Combine harvester breakers are few and far between across the country. However, one family-run Wexford business, Bernard Byrne Combines based in Gorey, has over 45 years of experience in the game.
Bernard Byrne Combines is Ireland’s largest independent breakers of combine harvesters. Over the years, the business has progressed and grown naturally and now enters its second generation. In recent years, Bernard’s son (also Bernard) has become more involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
There are over 200 combines of all makes and models on site for breaking. \ Katriona Kinsella
The business started organically in 1978, when tillage and livestock farmer Bernard Byrne purchased a fire-damaged combine from a neighbour for parts for his own Massey Ferguson machine. As time passed, neighbours began calling looking for parts of that initial machine.
“We had no intentions of setting up a business when we bought the first combine for spare parts, but, as time passed, people continued to come looking for parts off it,” Bernard said.
“The penny then dropped that there was a unique business opportunity here, as there was essentially nobody else breaking combines in the country,” according to Bernard.
Current day
Turn the clock forward and the Byrnes have grown the business from strength to strength, with over 200 broken combines in the yard today. Most brands and models of all ages are available, including Massey Ferguson, Deutz Fahr, Claas, John Deere, New Holland and older vintage Clayson machines.
Combines are actively sourced across Ireland from previous customers and through contacts built up over the years. Everything from axles, unloading augers, engines, transmissions, chains, body panels and pretty much any other combine part you can think of is available here, Bernard noted.
Being from a farming background, the Byrnes understand the importance of offering a reliable service with parts that are of quality and value to the customer.
“We have lots of customers that are smaller farmers, operating and maintaining older machines, but do not want to spend a lot on maintenance annually. A lot of OEM manufacturers no longer manufacture parts for these older machines, but we can. We can source new parts for almost all the older machines still. This for many farmers leaves it still feasible to run these older combines knowing that parts are readily available.”
There are over 200 combines of all makes and models on site for breaking. \ Katriona Kinsella
With the harvest season being so short and weather sensitive, the Byrnes know it is important they are just a call away regardless of what time or day of the week it is.
“It’s important we make the most of the short season and provide the best service we can to our customers. As the saying goes, you have to make hay when the suns shines,” Bernard said.
New parts
As time moved on, the Byrnes had farmers request the common wear parts, such as knife sections, crop lifters, chains and rasp bars, and parts such as concaves, etc, which were already often removed from the broken combines.
Wanting to be able to cater for all customers, they decided in 2009 to build on to the business and carry a stock of new consumable parts for all major brands. Bernard noted how many of the parts are sourced from Germany and are kept in stock in the purpose-built store.
A wide range of wearing parts are also stocked for all makes and models of combines.
“Today, the sale of new parts for all major makes and models, new and old, account for 70% of the business, while the other 30% is made up of secondhand parts of the machines we have for breaking.
“With new parts, any doubts the customer may have about their condition is removed, so when the option is there to buy consumables new at good value, people often tend to.
“If a customer comes to us looking for an uncommon part and it’s not on the shelf or in the yard, then most of the time we can source it from our suppliers,” Bernard explained.
Going down the route of supplying new parts has left the Byrne family operation frugal in terms of its workforce.
“During our busiest period, which is in the run-up to and during harvest, there is a total of four people working. Moving towards the supply of new parts has helped us expand while keeping staff numbers constant.
In more recent years the Byrnes have started stocking new parts for mowers, balers and harvesters.
The sale of new parts usually entails just taking parts off the shelf, while everything is recorded on the computer. With broken machines, the part may have to be located on a machine out in the yard and then removed, which can often take a considerable amount of time.
The quieter winter period is spent sourcing combines for export markets. This involves the stripping of working machines so that they can be placed into shipping containers. All necessary parts, which often include wheels, cabs, axles and unloading augers, are all removed and loaded separately so that machines fit inside the containers. These combines are then destined for developing countries such as Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia and Morocco.
Future plans
In recent years, the Byrnes have continued to focus on extending the parts season. They now break a growing range of grass machinery, including mowers, balers and self-propelled harvesters. A stock of new parts is now carried for mowers, balers and silage harvesters.
“Carrying parts for grassland equipment opens a new customer base and allows us to be busy from when the grass season starts or just before it right through to October when export usually starts. There is now more grass equipment working than ever with the increasing national herd size, so it only makes sense for us to move with the times too,” explained Bernard.
Future plans for the business are to continue on the combine front, and expand the new and secondhand grassland equipment parts range. \ Katriona Kinsella
At the moment, all part sales are done over the phone, with parts being either sent by courier to all corners of the country using next-day delivery or by customer collection.
Bernard’s future plans for the business are to continue on the combine front, and expand the new and secondhand grassland equipment parts range. He also explained how he intends in the near future to set up an online store where customers can buy parts and have them delivered right to the door.
