Meet The Contractor with no Tractor!

6 Weeks of on and off rain? Not a problem to O'Kane Contracts one of few men able to skim across wet ground in his quad bike fertiliser spreading set up! Craig got chatting to Damian O'Kane about how he started his contracting business and why he has been exceptionally busy recently!
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GRASSMEN are the fast-paced, global agriculture phenomenon whose video content and merchandise are recognised worldwide. The business was started in 2009 by current director Gareth Gault, known to fans as ‘Donkey’. His love and passion for machinery allowed him to experiment with cameras and upload content to KZbin. To his surprise, a large following soon developed and the niche in the market for real-life, documentary, farming and machinery action made it possible to drive the brand forward.
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[@SeanMcIntyreBiker]

Landing into a field with Quad and sower total cost of equipment under £10k meanwhile, other contractors landing in with £100k Deere and £20k of a sower. What a massive competitive advantage. This guy's profit margin is much much better than the tractor setup!

[@Grassmen]

It's an efficient set up now!

[@chuckle30]

But isn't fertiliser to expensive to be spreading it on water logged fields seems like they're throwing money down the drain never mind the environmental impact?

[@SeanMcIntyreBiker]

​@@chuckle30 unless there is significant run off then it will be absorbed into the soil. The yield will be key here and will validate the input costs Vs doing nothing. Don't forget if the weather turns very dry with little rainfall then you have problems also as the soil will be too dry and patched to absorb.

[@damianokane4438]

@@chuckle30 out of the whole 66 acres that was on that farm, with an educated guess 1/8 of an acre was water logged which I did not spread any fertiliser on, the other 65.875 acres yes was soft in many places but not water logged hence why the farmer wanted the fertiliser sown on it. Common sense is a wonderful thing

[@chuckle30]

@Damian O’Kane thanks for the reply it just showed you going on that field made it look like you putting fert on it my mate does a lot with the atv and twin axle vicon takes 600kg at a time does a lot of steep ground as well which obviously needs a lot of common sense 👍

[@gwill983]

It’s a wonder Donkey isn’t there saying that the gent needs his 7310r on the front of that wee spreader 😂

[@SimonKL11]

That's pretty cool😁👍 the small spreader is cute👍😉

[@voxxag8054]

We can supply a port agri spreader with electric shut off and 600kg capacity. Also can offer demo twin disc Atv spreader up to 24m. 👌💪

[@pauldunnelandscaping9781]

Great video

[@J_Hunt]

Looks like a great set up for small paddocks and hilly ground. What's is the thoughts on spreading fertiliser/pesticides in such wet ground conditions, nutrient/pesticides loss to watercourses due to mobilisation.?

[@finbarosullivan4279]

Need to chat to this man 👍

[@michealhalpin659]

Great idea

[@Grassmen]

That's what we thought too

[@MrBeboopman]

Spotted a niche and has made an great business opportunity... excellent work.. id say donkey is doing the maths standing there.🤔👍👍👍😁

[@Grassmen]

Donkey says he would need the duals on all the time. 😆

[@patodwyer721]

Nice one

[@Grassmen]

Thankyou

[@mwnciboo]

Needs a UTV with a Cab. 😢

[@damianokane4438]

Tried it. Didn’t work, utv too heavy and when it gets stuck it’s a lot harder to get out

[@Rachel.M137]

That’s some yoke

[@jeffreyklute8390]

I see some pretty nice tractors ...

[@thomascannon9703]

Whats the advantage of the cosmo shaker over a walco

[@Tzhz]

You could create a line of products for quads and sell these too developing countries, much more affordable and cheap maintenance.

[@Grassmen]

Definitely

[@Tzhz]

@Grassmen china recently started destroying forestry for more farmland so there's the in. They are in economic downturn and products like this could be very profitable.

[@alexferguson6191]

Thats a class looking outfit 👌. Was wondering what make the spreader is that Damien is using ?

[@damianokane4438]

It’s a Cosmo spreader Alex

[@alexferguson6191]

Good man Damian, thanks 👍

[@XtreamSheep]

Stay clear from them go for a walco/aitchinson parts are just too hard got for the Cosmo

[@damianokane4438]

Conor Cavan Agri are the importers, if I ever do need spare parts I always have them within 24 hours of phoning Stephen in the office. They have everything on a shelf

[@seanocallaghan17]

This man should buy a trailed atv rock picker , expand his range of services

[@Grassmen]

Haven't seen on of those are they a good job?

[@seanocallaghan17]

@@Grassmen kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXurkIimo7app7s

[@jamesmccrossan3217]

I think that man does a bit of work round Cookstown too

[@damianokane4438]

James you could find me anywhere 😂

[@andrewbowen7150]

@@damianokane4438 do you charge per acre or per hour ?

