Sales of robotic machines are steadily growing each year. They are now an important part of the dealership revenue stream. I am very impressed with the technology that is used to make these machines work, particularly when used on sprayers to target weeds in crops. This considerably reduces the amount of chemicals used, which is good for the environment while, at the same time, saving money for the farmer/grower. 

Robotic mowers, busily going about their business, cutting grass, are becoming a familiar sight in gardens. Comments from passers-by suggest that they resemble small animals grazing. When they are finished they scuttle back to their kennels to recharge their batteries before doing it all over again the following day. 

Despite the affection that robotic mowers get and the efficiency of robotic machinery in farming, the safe use of these machines has now been added to the new Machinery Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230), which was published on 29th June last.

For autonomous mobile machinery, which includes robotic equipment, a set of new requirements was introduced to the Machinery Regulation. The main additions require that, for safety reasons, a person needs to be present to supervise the operation of the machine. If something goes wrong, there will be somebody around to stop or re-start the machine or to bring it to a safe position.

The Machinery Regulation also requires that robotic equipment must travel safely in a defined working area (which includes the area for battery charging). Another addition to the regulation is that any data sent from the robotic machine relating to safety functions will need to be recorded and stored for future access.

It is important that we get familiar with the new regulations, particularly for automatic and robotic equipment. We will need to inform our customers how they can be compliant with the new regulations.

In stark contrast to the sale of new machinery technology, the popularity of vintage tractors is also steadily growing. This is evident from the amount of tractor runs that are being held all over the country throughout the summer. Most of them are organised to raise money for worthy charitable causes. Even new clubs of vintage and classic tractors are being established each year.

Vintage tractor runs and demonstrations are becoming more popular 

Last week I visited a friend of mine who was repairing a Nuffield tractor, bought new by his father in 1967 and still working today, despite its sorry state. I asked my friend could he still get parts for it? He named a dealer north of the county that would supply parts but, as my friend said ”you would need to do a bit of searching before you can find a dealer that would supply the parts”. 

This made me wonder would it be financially worthwhile for more dealers to get involved in supplying parts for vintage and classic tractors? Most of the enjoyment of being part of the tractor run movement is that the owner gets involved with repairing and doing up the machines themselves. The dealer would only need to supply the parts and not necessarily get involved with the actual repairs and renovations of these machines.

With the development of new technology in farm and garden equipment and the popularity of vintage tractors, these two contrasting areas may provide an added revenue stream to your dealership.   

Service Dealer is delighted to announce that theme for this year's Conference will be Taking Care Of Business.

Duncan Murray-Clarke

Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke said, “Every year, your feedback helps to inform our future plans - helping us to make the next conference and awards bigger and better - and, most importantly ensuring that what we deliver is what you need. This year, we may have a new venue, but we intend to keep things down to earth and just as relevant for the dealer industry.

“Taking on your feedback from 2022 we know that the topics of sustainability and the retail experience are important to you. That’s why we came up with this year’s theme - Taking Care Of Business.

“At the 2023 event, we aim, through a great line-up of speakers and sector leading workshops to equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to help your dealership, not only to function but to thrive.

“With speakers and interactive workshops addressing the challenges of business today, and considering opportunities for development and growth, the Service Dealer Conference 2023 will cover all you need and more to support you on your journey. Don’t miss the opportunity to invest in your business by joining us for a day of learning, networking and Taking Care Of Business.”

This year's event will be taking place at the Crowne Plaza, Stratford-Upon-Avon on 30th November 2023.

Kramp has announced the acquisition of Genfitt in Ireland. The company says it s expected that the coming together of the two businesses will strengthen their position in the Irish market. 

Genfitt was established in 1973 in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo and has grown to be the largest independent wholesale supplier of components, machinery parts and spares to the agricultural industry in Ireland. Working from their distribution hub in Kiltimagh, they say they can dispatch orders to any part of the country within 24 hours. Kramp has a similar history, having been founded over 70 years ago by Johan Kramp in Varsseveld, Netherlands. It now operates in 24 countries and aims to become the essential partner in parts and accessories for the agricultural industry.

Kramp say strengthening its position in Ireland is an important next step in realising their growth ambition given the significance of the Irish agricultural industry. As part of its growth strategy, Kramp say they seek strong partners with whom it can build long-term relationships and generate mutual benefits. Genfitt’s leading position in the Irish market is rooted in its commitment to service excellence, technical and market expertise, a loyal customer base and a diverse product portfolio. 

Together, say Kramp, they will continue to build an even stronger presence in Ireland. Their customers will gain access to a wider assortment, improved delivery times, and an additional network of suppliers, partners, technical knowledge, and services.

