Finally, Things are happening!
The election is behind us (almost) the sun has made an appearance, and it's great to see all the grass getting dropped around the place!
Our branches have been busy too, getting the last of the big gear out before the season really cranked up. We have had plenty of machines heading out to their new homes on dairy farms and lifestyle blocks, and a lot of you replacing bits and bobs that didn’t fare so well through the winter. Now that the worst of the shipping delays are behind us, we have good stock availability again so if you need anything give us a yell.
A few of the team were lucky enough to head to Agritechnica in Germany this month. If you haven’t heard of it, Agritechnica is the world’s leading trade fair in the Ag space. The boys were able to catch up with our key supplier and spend time on the AGCO stand as well as visiting all our other great brands sites. We love our Mystery Creek field days, but this place seriously puts things in perspective with over 2900 exhibitors all in one place and the level of detail they go to is seriously impressive. See below a few photos from the trip amongst the massive crowds.
Also, we have been racing around between weather windows to try get some photos for our 2024 calendar, thanks heaps to those customers that helped us out with this! We just wish there were more months in the year so we could fit more in. So, make sure you keep some space on the wall of the home, office or cowshed because we think they will look pretty sweet!
Brodie from ‘Envied’ out taking some snaps for our upcoming calendar!!!!
2020 Krone V180XC Round Baler
This baler would ideally suit someone looking at new for this season!
Only 8000 bales so it’s the perfect blend of knowing it makes good bales but having bugger all work! The previous owner only traded as they stepped up to a Combi machine. The V180XC is a favorite for anyone baling straw so if that’s your game then its seriously worth a look.
Since 2017 Massey Fergusons flagship tractor, the 8700 has been steadily growing in popularity across New Zealand and Australia. The uptake from Kiwi contractors is now at the point that seeing one of these big girls out in the field during harvest season is very likely, and it's even more likely that you will hear the rumble from the big 8.4litre AGCO Power engine well before you lay eyes on the tractor itself.
Unfortunately, it won’t be too long, and we won’t be hearing that sweet exhaust note in our yards anymore as this outgoing model will only be landing on New Zealand shores for another 12 months before it makes room for its replacement, the new Massey Ferguson 9S. In this market, being the 300 horsepower and above bracket, the criteria for what makes a machine a winner is clear. It needs to be reliable, powerful, maneuverable, able to be used year-round and possibly most importantly cost effective. Over the years the 8700 has proven itself to be just that, they offer so much bang for your buck that they really are the best option on the market. A few years back, Massey Ferguson gave the 8700 a bit of a facelift and threw some more bells and whistles its way, making it what is now known as the 8700’S’. This added technology and styling really brought this model into a league of its own and solidified its spot at the front line of many contractors’ fleets throughout New Zealand. Here's some specs on this beast,
• Tier 2, 6-cylinder, 8.4 litre AGCO Power engine
• Available in New Zealand between 270-370hp with the 320hp model being the most common.
• Max Torque (8732 - 320hp model) 1400NM
• Dyna-VT 50kph Transmission
• Rear linkage lift capacity – 1200kg
• Front linkage lift capacity – 4000kg
• Weight – 10,800kg average with no ballast
• Maximum weight – 18000kg As you can see from the specs, this thing is not messing around.
The combination of the relatively low unballasted weight, combined with a huge amount of torque makes this machine extremely versatile and capable in the field. The Tier 2 engine is the real feature of this machine, unhindered by many of todays emission control measures. Sure, its not as ‘green’ as it possibly could be, but this translates into raw power in the field and gives us that throaty exhaust note that sounds good enough to make Tom Jones jealous.
In the cab it’s a seriously nice place to be. Uncluttered and simplified but still offering all the functionality that a modern-day operation needs. The datatronic 5 screen was introduced not too long ago and all machine settings, camera, isobus functions and guidance are done via the touch screen terminal. The screen itself is laid out in a very intuitive manner and adjustments are made with a simple touch or swipe of a finger.
The Multifunction Joystick continues the trend of uncluttered simplicity, handling basic functions as well as headland operations. We always get great comments about how comfortable the air suspended seats are and especially about the performance of the adjustable cab suspension, when you’re out doing long shifts this makes a huge difference to operator fatigue, which directly translates into less sets of triple mowers wrapped around power poles!
The cab itself is BIG too, offering really good visibility out of the 4-post cab in full 360 degrees which is super important for a machine of this size, it always surprises me how much you can see even right at your feet when you hop up into the seat of an 8700. And even though the big lump of an engine likes to bark, in the cab it’s a nice quiet place to be so you can enjoy the aircon and quality speakers.
All in all, the 8700 is an absolute beast and it’s a little sad to think that it's on the way out. But it's not over yet because Massey Ferguson have managed to secure a few build slots for Australia and New Zealand. So, if you’re reading this and think that the 8700 might tick a few boxes for you, or if you already have one in the fleet and no doubt think it’s a good idea to add another to the mix then give us a call! …. REAL SOON, because the Aussies love these things!
With Christmas only 5 weeks away ensure you come check out our various gifts we have such as clothing, toy tractors and pedal tractors!
Call our parts team today to see what’s in the toy factory!
Morrinsville - 07 889 7055
Rotorua - 07 345 8560
Northland - 09 438 1319
Matamata - 07 888 6292