[@damianokane4438]

Per acre Andrew

[@ewetube.videos]

A contractor without a tractor is just a con 😂😂

[@Grassmen]

Man is getting work done 💪

[@ewetube.videos]

@Grassmen he's flying and quite a tasty set up, don't mind my bad jokes. 😁

[@billyyr9469]

🤣🤣

[@kevdev11]

Imagine the winter😂

[@kevdev11]

@@ravanjock sound

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

riding a quad while getting paid.. is there any better job ?

[@damianokane4438]

It’s not all rainbows and sunshine Chris

[@EldarGullhaug]

Why wouldnt the other contractors use smaller tractors. Like a ford 4000 or somthing? Some tire marks are imposible too not make

[@Grassmen]

Unsure why not... could work

[@damianokane4438]

Many farmers have tried that option and it simply doesn’t work. I normally get the phone call when they realise it doesn’t work

[@Ethan-ck6iz]

That would still be much heavier than a quad

[@EldarGullhaug]

@@Ethan-ck6iz yes it would. But the other thing is just wait for the wheater to do its thing. And too let it dry som of the wet spots

[@liamkeane9159]

Powersharing is it

[@Spiterfull]

The italian solution of this problem: Fiat 640😂

[@chuckle30]

Ours gets done with a same 100 with twins no need for a atv.

[@glenkoopman7347]

Does no one in the UK do fertilizer with a plane or helicopter? Seen many videos this season of folks raving about quad bike spreaders. Weve had one over 20 years in nz and i bloody hate the thing painfully slow and hard work. Duals on the 390 does the job and of not helicopters

[@Grassmen]

Don't think anyone in the UK does it with a helicopter now not enough land

[@Ben-fk9ey]

Fields in most of the UK apart from some flat bits are probably too patchwork and wonky to use a plane on effectively.

[@user-rx2kp8cg4x]

well boy u busy tomorrm 10 areas tomorrow please

[@user-rx2kp8cg4x]

well boy u ring me please

[@user-rx2kp8cg4x]

well boy u ring me please

[@damianokane4438]

Hi Michael. What do you need?

[@oisinmcgrath792]

Does he have a tractor cause I saw a tractor mounted spreader

[@damianokane4438]

That was the farmers tractor and spreader. He was in spreading fertiliser on the oil seed rape as it was nearly 4 foot tall and too high for me to go through

[@oisinmcgrath792]

​@@damianokane4438 the one in your shed

[@damianokane4438]

@@oisinmcgrath792 the one in my shed???

[@YouCLTube]

Add subs.

[@MarkLynskey]

...ok slowly repeat....'Fertilizer spreader'....a sower sows, you spread fertilizer.

[@damianokane4438]

Mark where I come from we sow fertiliser with a fertiliser sower, different strokes for different folks

[@MarkLynskey]

@@damianokane4438 I sold spreaders in the North for years and I'm well familiar with it..Just couldn't resist the dig lol.

[@chriskwakernaat2328]

sowing used to be done by throwing the seeds by hand...

[@SwedishVilsten]

You couldn't do this in anything but a honda. Gl, trying that with a polaris or can am

[@damianokane4438]

Couldn’t agree more. On my 7th honda quad and will be ordering a new one this week all being well. Only bike for the job

[@XtreamSheep]

@@damianokane4438 before you do lad definitely chat to Friel ATV in Donegal about a Yamaha 700. It’s hard to to get some fellas to see past the red but honestly take a run on one and get chatting to Peter down there. The workload they can do and the Yamaha warranty really is top

[@damianokane4438]

Tried them all Conor, not arguing with you, they are a good bike but the belts, pulley wheels and bearings can’t stick the constant pulling, belts stretch and slip, that puts stress on the pulley wheels and in turn goes for the bearings. Honda’s reliability, warranty cover and back up is fantastic. I know first hand

[@XtreamSheep]

@@damianokane4438 interesting take , I’ve had my reluctance’s to go for an 520fa, I’ll be the first to admit its their pulling is impressive especially with the low box, however I wasn’t a fan with how it’s auto gear change was so ‘shunty’ if that makes sense , with you changing regularly perhaps it’s not such an issue but I felt like down the line if the bike was out of warranty I’d rather replace a €70 belt than shift motors or angle sensors.

[@damianokane4438]

Conor the last model of the 500 cc bikes had the jumpy gear change, the new 520’s don’t jump, they have a completely different shift motor, it’s great. You would hardly feel it change gear. I run my bikes for 3 years so I run 1 year with no warranty and have little to no trouble and any problems I do have the 2 mechanics in Wilson’s are first class. As for the low range gear box and it’s pulling capabilities, nothing on the market will beat it and I mean nothing