Machinery highlights from the AXA National Dairy Show
Tractors are usually the focus of the machinery budget as they tend to be the kingpin around which mechanised farm operations revolve, so they are by no means out of place at a dairy show.
Zetor on the up
Zetor sales suffered something of a dip a few years ago but now the brand is making its presence felt once more with an active marketing campaign which is taking the tractors out to the customers.
The company has a great legacy in Ireland with Zetors bringing affordable 4WD to farming and also being a starting point for many contractors over the years.
The company now offers machines of up to 170hp in the shape of the latest Crystal, but it was a HD 150hp Forterra model which dominated the indoor machinery section.
This is the largest four-cylinder machine and in this spec, has front axle and cab suspension, four-speed PTO, along with four electric spool valves and ABS brakes.
Gone are the days when they could be considered cheap and cheerful tractors, they are now fully competent machines and are starting to find favour with contractors as well as farmers.
New Holland
There was a good selection of New Holland tractors on display courtesy of the local dealer, Colemans Millstreet Ltd., being just around the corner.
The dealership has tended to be a tractor only outlet, which is not unusual for New Holland dealers in Ireland.
In bid to help these business expand its operations New Holland is starting to further push the implements it sells.
The problem for any major company wanting to be a full line manufacturer is that they are competing with specialist implement manufacturers and presently New Holland is buying in machinery from third parties.
However, not all customers want the most sophisticated and expensive machines available, so New Holland may well be doing the sensible thing by keeping it simple.
Ryall’s brings Yanmar to AXA Dairy Show
Ryall’s of Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, is another local dealer with a major tractor agency; in this case it is the Landini and McCormick brands of AgriArgo, which, like Zetor is also keen to build its market share in Ireland.
Trevor Ryall has no problem in offering the same machines in different colours and fully supports the direction of the parent company in focusing each brand on a particular market segment.
Yet, it is was not a tractor that had been brought along. Filling the stand space was a Spanish-built Corvus Terrain, a 4X4 utility vehicle that comes with a well appointed cab and 400kg tipping deck as standard.
Powering this buggy is three-cylinder diesel, which Trevor describes as quite adequate for this machine, driving it up to 60km/h on the road and enabling it to pull a 1t trailer.
Not only is the engine made by Yanmar, but Yanmar actually owns Corvus, which means that it has a large Japanese corporation behind it and they tend not to to walk away from either their products or their market.
John Dangan’s feeder
On a slightly small scale of manufacture comes John Dangan who is enjoying an extended working life producing a solar-powered nut and meal dispenser at his base at Cashel, Co Tipperary.
Of his own design and creation, the dispenser takes the form of a low steel trough, above which runs a track on to which a hopper is mounted by rollers.
The hopper, having previously been filled with feed, runs along the track dispensing it into the trough below as it does so. The rate being controlled by a slide at the hopper’s base.
It is intended to be used either in the field or parlour and is set in motion remotely, using a fob that is carried by whoever is milking or feeding the cattle outdoors.
John notes that it is easy to install and being solar powered, there is no wiring required to drive the perfectly safe 12v motor.
