How quickly time passes by.

It seems like only yesterday that I was putting the Christmas decorations away and now we are almost at the end of May. In one month the days will be getting shorter. What a sobering thought - where are the days disappearing to?

It is this time of year when agricultural and horticultural machines are in full swing, which highlights how busy everyone is in this industry. With all of this activity going on one must be mindful of health and safety in the work place. It is very easy, in order to make as much money as possible, to lose concentration and to cut corners.

This came home to me recently when I read in my local newspaper of a young man killed at work. He was only 23 years of age. I did not know him personally, but he lived not too far from where I live. The sad thing for me was that he was the same age as one of my sons. How devastated his parents must have been on getting the terrible news. I don’t know how I could deal with such a distressing tragedy.

Unfortunately, it is a sad fact of life, that more people will be killed at work before the year is over. Figures from the Health & Safety Authority (HSA) show that, in 2018, thirty seven people lost their lives in work related accidents. The farming sector, which also includes the sportsturf and groundcare sector, had fifteen fatalities, which accounts for 41% of the total killed. This is still far too many for a sector that employs only 6% of the workforce.

One item of hope in these figures is that the total number of fatalities was reduced by 23% from the 2017 figures and is the lowest number of fatalities since the establishment of the HSA in 1989. We are improving, which is good news.

However, that is no consolation to the thirty seven bereaved families. It would be wonderful to see these figures drop even further in 2019.

Always be safety aware when working on the farm or maintaining those football pitches and golf courses. The usual suspects of danger always crop up - unguarded pto shafts; fumes from slurry tanks; loaders and rotating mower blades.

Dealers also need to be safety aware, particularly in the workshop while carrying out repairs and service. Check that everything works correctly, especially when standing under a raised machine and working a forklift. If you are the owner of a workshop, check that everything is in order and have your staff trained to be aware of workplace dangers and accidents.

The annual review of your Safety Statement should always be carried out. One part of this, which is often overlooked, is that ‘Near Misses’ must be reported and noted in the Safety Statement. A near miss is when an accident happens but no injuries occur. It could be something simple like something heavy falling off a wall beside a person standing close by. This must be reported and actions taken so that it won’t happen again. If not, the next time it happens someone may be underneath.

Be safety aware. Safe and healthy employees are the backbone of any successful business.

Lagan Bros. Agri Contractors, based in Moneymore, Co. Londonderry purchased the first John Deere 9900i forage harvester in Europe. It was sold to them by Northern Ireland’s John Deere dealer Johnston Gilpin & Co. Ltd.

The harvester was handed over to them at John Deere’s manufacturing facility at Zweibrücken in Germany during a Gold Key award ceremony.

At the Gold Key presentation in Zweibrücken, Germany from left: Paul Lagan, Michael Lagan, Seamus Lagan of Lagan Bros., Johannes Zametzer (Zweibrücken factory marketing representative), Gethin Evans (Sales Agricultural Manager, Johnston Gilpin & Co. Ltd)

“We are extremely proud to have sold the first John Deere 9900i SPFH in Europe to loyal customers Lagan Bros. for the 2019 season and were fortunate to be able to be part of a special Gold Key presentation at Zweibrücken where their new harvester was handed over, fresh from the production line!” said Johnston Gilpin’s Agri Sales Manager Gethin Evans.

“The Gold Key Tour is an option any customer has when purchasing a new machine from John Deere but on a special occasion like this, with the first model sold in Europe, we thought it fitting for the customer to get an extra special handover to acknowledge their latest purchase and as long standing customers who had never had the opportunity to see the production facility. The trip consists of a “one on one” factory tour, tailored to customer wishes and on completion they are handed over a special gold key with their new machine, fresh off the production line.” Continued Gethin.

However, The journey in purchasing this machine has a bit of a story in itself. About a year ago, Michael Lagan was alerted that a high horsepower machine was on the horizon. This came to fruition when John Deere’s Harvesting Territory Sales Manager, Rob Hill, offered Michael and Johnston Gilpin the opportunity to visit a prototype machine in a secret location, together with another customer who too expressed an interest and incidentally also bought a 9900i from them this year.