The owners are proud of what Genfitt has achieved since they acquired the business in 2005 and have been delighted to support the business and its staff to its 50th anniversary, explains Paul Duggan, one of the selling shareholders. He is sure that Kramp is the best possible owner of the business for the next 50 years, and the business will develop in a way which would not have been possible without Kramp’s ownership. 

“In bringing Kramp and Genfitt together, we will become the essential partner in the Irish agricultural industry,” says Kramp Group CEO Eddie Perdok. “I’m proud to be back in Ireland, 15 years after McHugh and Kramp decided to go their separate ways. Together with Genfitt, we create a strong company based on highly competent teams, leading brands, and state-of-the-art operations. We strive to accelerate Genfitt’s growth in Ireland by broadening the product portfolio and leveraging Kramp’s digital capabilities. Based on these factors, we will further develop and strengthen our market position in Ireland”. 

Kramp has announced that it will be business as usual for the next period as they proceed with the integration step-by-step. They will keep their partners informed as they proceed. 

Farmhand have announced a new partnership with Flexxaire to exclusively distribute reversible fan systems for a huge range of agricultural, forestry and construction machinery in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. 

Canadian manufacturer Flexxaire is an airflow system specifically designed for use on tractors, loaders, self-propelled mowers, sprayers and harvesters. It’s described as a complete diesel engine fan system that provides total control of airflow, keeps radiators clean, optimises engine performance, and reduces fuel usage. Some manufacturers feature Flexxaire reversible fans on their equipment such as Fendt, Cat, JCB and Komatsu. 

Stephen Scrivener, sales and marketing director at Farmhand explained, “We are delighted to be working with Flexxaire. We installed a fan unit in our demo tractor earlier in the summer and have been impressed with the high quality of the product along with the effective job it does at clearing the tractor grill. Summers seem to be getting hotter and dryer each year which makes this reverse fan a worth while upgrade to any tractor."

Chervon, the parent company of EGO, has announced a strategic agreement with John Deere.

The deal will allow the brands to provide users with EGO’s complete range of battery-powered mowers, blowers, trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, and snow blowers at John Deere dealers in the United States and Canada starting in the autumn of 2023. 

Service Dealer Ireland reached out to EGO Europe to ask what the arrangement will mean for dealers in Europe?

Peter Melrose, managing director at EGO Europe told us, "Making EGO available to even more people is great news for our colleagues in North America and Canada. In Europe, we continue to be fully committed to our distributors and the servicing dealer network and this remains unchanged by the agreement."

Mike Clancy, CEO at Chervon North America meanwhile said, “We are thrilled to join forces with John Deere to bring our best-in-class battery platform to even more customers. This partnership represents a significant milestone in our commitment to revolutionise the outdoor power equipment industry and provide sustainable solutions without compromise to consumers all across North America.”

Positivity proved pervasive at the 2023 FTMTA Farm Machinery Show, which attracted bumper crowds to the Punchestown Event Centre on both Wednesday and Thursday, July 5th and 6th.

Large crowds attended the 2023 FTMTA Farm Machinery Show at the Punchestown Event Centre on July 5th and 6th. Photo: Dylan Vaughan

Reflecting on the show’s 20th anniversary staging in Punchestown, Farm Tractor And Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) Executive Director Michael Farrelly noted how the event distinguishes itself within the Irish agri calendar.

“The visiting public themselves help to set this show apart,” he said. “They’re predominantly machinery people who want to have conversations with experts about farm machinery – and they couldn’t be in better hands given the calibre of exhibitor this show continues to attract year after year. The grounds here at Punchestown lend themselves to hosting an event like this and once again provided a top-class location to showcase cutting-edge farm technology, innovative machinery and industry-leading advice.”

Since 1989, the FTMTA Farm Machinery Show has attracted Irish and international farm machinery specialists, displaying tractors, harvesters and tillage equipment in addition to autonomous farm technology, livestock handling systems and aftermarket products.

Financial, media and smart tech companies were also among the 170-plus exhibitors at this year’s show, where future farming methods were widely discussed.

Michael Farrelly continued: “The level of interaction over the past two days between exhibitors, farmers and farming bodies has been very encouraging. We had members of the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine’s Targeted Agriculture Moderinsation Scheme (TAMS) attending the show, seeing the standard of machinery that’s on offer. So to have such interaction between our industry, the Department, the dealers and manufacturers is tremendously positive. The FTMTA’s primary objective is to promote this industry, to do whatever we can to help develop the farm machinery industry in line with what’s happening both on the ground and at government level – and you could really see that in action over both days.”

