This week’s machinery section is fully loaded

This week sees the start of autumn, not that any real difference is noticeable in the weather. While most contractors are reporting that fields are not wet, the disagreeable showers have caused more annoyance than anything else.

Some of the highlights of this week’s machinery section include a visit to contractor Mark Troy just outside Bandon. He harvests over 2,000 acres of grass with a full-time job. The full story is on pages 4 and 5. Michael Moroney puts two of the most popular SUVs on the market against each other on pages 8 and 9. This ever-growing class of car is becoming very popular with the Irish motorist. On pages 6 and 7, Darren Bailey takes toys for big boys to a whole new level with a remote-controlled bulldozer and the latest news in the plant industry, while Michael Moroney looks at 25 years of the JCB Fastrac on page 10.

Remember to keep your photos coming in for our picture of the week competition. Have a safe week on the farm.

New Zetor dealer appointed

Goff Agri & Plant Sales of Bridgetown, Co Wexford, has been appointed to represent the Zetor range of tractors by distributors McHale Plant Sales of Birdhill and Rathcoole.

Owned and managed by its founder Damian Goff, Goff Agri & Plant Sales was established in 2013 with the aim of supplying quality new and used machinery and parts to the farming community throughout Wexford.

Today, the company serves a nationwide customer base, offering a wide range of machinery to cater for all agricultural needs and providing a door-to-door delivery service.

Goff Agri & Plant Sales joins the Zetor network at a time when the brand – which this year celebrates its 70th anniversary – has embarked on a major expansion programme – the aim being to recapture its position as one of the top-selling tractors on the Irish market. To that end, the dealership will represent an all-new Zetor range comprising four model variants – the entry-level Major, the stylish mid-range Proxima and Forterra series and the latest high-powered, heavy-duty Crystal.

Looking to the future, the Bridgetown dealership foresees Zetor’s engagement with legendary Italian car designer Pininfarina, best-known for its work with Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and others, having an important influence on the brand’s expansion in Ireland.

‘‘When the Zetor Pininfarina arrives here next year, we expect it will be one of the most stylish tractors on the market,’’ Damian said. According to John O’Brien, sales director at McHale Plant Sales, the appointment will help strengthen Zetor’s presence in a key area while helping to increase its share of the tractor market nationally.

Johnston Gilpin sells second John Deere forager

A second John Deere 8800 self-propelled forage harvester has been sold in Northern Ireland by dealer Johnston Gilpin & Co Ltd in Lisburn to Hillsborough agricultural contractor McKelvey Brothers, who traded in their six-year-old John Deere 7750 SPFH in part exchange.

McKelvey Brothers harvest around 5,500 acres of silage each year and wanted to replace their machine for this season. While the previous harvester was operating perfectly, Thomas McKelvey felt the time was right to invest in more modern technology and a more efficient model.

With this in mind, he chose the new top-of-the-range 8800 model and took delivery of it in May just before his silage contracting season began.

Thomas says: “We have used a John Deere self-propelled forage harvester for many years and found them to be very reliable. The 7750 had around 2,500 hours on the clock and was in really good condition, but we decided to upgrade to a more modern model.

“We ordered the 8800 at the end of last year and got it delivered just in time to get acquainted with the machine before the main silage season started. Having used it for a couple of months, we have found the 8800 to be very powerful and it can certainly pick up the grass in a hurry.

“The intake is much higher compared to the previous model, and it has a more powerful engine. With the new cab design, there is increased visibility of the sward and of the trailers, which makes filling them much easier for the operator,” says Thomas.

The McKelvey team aims to harvest 200 acres a day with the new forager, depending on weather conditions and sward density. “Grass growth this year has been quite quick, leaving us with some heavy crops in the fields,” he says. “The new John Deere 8800 has certainly been tested so far this season.”

Johnston Gilpin’s sales director Robbie Hewitt adds: “There has been a huge interest in this new John Deere self-propelled forage harvester from a variety of customers. We received thousands of hits on social media after we posted some videos of the machine in action.