Overview
The Irrimec MASTER MDT8/2 is a professional turbine drive hard hose irrigator engineered for medium to large-scale agricultural irrigation where water-powered operation delivers maximum efficiency and operational independence. Manufactured by Irrimec in Italy, this water-powered reel system utilises a precision turbine drive mechanism to rewind heavy-duty polyethylene hoses ranging from 110 mm to 150 mm in diameter and extending from 380 metres to 650 metres in length. The turbine harnesses the kinetic energy of the irrigation water itself to power the rewinding drum, eliminating the need for external engines, fuel, or electricity whilst providing consistent, speed-controlled performance across pastures, row crops, and remote field locations.
What distinguishes the MASTER MDT8/2 within the turbine drive hard hose irrigator category is its MDT8/2 turbine and gearbox configuration, specifically engineered to deliver reliable torque across the extensive hose capacity range this model supports. The system features a chain-driven transmission that ensures smooth, precise hose retrieval, coupled with a robust hose guide mechanism that maintains even layering across the drum during rewinding. Built on a hot-dip galvanised chassis for maximum corrosion resistance, the MASTER MDT8/2 incorporates a two-wheel cart platform designed for stability during operation and ease of repositioning between irrigation cycles, making it particularly well-suited to large paddocks and fields where autonomy from fuel supply and electrical infrastructure is essential.
Key Features & Benefits
- Water-Powered Turbine Drive: Eliminates all fuel costs and reliance on external electricity by harnessing the irrigation water flow to power the rewinding mechanism — ideal for remote paddocks and fields without grid access, delivering complete energy independence throughout the irrigation season.
- MDT8/2 Turbine and Gearbox System: Precision-engineered turbine flanged directly to a heavy-duty gearbox provides consistent torque delivery across the full hose length range, ensuring smooth, controlled rewinding even with the heaviest hose configurations and longest travel distances.
- Integrated Speed Control Valve: Built-in by-pass valve allows fine-tuning of rewinding speed by diverting a controlled portion of water flow away from the turbine, enabling operators to match retrieval rate precisely to crop type, soil infiltration rate, and desired application depth without external controllers.
- Chain Drive Transmission: Robust chain linkage between turbine gearbox and drum shaft ensures positive power transfer with minimal slippage, maintaining consistent hose retrieval speed and preventing uneven layering that can damage hoses or create operational delays.
- Precision Hose Guide System: Automatic guide mechanism traverses laterally across the drum during rewinding, layering the hose evenly to prevent bunching, tangling, or uneven wear patterns that reduce hose lifespan and create preparation inefficiencies between irrigation cycles.
- Hot-Dip Galvanised Chassis: Complete structural framework treated with hot-dip galvanisation provides superior corrosion protection against constant moisture exposure, fertiliser contact, and harsh environmental conditions, extending service life and maintaining structural integrity across decades of operation.
- Extensive Hose Capacity Range: Accommodates hose diameters from 110 mm to 150 mm and lengths from 380 metres to 650 metres across twenty-one distinct configurations, providing exceptional flexibility to match irrigation system capacity to field geometry, water supply constraints, and crop water requirements.
- Two-Wheel Cart Platform: Stable twin-wheel undercarriage distributes machine weight evenly during operation whilst enabling efficient repositioning by tractor between irrigation sets, reducing soil compaction and allowing rapid relocation across large properties without specialised transport equipment.
- Low Maintenance Operation: Absence of combustion engines, carburettors, spark plugs, air filters, and fuel systems dramatically reduces routine maintenance requirements and eliminates the need for fuel storage, oil changes, and engine winterisation, lowering total cost of ownership.
- Silent Operation: Water-driven turbine operates with minimal noise emission compared to petrol or diesel engine-driven reels, reducing operator fatigue during supervision and eliminating disturbance to livestock or sensitive crop environments during extended irrigation cycles.