FTMTA President Karol Duigenan echoed Michael’s sentiments, stating: “We’re delighted with the quality of public support and industry exhibitor that we attracted to this year’s show. This was our 34th show and the second successive year that we held the event outdoors. And while the challenge facing the sector is something we’re all acutely aware of, there was a real sense of optimism on both days, which bodes well for the future of Irish agriculture.”

Regarding what guise the next FTMTA Farm Machinery Show will take, Michael Farrelly stated: “We’d envisage it returning to its pre-Covid iteration: a large indoor show, probably in a year that’s out of sync with Agritechnica (which will be held in Hanover from November 12th to 18th) and then hold a large outdoor event the following year. That’s what the industry is asking for and that’s what we’re aiming to get back to.”

GLAS is a trade only event for practitioners in the horticulture, garden retail, sportsturf, grounds maintenance and related industries. The annual trade show is set to return to the National Basketball Arena in Dublin on Thursday 20 July 2023.

As the annual Garden Landscape and Amenity Sportsturf (GLAS) trade show quickly approaches, more than 70 exhibitors across the trade await the one-day event at the National Basketball Arena.

GLAS is described by the organisers as a prime opportunity for members of the trade to network in a marketplace, as 95% of visitors deemed GLAS 2022 “worthwhile” or “very worthwhile,” while 90% of exhibitors felt similarly.

Each year at GLAS, leading organisations are recognised through a series of awards. Their most recent winners were chosen by judges, Anna Kavanagh, an independent horticultural consultant, and Westlake Horticulture’s James Spillane.

Firstly, Rentes Plants’ Buddleia “Butterfly Candy” range received the crown for Best New Plant due to its floriferous qualities and its appeal to pollinators. The variety of colouring stood out to the judges as the plant was available in five colours, red, pink, white, purple, and blue.

Best New Product was given to Reesink Turfcare Ireland for its Farmtrac FT25G electric tractor. This compact tractor emphasised sustainability, utility along with being overall quieter than tractors in the market.

The free trade only event is held 20 July at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght. Pre-register online.

Service Dealer are delighted to announce that AGCO will be returning to our Conference & Awards, as a Gold Sponsor.

A new venue has been announced for this year, with the Crowne Plaza at Stratford-Upon-Avon taking on hosting duties - with the date to mark up in your diaries being 30th November 2023. 

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke  said, "Having AGCO once again support our event dedicated to the independent dealer network is such great news. We have so much great content lined up for this year, I'm looking forward to revealing all of our plans ."

Jason Webb, manager, national aftersales commercial, UK & Ireland added, "At AGCO Parts & Service, we are committed to supporting end users through our extensive franchised and independent dealers in the UK.

"We are delighted to be supporting this very worthwhile Service Dealer annual conference and awards ceremony for the UK dealer network."

Look out for an announcement of the theme for this year's Conference & Awards in the upcoming issue of Service Dealer magazine.

A game-changer in every way, Kress is leading the charge with a breakthrough innovation in battery-powered technology, built to deliver the performance and power of petrol.

For decades, petrol-powered gardening and landscape equipment has been a reliable choice for commercial use, due to most battery-powered equipment being incapable of matching or surpassing the benefits of their petrol counterparts. This is coupled with the fact that innovation in battery technology has remained slow in meeting the dynamic and ever-growing demands of professional gardeners. 

Tackling the current limitations of battery head-on, with a ground-breaking opportunity, Kress is taking the transformation from petrol to battery to the next level, creating a stronger, faster, quieter, more affordable option, that is specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of commercial landscapers and is set to drive battery-power technology forward to a brighter, more efficient future.

The new commercial Kress 8-minute Cybersystem™ battery platform has been engineered to have the fastest re-charge of any commercial battery system available, has twice the power output of standard lithium-ion batteries and has been developed with heavy-duty use in mind. It is battery-power as we have never seen it before.

The Cybersystem™ battery platform was engineered and designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of commercial landscapers. The system features both 4Ah and 11Ah battery packs with the ability to recharge each 60v battery pack to 100% charge in only 8 minutes, or 80% charge in 5 minutes - the fastest re-charge of any commercial battery system available. 

The Kress 8-minute™ Cybersystem™ is the first and only cordless battery power supply that will allow commercial landscapers to finally replace their expensive petrol equipment without sacrificing performance, power or runtime. This battery platform will power a full line of Kress professional outdoor equipment that includes commercial-grade backpack and handheld blowers, grass trimmers, edgers, chainsaws, and hedge trimmers as well as heavy-duty walk-behind mowers. 

Each Kress commercial-grade tool is designed and engineered for heavy-duty use with a high-efficiency brushless motor and state-of-the-art features and performance. There are no more excuses to keep operating noisy, high-cost petrol equipment or wasting time with cordless battery tools that won’t get the job done.

Visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/business-solution-for-landscapers/ for more information.