensures any foreign matter gets either moved to the end of the bar or moved into a better position to flow down the tubes and out of the shoe. Any matter that’s too large or clumpy to go down the chutes ends up in a trap box, where it can be removed mechanically (or hydraulically if the option is specified).

The stainless-steel screw auger is long-lasting and made of thick steel, which reduces maintenance and wearing. A big advantage this system has over others is that no macerators are needed. While macerators do a great job, they are expensive to repair and replace if damage occurs. Another advantage is that an even spread is achieved, as all dropper tubes get a consistently even amount of product. With no build-up of foreign matter, achieving the optimal flow over the full width is no issue. This system also achieves good, even flow on hillsides, as product is physically bought to the dropper tubes and not solely relying on the pumping pressure.

The Fliegl control systems boast the latest technology and in different forms to suit all budgets. Basic tankers just use the tractor hydraulics, while the most advanced have an option to go full ISOBUS-compatible alongside flow meters and even an NIR sensor. The control unit we used was in between these two ranges – a power beyond system coupled with a simple control box design. While quick and easy to navigate, no information gets provided back to the operator about exactly where certain parts of the machine are and what functions are selected, as there’s no screen. This requires more physical attention from the operator, along with knowing exactly how the machine operates. After extensive use and getting to know the machine better, ease of operation would be increased.

Test

At first feel and glance, the Fliegl tanker is a large piece of kit to operate. The steering axle certainly increases the manoeuvrability of the tanker as it trailed extremely well. Following the tractor’s path means tighter properties are going to be much less of a rigmarole. The transport width of 2.6 meters also helps this.

Even with the large black guards, the recessed design allows a set of big 750/60R30.5 tyres. These kept ground pressure low and didn’t mark the wet delicate ground. Another advantage of the big tyres is the ease of towing, which when fully laden, every bit helps.

The tanker controls were nice to use after a short period of figuring out what each operation is. The trailing shoe bar on the rear had its own set of controls to eliminate confusion. The design of the bar and shoe sits on a pendulum to allow the bar to lift to follow ground contour. A horizontal pivot also allows seven degrees of oscillation.

The shoes themselves keep a pressure of eight kilogrammes per shoe and are sprung to keep optimal ground adaptation. Lifting at headlands was kept simple as the folding rams are used to pivot the bar backwards, giving the bar lots of clearance. Saving another set of rams keeps the weight lower and eliminates another set of controls needed, let alone all the extra hydraulic plumbing.

The hydraulic drawbar suspension was a key highlight, as it incorporated an extra function into what generally is a hydraulic dampening system. Fliegl has added the ability to change the height of the drawbar through its triangular design, allowing the operator to tilt the tanker towards the rear.  This allows the tanker to completely empty itself, eliminating bringing product back to the fill location. It’s another part of increasing the tanker’s efficiency throughout the day and its lifetime. A fill gauge is mounted on the front of the tanker. Being basic, it clearly showed its relative fill level and is easy to see from the operator’s seat.

Summary

Fliegl has extensive knowledge in building machines for the agriculture sector and specialises in the slurry side. They’ve produced a large machine that’s straightforward, robust, and easily configurable to suit specific needs. I found the trailing show and the unique screw distributer a big advantage in many ways. It’s a long-lasting system that needs minimal maintenance and will reduce blockages significantly. A great advantage of it is also how easy removal is. If it’s not required, it’s simply lifted off. Manoeuvrability of the large tanker was great thanks to the fully spring, braked, and steered axles. This also aids in road transport with the 2.6-metre transport width and hydraulic suspended drawbar, making life both smooth and relaxing.

Fliegl Maxx line plus tanker Specifications

Capacity	16,000L
Length	6m
Working width	12m
Number of outlets	48
Transport width	2600mm
Pump type	Battioni Pagani
pump rate	13,845L/min
Axle set-up	2 axle, individually sprung, plus steering
Control system	Power beyond
Tyre size	750/60R30.5

Pros

• Hydraulic drawbar suspension with tilting functions
• Screw design bar
• Low maintenance
• Large rolling circumference tyres
• Upgradeable

Cons

• Turbo fill could be in a vulnerable place
• The control system on this model is basic and doesn’t give much information back to the operator. However, other control systems are available.

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Photography: Dan Reymer