Combine harvester breakers are few and far between across the country. However, one family-run Wexford business, Bernard Byrne Combines based in Gorey, has over 45 years of experience in the game.
Bernard Byrne Combines is Ireland’s largest independent breakers of combine harvesters. Over the years, the business has progressed and grown naturally and now enters its second generation. In recent years, Bernard’s son (also Bernard) has become more involved in the day-to-day running of the business.
There are over 200 combines of all makes and models on site for breaking. \ Katriona Kinsella
The business started organically in 1978, when tillage and livestock farmer Bernard Byrne purchased a fire-damaged combine from a neighbour for parts for his own Massey Ferguson machine. As time passed, neighbours began calling looking for parts of that initial machine.
“We had no intentions of setting up a business when we bought the first combine for spare parts, but, as time passed, people continued to come looking for parts off it,” Bernard said.
“The penny then dropped that there was a unique business opportunity here, as there was essentially nobody else breaking combines in the country,” according to Bernard.
Current day
Turn the clock forward and the Byrnes have grown the business from strength to strength, with over 200 broken combines in the yard today. Most brands and models of all ages are available, including Massey Ferguson, Deutz Fahr, Claas, John Deere, New Holland and older vintage Clayson machines.
Combines are actively sourced across Ireland from previous customers and through contacts built up over the years. Everything from axles, unloading augers, engines, transmissions, chains, body panels and pretty much any other combine part you can think of is available here, Bernard noted.
Being from a farming background, the Byrnes understand the importance of offering a reliable service with parts that are of quality and value to the customer.
“We have lots of customers that are smaller farmers, operating and maintaining older machines, but do not want to spend a lot on maintenance annually. A lot of OEM manufacturers no longer manufacture parts for these older machines, but we can. We can source new parts for almost all the older machines still. This for many farmers leaves it still feasible to run these older combines knowing that parts are readily available.”
There are over 200 combines of all makes and models on site for breaking. \ Katriona Kinsella
With the harvest season being so short and weather sensitive, the Byrnes know it is important they are just a call away regardless of what time or day of the week it is.
“It’s important we make the most of the short season and provide the best service we can to our customers. As the saying goes, you have to make hay when the suns shines,” Bernard said.
New parts
As time moved on, the Byrnes had farmers request the common wear parts, such as knife sections, crop lifters, chains and rasp bars, and parts such as concaves, etc, which were already often removed from the broken combines.
Wanting to be able to cater for all customers, they decided in 2009 to build on to the business and carry a stock of new consumable parts for all major brands. Bernard noted how many of the parts are sourced from Germany and are kept in stock in the purpose-built store.
A wide range of wearing parts are also stocked for all makes and models of combines.
“Today, the sale of new parts for all major makes and models, new and old, account for 70% of the business, while the other 30% is made up of secondhand parts of the machines we have for breaking.
“With new parts, any doubts the customer may have about their condition is removed, so when the option is there to buy consumables new at good value, people often tend to.
“If a customer comes to us looking for an uncommon part and it’s not on the shelf or in the yard, then most of the time we can source it from our suppliers,” Bernard explained.
Going down the route of supplying new parts has left the Byrne family operation frugal in terms of its workforce.
“During our busiest period, which is in the run-up to and during harvest, there is a total of four people working. Moving towards the supply of new parts has helped us expand while keeping staff numbers constant.
In more recent years the Byrnes have started stocking new parts for mowers, balers and harvesters.
The sale of new parts usually entails just taking parts off the shelf, while everything is recorded on the computer. With broken machines, the part may have to be located on a machine out in the yard and then removed, which can often take a considerable amount of time.
The quieter winter period is spent sourcing combines for export markets. This involves the stripping of working machines so that they can be placed into shipping containers. All necessary parts, which often include wheels, cabs, axles and unloading augers, are all removed and loaded separately so that machines fit inside the containers. These combines are then destined for developing countries such as Syria, Pakistan, Malaysia and Morocco.
Future plans
In recent years, the Byrnes have continued to focus on extending the parts season. They now break a growing range of grass machinery, including mowers, balers and self-propelled harvesters. A stock of new parts is now carried for mowers, balers and silage harvesters.
“Carrying parts for grassland equipment opens a new customer base and allows us to be busy from when the grass season starts or just before it right through to October when export usually starts. There is now more grass equipment working than ever with the increasing national herd size, so it only makes sense for us to move with the times too,” explained Bernard.
Future plans for the business are to continue on the combine front, and expand the new and secondhand grassland equipment parts range. \ Katriona Kinsella
At the moment, all part sales are done over the phone, with parts being either sent by courier to all corners of the country using next-day delivery or by customer collection.
Bernard’s future plans for the business are to continue on the combine front, and expand the new and secondhand grassland equipment parts range. He also explained how he intends in the near future to set up an online store where customers can buy parts and have them delivered right to the door.
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