We often hear older people say “They don’t make them like they used to”.

When it comes to machinery, particularly tractors, the older farming community may utter the same words. There is a growing interest in vintage tractors in Ireland. You can see this by the increased number of tractor runs being organised around the country where you can see tractors, some going back to the 1940’s, motoring along the roads. It is a testament to the endurance of these machines, some of which are still working and functioning on farms. 

When we sell a tractor, there are important factors the customer is looking for. Reliability, after sales service and functionality would be some of the key points. How many years the tractor will last for is also an important factor to consider. Another important factor to remember is, even if the machine lasts for many years to come, will its spare parts be still available in 10 - 15 years or more? When I took on the role as head greenkeeper at a local golf club, I inherited a lot of used equipment. One of them was a Ransomes trailing 5-gang mower that was almost 20 years old. As money was tight to purchase new equipment I took it upon myself to try and get this mower back working again. To my pleasant surprise my dealer was still able to get the necessary brand new parts needed. 

A recent study on tractors over 90HP by LECTURA, a German based machinery data company, was carried out on used tractors. A questionnaire survey took place during March/April this year. They took into account models and model series of the most popular tractor manufacturers and evaluated their residual values development (the difference between the current value and a predicted value of a machine) in order to find out which brands or models retained their value, even after several years, to find out if they appear to be good investments. The research was made using offer prices analysed through the used-machines market and 45,000 data points for the study.

The age of the tractor and the operating hours, were key factors to determine the residual value. Lectura hope that the results of the study might bring important information about trends and the development of machinery prices over time to both machine buyers and sellers. 

How long is a reasonable time to have a machine before replacing it? This depends on who the customer is. For example some golf clubs take the option of doing a five-year deal with a their supplier. After five years the machines are replaced with new ones and so the cycle continues. This may appear to be an expensive option for smaller clubs as they may not be able to afford this option but it can save money in the long term. Reliable machinery is needed to maintain courses to a high standard. Spending time and money repairing older machines can prove more expensive.

Farmers, on the other hand, will hope to have a tractor operating for a longer period of time. They will be looking for a machine that they can rely on and that their local dealer will serve them well in the coming years with after sales service.  

For those of you travelling to SALTEX this week. I hope you have a safe and pleasant trip.

Luke Gardiner has been appointed as Irish parts manager for Argo Tractors Ireland, for whom he’ll work with the Landini & McCormick brands.

Luke Gardiner

A native of Eyrecourt in County Galway, and skilled in business relations, sales management, E-commerce, marketing and logistics, Luke moved to France, at the age of 13, when his parents purchased a farm in the Limousin region in south central France. 

A graduate of the Montluçon-Larequille School of Agriculture where he obtained the French equivalent of the Green Certificate, Luke returned to Ireland in 2017 to work as French sales rep for Quality Tractor Parts. 

In recent years, Luke has worked for Ned Murphy Tractors/Massey Salvage - a busy Massey Ferguson parts business in Enniscorthy, County Wexford - where Luke created and launched its parts website in addition to increasing the company’s level of domestic and international sales. 

Last July, Argo Tractors Ireland Ltd was launched at the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show held at Punchestown Racecourse, underlining its commitment to promoting the Landini and McCormick brands throughout the island.  

Said Luke Gardiner: “I’m delighted to have joined the Argo Tractors Ireland team. 

“Through our relationships with agricultural specialists throughout the country, Argo Tractors Ireland will ensure that our Irish customers receive the highest level of service.” 

Welcoming Luke to the team, Argo Tractors Ireland country manager, Kevin Phelan, said, “Luke’s experience and ambition will contribute to expanding the parts side of our business. Meanwhile, Luke’s presence on the ground will significantly enhance the support for our dealer network and the overall service level throughout the Irish market.” 

If you would like to contact Luke, you can call him on 087- 4874737 or email luke.gardiner@argotractors.com  

AriensCo have informed their dealer network that all UK production at the Great Haseley factory in Oxfordshire will be ending.

Service Dealer has seen a notification that the company sent to their UK dealer network last month informing them of the change.

Service Dealer reached out to AriensCo for a statement to clarify the situation who confirmed, "Ariens Company has decided to transform its UK business operation from a production facility to a sales and service model with domestic distribution.

"In the future, the UK site will act as a sales and service location for the local market, in order to be able to support dealers and customers even better. AriensCo’s foremost commitment lies in nurturing and enhancing its longstanding partnerships in the region."

The official statement continued, "The products of the Ariens brand are manufactured at the world class production sites in the USA and delivered from there to the worldwide markets. This allows importers, dealers and customers to benefit from the high quality and technology standards of the zero-turn production there. The individual requirements of the local markets continue to be perceived and ensured by the European product management and marketing team.

