We're back with you today in our regular Friday lunchtime slot, following that extra-long, Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

This was quickly followed up by another event for our sector returning in full effect, Cereals. Duncan and #TeamTAP were there in force meeting exhibitors and visitors - and you can read our agricultural machinery editor, Martin Rickatson's thoughts on the show here.

Service Dealer owner Duncan Murray-Clarke and #TeamTAP (plus Jane Craigie) at Cereals this week

Looking back amongst the national celebrations last weekend though, I do hope our dealer readers found something to cheer about in their own showrooms - hopefully capitalising on the public spending some bonus time in their outside spaces?

I do fear though that both a lack of stock and a tightening of household purse strings might have inhibited what could have been a bumper few days in the dealership?

But then again perhaps not as I did notice in this report on the BBC that Barclaycard had announced - based on credit and debit card transactions - that over the four-day Jubilee bank holiday weekend, people did spend "significantly more" than the equivalent dates last year. Admittedly it wasn't a bank holiday this time last year, but still, that's quite encouraging.

However before we get too excited, this brief bright spot is somewhat tempered when one takes into account that the comment comes at the end of an article entitled "Shoppers rein in spending as incomes squeezed".

The BBC's report is based on the British Retail Consortium's analysis of spending during May that found total retail sales declined by 1.1% compared to May 2021.

In the summary published by the Consortium, their chief executive, Helen Dickinson OBE, says, "Sales continued to see declines as the cost-of-living crunch squeezed consumer demand. Higher value items, such as furniture and electronics, took the biggest hit as shoppers reconsidered major purchases during this difficult time."

Her statement goes on to make concerning reading for dealers, saying, "It is clear the post-pandemic spending bubble has burst, with retailers facing tougher trading conditions, falling consumer confidence, and soaring inflation impacting consumers spending power."

Also significant for our readers in the BRC's press release, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG is quoted as saying, "The rising cost of living is going to remain the main story for retailers for the immediate future, with consumer confidence a key factor to watch out for."

Bubble finally bursting?

Not to be alarmist, but these words are serious. We know from many conversations we've held, both dealers and manufacturers have been concerned for some while that the 'spending bubble' that our industry has enjoyed would come to an end at some point. Are we seeing this kick in now?

Until recently, based upon hearing from our readers, I'd say this sector has not faced a significant downturn over the past two years. The word we hear repeated to us from dealers is 'busy'. 'We're so busy', 'we're rushed off our feet', 'we haven't got a moment to reflect' etc etc.

But is a slowdown inevitable? If your customers can't fill up their average family car for less than £100, does it automatically follow that they'll be cutting back in other areas - like machinery for the outdoors?

We have started to hear comments from dealers that perhaps sales of new goods are dropping back, with workshops now filling up with machines that customers want to prolong the life of. Also multiple readers have spoken about the soaring demand for second-hand machinery. The problem with this of course, being just how scarce quality used kit has become.

So what's the solution? Diversification? Certainly we know of dealerships who are broadening their offerings into new, but related areas. Could this be something to give thoughtful consideration to as we move forward into uncertain times? Returning to Cereals for example, Duncan was Tweeting about companies such as UTV Lighting who offer LED lights for agriculture, who might be an avenue for dealer added revenue?

There is still a cost of living crisis across the board regardless of what is being sold of course, but by widening slightly what the dealership offers, might this spread the risk?

What do you think? Is it time to make some changes to combat what's ahead?

And what was the Jubilee weekend like for you? Was it akin to a good Easter part 2, or was it as flat as Rod Stewart singing Sweet Caroline?

Let us know in the comments below.

After what many would probably agree was a subdued 2021 show held when the country was see-sawing between coronavirus lockdowns, this week’s Cereals 2022 event, held near Royston on the Herts/Cambs border, had a reasonable air of optimism about it, writes Martin Rickatson.

Granted, it might not have been as buzzing or as full of big names as a similar event a decade or two ago, but while some of the key brands in the tractor and implement businesses continued to stay away, others remained committed, some had enlarged their stands and others had returned. Certainly the show felt a little smaller than it some might recall, but at the mid-morning peak on the first day at least, there appeared to be were healthy visitor numbers and plenty of serious discussions going on. The second day was said to be quieter, but then to be fair the final day of most shows tends to be, whether a two, three or four-day event.

