Starting off spreading dung on hire with a Ford 5000 and a David Brown 780 with a trip loader, Jim Good has worked hard since 1982 to build his business into the large-scale operation it is today. With silage-cutting being the main service offered, Jim, who is based near Mallow in Co Cork, now runs three self-propelled Claas forage harvesters and five Volvo loading shovels.

Jim Good is based near Mallow in Co Cork.

Covering a 25-mile radius, Jim explains that it was only in the last 15 years his business started to get bigger and bigger.

“In 2006, we made the move to go from running one harvester to two harvesters. A local contractor retired and we bought part of his outfit, took on some of his staff and most of his work. As any contractor would be aware, putting out a second outfit was a big move – it could have broken us if things didn’t go well,” explains Jim.

“In the last 10 years, five contractors have retired in the surrounding areas. This has allowed both myself and other local contractors to expand. With the price of new gear, there haven’t been any newcomers either,” Jim adds.

Mowing and raking

Jim runs two Krone Big Ms, a 420 and a 450. He says: “I like the Big Ms. I think they’re the only tool to get through the acres. However, you do need to be putting big acres through them to justify them.”

Up until this year, Jim was raking with two four-rotor and two twin-rotor Claas rakes. However, all contractors are aware that no matter what brand of rake you use, they can pose issues twisting grass, which brings its own difficulties.

I like the way the mergers gather less stones and debris and the way they produce a more even swarth

With the recent surge in companies pushing mergers at Agritechnica in Germany, Jim, like many more contractors, became interested in the concept.

He says: “I like the way the mergers gather less stones and debris and the way they produce a more even swarth, which is nicer to gather. But they are very expensive. For the coming season, I’ve ordered a Kuhn Merge Max 950. I’m looking forward to see how it will work in Irish conditions.”

Foragers and loaders

Jim runs three Claas foragers. Two are 970s and the other is an 860. “I’m happy with the Claas harvesters, but at the end of the day it all comes down to price. Before I bought the second 970 last year, I almost bought a John Deere. It’s all down to the figures,” Jim explains.

Meanwhile, on the pit, Jim runs five Volvo loaders. These range from an L70D right up to an L110H.

Jim runs five Volvo loaders, ranging from an L70D right up to an L110H.

When asked about the theory behind running five loaders with three foragers, Jim says: “I run two loaders with each 970 and one with the 860. Even if we have three or four smaller jobs on in a day, this stays the same. When the harvester is ready to leave one job, one loader will go with it and start the next job.

“Meanwhile, the other loader will stay behind and finish off the pit while helping the farmer to get some tyres on the cover, if required. It cuts out downtime when things are at their busiest.”

When asked why he never bought a baler, Jim says: “There are too many balers everywhere. I did demo a Fusion a number of years back. It was a great machine, but I always had plenty to do without buying one. It would add too much pressure to the day-to-day running of the business when things are busy.”

Tractors

Jim runs a fleet of John Deere and Case IH tractors. When asked why he never committed to either brand, he says: “My local John Deere dealer is very close to me and has never let me down over the years. On the other hand, the nearest Case IH dealer has also looked after me very well. Both brands have their problems. All tractors will have their moments but it’s all down to the backup service. We have no one policy when it comes to updating tractors.

Jim’s fleet comprises 12 tractors, including seven John Deere models (6930, 6145Rx2, 6150Rx2 and 6155Rx2) and five Case IH models (160 CVX, 185, Puma 215x2, and Puma 220).

"In recent years, we have moved on the John Deeres after two to three years when the tyres need changing. We find this is when we get the most value for them. But, like the foragers, it’s all down to the figures.”

Jim’s fleet comprises 12 tractors, including seven John Deere models (6930, 6145Rx2, 6150Rx2 and 6155Rx2) and five Case IH models (160 CVX, 185, Puma 215x2, and Puma 220).

Running the business

Managing a large amount of staff at peak during the busy silage season, Jim doesn’t usually drive any machine himself. He’s too busy organising the operation.

“I think there’s an onus on the contractor to come in and do a good job. I generally don’t drive anything, but I fill in here and there when required,” adds Jim.

To help keep track of work, Jim runs a Kingswood accounts system. Each night, all work carried out that day is recorded on this system and written into a diary under each customer’s profile.

I think there’s an onus on the contractor to come in and do a good job

He has been running this system since 2015 and said that he simply couldn’t operate without it. This system will generate an invoice at the click of a button. Jim explains that he sends out invoices each quarter. Like many contractors, Jim feels that the introduction of the PAYE modernisation last year needs to be adjusted for contractors and those employing seasonal staff. He explains: “The new PAYE system is a disaster for contractors. They tried to fix a problem that wasn’t broken. It’s grand for companies that employ full-time staff, but contractors require large numbers of staff for short seasonal periods. Some only employ guys for as little as a few days.”

Challenges facing the sector

“I think labour will be the biggest challenge for contractors. The youth of today just don’t seem to be interested. If we cut silage behind a school, kids don’t even look over the fence. Turn the clock back 10 or 15 years ago and they would be queued up along the fence with a serious interest.

“I also think that cheap finance is leading guys to buy new machines when they would have normally bought a fresh used machine. In some cases, these guys can’t actually afford these machines.”

Best machine?

“The best machine I’ve ever had has to be a Claas Jaguar 890. I bought it in 2002. It was the first new harvester I owned. It did 10 busy years here, and never gave trouble. It was the last machine that I was sorry to see going out the gate,” Jim says.

Worst machine ?

“There’s been a lot of them. I bought a new Case MXM 190 in 2004. It was an absolute disaster from start to finish. I sold it off with just 2,200 hours. It should have been a fine tractor well capable of doing 10,000 hours for me but, instead, it hit my bank account hard,” Jim adds.