"The production of Countax and Westwood garden tractors will be discontinued by the end of 2023. However, AriensCo remain committed to supporting these brands through the provision of spare parts, accessories and technical support."

In terms of redundancies at Great Haseley, the statement said, "In the course of the realignment, all staff were strongly involved and all measures were implemented fairly, respectfully and amicably. Of course, the departing employees were also supported in their search for new jobs."

The statement concluded, "AriensCo strongly believes in the future of it’s Zero Turn mowers, Snow Blowers and the products of the AS-Motor brand. Therefore, the strategy of the Ariens Company is now clearly focused in growing these segments."

Recent history

It was back in September 2019 that AriensCo made a major announcement that production of Ariens brand zero-turn mowers would commence at the Great Haseley facility. At the time the company reported seeing "an exceptional growth in demand for zero-turn mowers in the UK and Europe". 

Darren Spencer, Vice President - EMEA and Asia said in 2019, "Sales of zero-turns in Europe have experienced exceptional growth over the past three years.

“AriensCo have experienced this growth in numerous markets and, based upon extensive research with our distribution partners, we expect the growth to continue. This industry analysis points to the many opportunities to be met by producing zero-turns at our Great Haseley plant."

Service Dealer is proud to announce that the magazine is one of only four finalists in the Business Publication of the Year category at the PPA ‘s Independent Publisher Awards.

The awards are a high-profile, prestigious competition who say their aim is to "celebrate the businesses, teams, and individuals who are delivering standout work, seeking new innovative approaches to best serve their audiences, and who have made a difference in their sector over the last 12 months." Over 40 publishing industry experts review the competition's entries to ultimately decide on the shortlist and winners in a two-step judging process.

Service Dealer and Service Dealer Ireland owner Duncan Murray-Clarke said, "It is a great achievement for Service Dealer to be recognised again at this level, having previously been shortlisted for the same award in 2021."

UK Editor, Steve Gibbs added, "Service Dealer is the definition of a team accomplishment, so it's wonderful for everyone who is involved with the title to have their hard work recognised in this way."

The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony in London on November 24th.

Five Case IH products, namely Quadtrac 715, Optum 340 CVXDrive, Puma 260 CVXDrive, Farmall 75C Electric, and Axial-Flow 160 series, have been nominated for the Farm Machine 2024 award at Agritechnica.

Case IH Puma 260 CVXDrive

The Farm Machine 2024 award spotlights products from across the industry shining a light on those that bring the most potential productivity advantages to prospective owners.  Case IH products, each a finalist in the XL, high horsepower, mid-range, compact tractors as well as combines category, represent five Case IH entries in a field of just 35 shortlisted entries across the 12 machine categories. The winners will be announced on November 14 at Agritechnica 2023 in Hanover, Germany.

In addition, all machines are nominated for the Audience Choice Award. Voting for this award is possible on www.farmmachine.eu/en/  and will start from October 9th until November 11th, 2023. Everyone can vote for their favourite product once per day within this period.

“We’re incredibly proud to wear the Case IH logo on our chests, and even more proud to show off our products in this forum,” said Mirco Romagnoli, Vice President Case IH & STEYR, Europe. “The nominations for this award across categories and product lines shows just how versatile and valuable the Case IH brand is for farmers not only in Europe, but around the globe. We are here to give farmers the tools to optimise their operations at every level, and these product innovations are part of that ongoing commitment.”

“I’m excited to see how everyone shows their passion for Case IH by voting for these awards,” continued Romagnoli. “Our products are proof of the commitment we have to the farmers we serve – and these products in particular not only deserve the spotlight they’re in right now, but are just another example of what Case IH stands for.”

CEMA, the European Agricultural Machinery Industry Association held its Summit in Brussels. The event, titled “Empowering Sustainable Agriculture”, over the course of the two days brought together over 160 participants from industry, the European institutions, academia, and stakeholder groups.

CEMA President, Thierry Krier

The CEMA Summit was the occasion for the farm machinery industry to present its analysis of the agricultural world. CEMA President Thierry Krier (CEO and President of KUHN Group) outlined the three main challenges agriculture is facing: food security, farmers profitability, sustainability. While the industry does not claim to have all the answers to address them, machinery manufacturers listen to and work alongside farmers daily to provide them with tailor-made technologies to make their farming practices more sustainable with the use of technological solutions. These solutions are adapted and customised to the need of the farmers, who are varied and diverse, reflecting the diversity in European farming.  For manufacturers to serve farmers, specific legislation needs to be put in place, as one-size does not fit-all in this case.

The role of agricultural machinery’s advanced technologies and digitalisation was also underlined by Maciej Golubiewski, Head of Cabinet of European Commissioner for Agriculture Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski. “Digital solutions,” he said, “can help us reinforce the competitiveness of European agriculture while strengthening its resilience”, putting at the centre the importance of scalability and user-oriented innovations. Farmers’ centrality was brought forward by Christiane Lambert, President of COPA, who highlighted the significance of their contribution as the implementers of the green transition, and their willingness to do their part.

