Manure is stored in large lagoons so biological processes can transform the animal waste into a usable fertilizer. The manure pumping industry functions by assisting farmers with their pumping needs. The bulk of the business is in the spring and fall. For Marcel Wassink of Perfection Pumping Corporation in Alberta, Canada, the narrow pumping season means it is crucial to have consistent uptime, reliability, and low maintenance on his key pumping equipment.
Prior to making the switch to the FlexaDrive, Wassink was using a live PTO off his CAT D7 tractor to power his hydraulic systems. The hydraulic PTO takeoff that he was using simply couldn’t stand up to the demands of his hydraulic system, leading to frequent downtime. When this setup gave out, Wassink began using the power take-off from his John Deere 8R 250 HP tractor. This configuration came with its own set of issues, specifically that the tractor was being used entirely as a stationary PTO for days at a time. “We were paying almost $75 in depreciation for every hour using that hydraulic pump,” says Wassink.
Wassink developed his own, stand-alone, skid mounted pumping station using a CAT C15 600 HP engine, a Logan 1000-2 Series FlexaDrive and a Cornell 6819MP Pump. The Logan FlexaDrive solves both of his previous issues by providing the appropriate 150 HP PTO for Perfection Pumping’s hydraulic system from an engine that’s already running. The Logan FlexaDrive is a self-contained, multiple pump drive gearbox sandwiched between the engine’s flywheel and the manure pump. The LFD-1000-2 can transmit full engine horsepower from the engine to the Cornell pump, and has 2 PTO towers that can accommodate up to 160 HP each—Wassink uses 1 pad on the FlexaDrive to power his main 150 HP hydraulic pump and utilizes a pump on the 2nd tower to power roughly 30 HP of auxiliary equipment. For applications with lower HP requirements or smaller flywheel arrangements, Logan offers the model LFD-700-2.
With the Logan FlexaDrive as part of the new system, Wassink has logged over 1300 hours in the past year. “The best part is I don’t notice it,” says Wassink. “It does what it needs to do, and I don’t really need to think about it or look at it.” Wassink only needs to keep up with routine maintenance—checking fluid levels and changing filters. Says Wassink, the FlexaDrive provides “consistent uptime, reliability, and low maintenance compared to some of the other components we run.”
• Input housing SAE No. 1 – No. 3
• Output housing SAE No. 1 – No. 3
• Pump pads SAE A – SAE D
• Continuously rated – both towers 320 HP (240 kW)
• Continuously rated – per tower 160 HP (120 kW)
• Integrated reservoir – eliminates need for secondary tank
• Pump drive towers can be positioned up to 45° in either direction
• Reverse compatible envelope with leading brands