INVESTMENT YIELDS WELL FOR PROGRESSIVE DAIRY ... - Fendt

INVESTMENT YIELDS WELL FOR
PROGRESSIVE DAIRY FARM written by Jane Carley
J
K Farms had a visit from the
landlord recently – not unusual
for a tenant farm, but as part of
the Duchy of Cornwall’s estates,
Longmoor Farm, near Gillingham,
Dorset played host to HRH the Prince
of Wales.
However, the Prince’s visit was sadly
too brief to catch up with one of the
most interesting developments at
this progressive dairy farm, taken
on by Kenton and Jayne
Honeybun just six years ago.
JK Farms has recently invested
in high tech, top quality
tractor power and Kenton
and Jayne are now the proud
owners of a new 125hp Fendt
312V and a 186hp Fendt 818.
“When we moved to this farm
we knew that we had to expand
and develop the business and
having the right equipment has
been an essential part of that,”
explains Kenton.
J
K Farms is now working
towards producing 3.5
million litres of milk per year
for Maryland Cheese at
nearby Ditcheat.
As the herd expanded – now
numbering some 440 cows – so the
feeding challenge has increased.
Farming a total of 500 acres, Kenton
and Jayne make a large amount of
silage and a mixer feeder wagon is an
important part of the armoury.
“We had a smaller wagon last year and
were feeding four to five loads a day
– our previous tractor just could not
cope,” Kenton explains. “We realised
we needed a tractor that could deliver
plenty of power to the pto, but it still
needed to be compact enough to get
around the yards.”
I
n discussion with their local
Fendt dealer, they decided on
a Fendt 312 Vario, and needing
a higher horsepower tractor for
fieldwork, also picked out a three
year-old Fendt 818.
“I would not consider a three year- old
tractor of another make, but the dealer
convinced me that the build quality of
the Fendt is such that a used tractor
would be ideal for our needs, and he
was right” says Kenton.
The bigger tractor also found favour
with Kenton and Jayne’s tractor driver
John Matthews, who was familiar
with the marque from a previous
contracting job.
J
a yne Honeybun is responsible
for the purchasing of much of
the equipment on farm, and she
comments: “They are not cheap
tractors, but we took into account the
higher resale value that they attract
and the good
reputation of the
brand. We were
also interested in
the fuel savings
that could be
made.”
Kenton adds
that the tractors’
reputation for
reliability, and the
peace of mind that
comes from top
class service and
back up, both from
the manufacturer
and from a good
www.fendt.co.uk
FENDT is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation
tel hotline: 01628 488441 email: uksales@uk.agcocorp.com
local dealer, were also
deciding factors.
Fendt Testimonial Special
Exceptional fuel
economy on offer from
the 312 was immediately
obvious: “We were feeding
350 cattle twice a day over
the winter and a tank of
diesel lasted 18 days, which is
phenomenal,” says Kenton.
“Fuel is a serious issue – in
2008 the cost per
litre was
more than the
previous year, but by
using the Fendts, our
fuel bills stayed the
same. And prices are
about to rise again,
so that savings
will be even more
significant.”
T
he feeder
wagon was
upgraded to 12
Jayne Honeybun is
responsible tonne capacity
Shelbourne Reynolds Powermix
last autumn, which John
Matthews comments, the
312V handles particularly well, even in
the tighter confines of the traditional
buildings.
And when not feeding, the 312V takes a
turn with the fertiliser spreader and on
trailer duty in the silage season.
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“It is powerful yet very manoeuvrable,”
says John, “And its robust build makes
it very stable – even with a tonne and a
half of fertiliser in the spreader, it does
not need front weights.”
F
e ndt broke new ground putting
its acclaimed Vario transmission
in the 312V, and John points out that
it has really proved its worth with
the feeder wagon. “There’s no need to
clutch to find the right gear; I set it up
on the joystick and then use the foot
throttle. It’s ideal for feeding out – if
there’s a lump in the mixture the tractor
slows down to work through it, and the
transmission works with the engine, so
it is more efficient.”
T
h is is achieved via Fendt’s
electronic Tractor Management
System (TMS) which automatically
varies engine revs to maintain the
set working speed to predetermined
settings, another example of the
advanced technology proven on
high horsepower models and now
available for smaller tractors. John
adds that as well as saving fuel, this
allows him to concentrate fully on the
feeder wagon.
The strongly-built three-speed pto
also handles the heavy loadings from
the wagon with exceptional ease, its
automatic start up giving smooth
engagement – the requirement to
drive the wagon’s auger through a
variety of feedstuffs had been the
undoing of the previous yard tractor.
J
ohn is also enthusiastic about the
818, which is fitted with a front
linkage and pto for mowing with a
big Lely combination and is also used
for ploughing and other cultivations.
“The headland management system
comes in handy, automatically
disengaging and re- engaging the pto
when the linkage is raised and lowered.
Although the tractor is high tech, it is
very straightforward to use when you
get to know it, and despite its power, it is
relatively compact.”
And both tractors are worked hard, in
general around 1000 hours per year,
although before the bigger feeder
wagon arrived, the 312V clocked up
1000 hours in just three months.
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FENDT is a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation
tel hotline: 01628 488441 email: uksales@uk.agcocorp.com
T
ractors are costed over three or
four years and AGCO Finance’s
flexible leasing packages help
manage the budget, releasing
cashflow for cattle purchases and
bringing tax advantages.
“We sometimes roll over the finance
in the last year,” explains Kenton,
“and after three years
we might swap the 818
foranother second hand
or possibly a new Fendt.
The high residual value
of the brand would make
a new tractor purchase
attractive even on such a
big investment.”
Kenton is convinced
that the Fendt 300 and
its bigger 400 series
‘brother’ will become
the obvious tractor
choice for dairy farmers.
He explains: “So many
people have gone out
of dairying and those
that are left will have to
become more business-
like.They will appreciate
the value for money
offered by the Fendt and
livestock farms should be
a good market for these
models. I always say
‘dearest is cheapest’ and
that certainly rings true
for Fendt.”
F
or more information
on Fendt please
visit your local dealer or
telephone our brochure
hotline on
01628 488441
www.fendt.co.uk
Fendt Testimonial Special
Leaders Drive Fendt