The CEMA Summit saw the presence of high-level speakers, both from the European Institutions such as Chairman of the AGRI Committee MEP Norbert Lins, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle from DG Agri, MEP Jan Huitema. Panellists discussed the role of the Common Agricultural Policy in fostering the technological transition for European agriculture, but also reflected on the other instruments available. When it comes to sustainability, said Geslain-Lanéelle, “the transition has started, but it needs to be scaled up”.

Rabobank analyst Doriana Milenkova framed the importance of farming practices in the green transition. The agricultural machinery industry was also represented by important members: Carlo Lambro from CNH Industrial, Walter Wagner from AGCO/Fendt and Mark von Pentz from John Deere. These speakers brought their extensive experience and expertise on the stage to discuss the options on the table for European farmers when it comes to energy, what solutions the sector is offering technologically to support them, but also how the general international context and markets affect this access to energy. To complete the framework was Eric Quenet from TotalEnergies, who brought an energy provider perspective.

The second day of the event was also rich, with interventions by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain, Fernando Miranda Sotillos, as well as an overview of the market trends and uncertainties of sustainable productivity by Tassos Haniotis (Senior Guest Researcher for IIASA, and former Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis at the European Commission DG for Agri). In-depth panel discussions with experts were held on the four sub-topics of the CEMA Summit: Robotics and AI, Soil health, Renewable and low-carbon fuels, Precision agriculture. 

For the first time CEMA also organised an “Innovation Village”, where 9 partners and 7 sponsors teamed up to showcase how agricultural machinery manufacturers work to develop innovative and better solutions to provide practical, readily available solutions to serve farmers today and tomorrow, bringing their machines and their concepts to Brussels.

EGO Power Plus recently held its annual Distributor Conference, which saw its network of European distributors come together to find out about the brand's upcoming plans for the year ahead.

Peter Melrose addressing delegates

Described as a “resounding success” by EGO’s managing director Peter Melrose, the two-day event in the UK served as a platform to showcase the manufacturer's 2024 product launches - including its new-look PRO X range for commercial users and the unveiling of their first pressure washer.

Alongside product launches, networking and collaboration, the event also provided an opportunity for the EGO team to offer insights to its distributor network, sharing knowledge on industry challenges, the competitor landscape, aftersales care, and marketing.

Peter said: “We are thrilled that another of our Distributor events can be ticked off as a resounding success. An important event for the EGO calendar, we look forward to sharing this dedicated time with our distributor network as we are always eager to get their reactions to the new product lines that we put so much time and dedication into perfecting for our customers.”

The event included live demonstrations of the new PRO X range and the team were able to discuss how the tools have been carefully designed to cater to the evolving needs of its customers - with the brand unveiling its new charging solution and IoT-driven Bluetooth Integration technology.

To end, the company surprised the distributors with a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour at the Warner Bros. Studio, during which the guests were treated to a cinematic video showcase which brought the EGO brand to life in what the company described as "a captivating and immersive way".

With more than a million square feet of exhibits and 30 acres outside, organisers of Equip Exposition which took place last week in Louisville, Kentucky, say they once again broke records in attendance and exhibit space sales.

The trade show expanded its usual footprint at the Kentucky Exposition Center to add the West Wing this year due to space demands. “The 2023 show was our largest to date - in attendance, in booth sales, sponsorships, and in education sessions,” says Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), which owns Equip Exposition.

“It shows you how much companies and manufacturers want to be part of Equip Exposition and showcase their products to landscapers, dealers, and the entire industry. It is the place to be every October if you’re in this business.”

Kris continued, “We’ve now grown to fill all of the halls and have added a big part of the West Wing to our footprint. Not to mention, we have maxed out on outdoor demo space, which is one of our most popular features. It’s the only show in the industry where you can dig, cut, mow, mulch and test equipment before buying. This year we also added select workshops in Spanish, a women’s reception and an expanded UTV track outside.”

This year’s Equip say they brought together more than 27,000 registered attendees from all 50 U.S states and 46 countries. Landscape contractor registrations increased by 20% over last year, and dealers were up 5%. 

Organisers say plans for 2024 are well under way, including a Welcome Reception at Churchill Downs, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby in May 2024 with upgrades to the racetrack, as well as another arena concert at the Yum! Center in downtown Louisville. 

“Building on the success of this year’s show, we continue to incorporate new experiences for 2024. We’re currently looking for talent for another Yum! Center concert and building out the slate of speakers for our education series,” Kris says. “Every year, Equip Exposition invests in and commits to making the user experience unique in response to the industry’s needs, demands and market changes. So while it will be the same show you’ve always loved - it will just get better.”

Registration for the 2024 show is now open.