Unable to make the flight, due to some late night foraging, Michael Lagan and his partner Alannah drove through the night, got the ferry at 3.30am and arrived at the secret location to view the machine the next day. However, it rained and despite waiting all day to see the machine run, all they could do was walk around it as the customer wouldn’t permit operations to begin.

However, fast forward a couple of months, they attended the dealer launch of the new 9000 series SPFH in Italy and shortly after Johnston Gilpin were given the opportunity to use a John Deere demo machine for 10 days. This gave them a great chance to let the Lagan Bros get their hands on the machine, their bums in the seat and in their own grass. What better a way to let a customer get a feel for a machine! Shortly after this a deal was made with family to be the first proud owners in Europe of a 9900i chopper!

Below is a video of the delivery of the 9900i to the Lagan Bros. premises (courtesy of Carl O’Loughlin Agri Videos). 

Figures from Motorcheck.ie suggest that over 200 new tractors were registered here in Ireland last month (April).

The provisional data also suggests that over 50 of these were John Deere tractors. However, it’s possible that not all of these vehicles are, in fact, tractors.

A small number might actually be (road-going) grounds-care and utility/commercial machines (which might have been incorrectly categorised by the relevant authorities).
The data also suggests that 38 (new) Massey Ferguson tractors were registered during April.

The provisional figure for New Holland was 37. Kubota notched up a figure of 14. Claas stood at 13; Fendt and Valtra were each at 12. Next up was Case IH (nine), followed by Landini (six), then Deutz-Fahr and McCormick (each at three). Lamborghini and Tumosan were each at two. Armatrac, Same and Sonalika were each pegged at one.

In any case, it must be stressed that this is raw, provisional data and, as alluded to above, may encompass some incorrectly categorised ‘vehicles’.

In a separate development, data from the Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) indicated that 896 new tractors were registered in Ireland during the first quarter (January-March inclusive) of this year.

That was an increase of 25 units (or nearly 3%) compared with the same period of 2018.

The association’s chief executive – Gary Ryan – explained: “The FTMTA figures will often differ when compared with other ‘quoted’ registration data.

“That’s because the FTMTA figures are thoroughly checked to remove items such as UTVs and other self-propelled equipment. Such vehicles are sometimes included as ‘tractors’ in figures from other sources.

“The FTMTA figures are of great importance to our trade and our member firms, so we take considerable care to ensure their accuracy. We are confident that our [FTMTA] monthly figures are the most accurate and consistent measure of the tractor and self-propelled machinery markets available.”

Source: AgriLand

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland (GCSAI) have linked up with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) to allow its members avail of online training for mechanics in the sportsturf sector. When completed one will receive a Turf Equipment Technician Certificate.

This is an online education portal available to members of the GCSAI in partnership with the GCSAA & Michigan State University.

The Turf Equipment Technician Certificate program is a series of exams designed for turf equipment technicians to demonstrate their proficiency in eight key competency areas.

1. Cutting Units
2. Drivetrain Systems
3. Electrical Systems
4. Engine Technology
5. Fundamentals of Turfgrass Operations
6. Hydraulic Systems
7. Metalworking and Fabrication
8. Spray Systems

Members can choose to take one exam or work to complete the entire Turf Equipment Technician Certificate program by successfully completing all eight exams, in any order. Candidates who have successfully passed an exam can print a certificate of achievement.

You must be a member of the GCSAI to avail of this. Members of the GCSAI are made up of greenkeepers, groundspersons and anyone working in the sportsturf industrty.

For more details visit www.gcsai.org

New Zealand machinery manufacturer Giltrap Engineering Ltd is launching its range of trailed fertiliser spreaders onto the Irish market this week.

They are in the process of introducing a mid-range model of its trailed fertiliser and lime spreaders into the Irish market for testing.

The model in question is the 6601. It’s an 8 tonne trailed machine. This spreader is fitted as standard with hydraulic belt drive, which is electronically controlled from the tractor cab.

The hopper is manufactured from 3mm stainless steel and the spreader comes with an 850mm x 5mm rubber belt. The spreaders come with a terminal with electronic rate control and a colour graphic touch display.

For more advanced control, it’s possible to upgrade the terminal to include GPS functionality, enabling coverage mapping and prescription maps through the USB port for variable-rate spreading.