Technical Specifications
| Specification |
Details |
| Manufacturer |
Irrimec |
| Model |
MASTER MDT8/2 |
| Product Type |
Turbine Drive Hard Hose Irrigator |
| Drive System |
Water-Powered Turbine |
| Turbine Type |
MDT8/2 Turbine with Integrated Gearbox |
| Transmission |
Chain Drive from Turbine Gearbox to Drum Shaft |
| Hose Diameter Range |
110–150 mm (4.33–5.91 in) |
| Hose Length Range |
380–650 m (1,247–2,133 ft) |
| Maximum Hose Capacity |
Ø 110 mm × 650 m (Ø 4.33 in × 2,133 ft) |
| Speed Control Method |
Water Flow By-Pass Valve (Manual Adjustment) |
| Hose Guide System |
Automatic Lateral Traversing Guide |
| Wheel Configuration |
Two-Wheel Cart Platform |
| Chassis Treatment |
Hot-Dip Galvanised Steel |
| Country of Manufacture |
Italy |
Available Hose Configurations
| Hose Diameter |
Hose Length |
Model Designation |
| 110 mm (4.33 in) |
520 m (1,706 ft) |
110 TG |
| 110 mm (4.33 in) |
580 m (1,903 ft) |
110 TG |
| 110 mm (4.33 in) |
600 m (1,969 ft) |
110 TG |
| 110 mm (4.33 in) |
650 m (2,133 ft) |
110 TG |
| 120 mm (4.72 in) |
500 m (1,640 ft) |
120 TG |
| 120 mm (4.72 in) |
530 m (1,739 ft) |
120 TG |
| 120 mm (4.72 in) |
550 m (1,804 ft) |
120 TG |
| 125 mm (4.92 in) |
450 m (1,476 ft) |
125 TG |
| 125 mm (4.92 in) |
500 m (1,640 ft) |
125 TG |
| 125 mm (4.92 in) |
530 m (1,739 ft) |
125 TG |
| 125 mm (4.92 in) |
560 m (1,837 ft) |
125 TG |
| 135 mm (5.31 in) |
400 m (1,312 ft) |
135 TG |
| 135 mm (5.31 in) |
420 m (1,378 ft) |
135 TG |
| 135 mm (5.31 in) |
480 m (1,575 ft) |
135 TG |
| 135 mm (5.31 in) |
500 m (1,640 ft) |
135 TG |
| 135 mm (5.31 in) |
520 m (1,706 ft) |
135 TG |
| 140 mm (5.51 in) |
420 m (1,378 ft) |
140 TG |
| 140 mm (5.51 in) |
450 m (1,476 ft) |
140 TG |
| 150 mm (5.91 in) |
380 m (1,247 ft) |
150 TG |
| 150 mm (5.91 in) |
400 m (1,312 ft) |
150 TG |
| 150 mm (5.91 in) |
430 m (1,411 ft) |
150 TG |
Note: Compatible raingun models, nozzle sizes, and detailed performance data (flow rates, pressures, wetted diameters) are available upon request. Configuration selection should be based on water supply capacity, desired application rate, field geometry, and crop water requirements.
Turbine Drive System & Operation
The MASTER MDT8/2 employs a water-powered turbine mechanism flanged directly to a precision reduction gearbox, harnessing the kinetic energy of the irrigation water as it flows through the system to generate rotational force that rewinds the hose. As water enters the turbine housing under operational pressure, it drives the turbine rotor at a speed proportional to flow rate; this rotation passes through the gearbox reduction assembly and chain drive to turn the drum shaft, pulling the hose smoothly back onto the reel whilst the raingun continues irrigating the field. The integrated by-pass valve allows operators to divert a controlled portion of water flow around the turbine, reducing rotor speed and thus slowing hose retrieval rate to match desired application depth, soil infiltration characteristics, and crop water uptake capacity without interrupting irrigation or requiring external speed control devices.
This water-driven design delivers profound operational advantages over engine-powered alternatives: zero fuel consumption eliminates recurring diesel or petrol costs and removes the logistical burden of fuel transport and storage in remote field locations; near-silent operation reduces noise pollution and operator fatigue during extended irrigation cycles; minimal maintenance requirements stem from the absence of combustion components such as carburettors, ignition systems, air filters, and lubricating oil systems; and performance reliability is intrinsically tied to water pressure rather than mechanical engine condition, ensuring consistent retrieval speed throughout the season. The turbine drive system proves particularly advantageous for properties with large irrigated areas distant from electricity infrastructure or fuel supply points, where the capital savings from eliminating generator or engine maintenance compound season after season, and where operational independence from external power sources allows irrigation scheduling flexibility unconstrained by fuel availability or electrical service interruptions.
Ideal Applications
- Remote Pasture and Rangeland Irrigation: Water-powered operation eliminates dependency on electricity or fuel supply in distant paddocks, enabling cost-effective irrigation across extensive pastoral properties where infrastructure access is limited and operational autonomy is essential for maintaining consistent livestock forage production.
- Large-Scale Row Crop Production: Extended hose length capacity combined with turbine-driven consistency delivers uniform water application across long field runs for maize, soybean, cotton, and vegetable crops, where precise application depth control via speed adjustment optimises yield whilst minimising water waste and energy costs.
- Forage and Hay Production Systems: Silent, fuel-free operation suits intensive irrigation scheduling for lucerne, clover, and grass hay crops requiring frequent watering cycles throughout the growing season, where low operating costs and minimal maintenance downtime directly impact profitability and harvest quality.
- Organic and Sustainable Farming Operations: Elimination of fossil fuel combustion and oil contamination risk aligns with organic certification requirements and sustainability objectives, whilst reduced carbon emissions and energy independence support environmental stewardship goals without compromising irrigation system performance.
- Sports Turf and Recreational Grounds: Quiet turbine operation prevents disturbance during daytime irrigation of golf courses, sports fields, and public parks, whilst consistent flow-controlled rewinding ensures even water distribution that maintains turf quality without creating wet spots or dry patches from erratic hose retrieval.
- Horticultural and Orchard Irrigation: Precise speed control via water flow adjustment allows fine-tuning of application rates to match specific crop water requirements and soil types, whilst the absence of engine vibration and exhaust prevents contamination concerns in sensitive fruit and vegetable production environments.
- Properties with Multiple Irrigation Points: Ability to relocate the irrigator between fields without fuel logistics or generator transport simplifies management across diversified farming operations, where the water supply itself provides the only power requirement for effective irrigation regardless of field location or distance from farmstead infrastructure.
SPECIFICS: Turbine driven, model 10/50 - 25/120. Model with hot galvanised ground support platform, giving 360° turntable rotation. Structure shot-blasted treated with 2 applications of powder coating epoxy anti-corrosive primer and a top coat of polyesthere paint with high shock resistence, high atmospheric resistance and long lasting.