The company is set to host two demonstrations with the spreader in Ireland this week. The first will take place today, Monday 20 May, from 2pm at WBD Farm Machinery Limited, Dublin.

The second will take place on Thursday 23 May from 2pm at Ballinafagh farm, Co Kildare (Eircode W91HD37).

For more information contact 086-811 5565.

Two examples of the most powerful tractor in the McCormick X7 Series were in action at this year’s ScotGrass event alongside the mid-range high-tech X6.4 with stepless VT-Drive transmission.

The McCormick X7.690 P6-Drive with a McHale mower

They were working at the AEA-organised event near Dumfries on May 15 last with mowing, tedding and raking equipment from the newly-introduced SIP range, including a unique combination of front-mounted and trailed machines for gathering spread grass or multiple swaths into a single row.

“It’s the perfect opportunity for the flagship McCormick X7 Series tractors to be seen working at ScotGrass for the first time because obvious applications for the tractor include working a triple mower or large forage wagon,” says Adrian Winnett, managing director of Argo Tractors operations in the UK and Ireland.

“We’re also pleased to be co-operating with Martin Holden of SIP because it underscores our focus on tractors as the core area of expertise for the Argo Group, which leaves McCormick tractor dealers free to choose whichever grass and other implement franchises best suit them and their customers.”

McCormick X7.690 P6-Drive

The latest-generation McCormick X7 Series tractors have revised engine power outputs with ‘boost’ now available on all models for pto-driven implements and road transport.
The line-up starts at 141hp (boosting to 150hp) with the four-cylinder X7.440 introduced this year and tops out with the 205/225hp six-cylinder X7.690, which is a more powerful addition to the range.

All feature the new P6-Drive transmission with six powershift steps and five ranges providing increased speed control flexibility, plus the added security of exhaust pressure braking to ease the load on service brakes, especially travelling with a heavy trailer, tanker or spreader.

The tractors working at ScotGrass illustrated the full-feature Premium specification, which includes a 12in terminal and electric spool valve switches on the armrest console, and the simpler Efficient spec for operators who want the same power train but are content with fewer electronic features.

McCormick X6.440 VT-Drive

A VT-Drive transmission in the McCormick X6.440 makes this one of the few 140hp tractors available with a stepless drive system – the sort of technology normally seen on larger, more powerful machines.

It is an ideal choice for operating grass equipment such as SIP’s Star twin rotor centre delivery rakes, including the Star 850/26T destined for Scotgrass with its hydraulically-adjustable 7.2m to 8.5m working width.

This is because the ideal ground speed can be set for output balanced with being gentle to the crop; and no gear changes are needed when working on banky ground because the power train simply adjusts itself to handle the changing load.

The McCormick X6.440 VT-Drive has 130hp for draft work rising to 140hp for pto-driven implements and transport applications, and four-speed rear pto with ‘power’ and ‘economy’ gearing.

The 110-litre/min piston pump is dedicated to the rear linkage and remote services, which can have mechanical valves, a combination of mechanical and electric or five all-electric valves set up through a touch screen terminal.

AGCO have reported net sales of approximately $2.0 billion for the first quarter of 2019, a decrease of approximately 0.6% compared to the first quarter of 2018.

The company says that excluding unfavourable currency translation impacts of approximately 7.1%, net sales in the first quarter of 2019 increased approximately 6.5% compared to the first quarter of 2018.

Reported regional sales results, as compared to first quarter 2018, saw North American sales down 1.3%; Europe/Middle East region up 4%; South America down 14.3%; and Asia/Pacific region down 16.3%.

In an official statement, Martin Richenhagen, AGCO’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Focused operational performance across our regional business units and supportive market conditions are driving sales and earnings growth.

“AGCO’s first quarter results demonstrated solid progress towards our margin improvement goals for 2019. Led by our Europe/Middle East region, AGCO’s first quarter 2019 adjusted operating margins improved over 190 basis points compared to the first quarter of 2018. Our margin expansion resulted from organic sales growth, an improved pricing environment and initiatives aimed at lowering material costs and improving productivity.

"We have raised our outlook for the full year to reflect our confidence in our continued strong performance and in the market recovery.”