The model increasingly adopted at the UK’s main farm shows of using dealers to support the national event in their locality continues to work for some at Cereals, with local dealer Tuckwells, for example, having a significant presence on the John Deere stand. Others such as Fendt and particularly New Holland looked to have increased their stand spaces, and implement importers such as Opico, KRM and Horsch’s UK subsidiary all had significant stands showing a wide range or crop establishment and treatment equipment.

Robotics and autonomous equipment was a key theme, with Opico demonstrating its recently-launched Farmdroid solar-powered machine, which will be covered in-depth in a forthcoming issue of Service Dealer. Fendt showed off a smaller version of its Sennebogen-sourced telehandler with lifting cab, while Sands revealed a new flagship sprayer and New Holland unveiled its new round baler range-topper.

So there was plenty new to see - which will be covered in the next issue of the magazine - and on the basis of this show Cereals looks to still have a fair future, particularly with commodity prices remaining high. However, with many input cost issues yet to really make their impact, it will be interesting to see how the challenging year ahead - the 2022-23 cropping year - pans out, and what impact that has on next year's show.

Ibcos and Catalyst have been announced as the first sponsors of this year's Service Dealer Conference & Awards.

Taking place on Thursday 24th November 2022 once again at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry Hotel, Thame, Oxfordshire, the theme for this year's event is Sustaining Dealerships.

Both Ibcos and Catalyst have been confirmed as Gold Sponsors of the event.

A spokesperson for Ibcos said, "We thoroughly enjoy sponsoring this event as it’s a great opportunity to meet with industry experts and share best practices."

Whilst a spokesperson for Cataylst added, "We love taking the time to meet with like-minded business leaders and find this conference to be the perfect place to do that within our industry."

Additional details regarding the Service Dealer Conference & Awards, including further sponsors and a full speaker line-up, will be announced soon.

Colin North, owner of Bourne to Garden, a grounds maintenance business based in Kent, is to attempt to beat the current world record for the fastest journey from Land's End to John O’Groats on a ride-on mower - whilst raising money for charity.

David Withers of Iseki UK and Colin North of Bourne To Garden

Colin said, “We are aiming to beat the current world record of 5 days, 8 hours and 36 minutes, completed by Andy Maxfield on the 30 July 2017.

"We will be driving an Iseki SF5 ride-on mower that has been kindly donated and supported by Iseki UK, aiming for up to 20 hours driving each day.  All this, whilst most importantly for us, raising money for three charities that are close to our heart’s; Motor Neurone Disease Association, Kenward Trust who help those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction and The Masonic Charitable Foundation, with the target to raise £30,000 to be split equally between each of the charities.”

Starting off at Lands End on Monday 27th June they will be avoiding the motorways and traveling through the counties listed below in order to reach their final destination of John O’Groats, whilst hopefully beating the current world record:

World Record attempt route: 

• Cornwall
• Devon
• Somerset
• Gloucestershire
• Worcestershire
• Shropshire
• Cheshire
• Merseyside
• Lancashire
• Cumbria
• Dumfriesshire
• Lanarkshire
• West Lothian
• Stirlingshire
• Perthshire
• Inverness-shire
• Ross & Cromarty
• Sutherland
• Caithness 

“We can’t wait to get started, there is a lot of preparation involved and we could not have done this without the support of Iseki UK who will be travelling with us all the way too. We look forward to seeing people out on route, don’t forget to give us a beep and a wave!  Between ourselves and Iseki UK we will be doing regular updates on social media, interviews on TV and local radio coverage throughout the journey so please keep a listen out for us.”

David Withers from ISEKI UK added, “It is great that a customer of ours has chosen one of our mowers to attempt this world record!  We are so excited to support them on this challenge and look forward to supporting them throughout the journey then being with them at John O’Groats at the end of the race to celebrate their achievement!” 

As part of the world record attempt stipulations, independent witness signatures and photos are required along the way, so Iseki say to keep a look out on their social media for details of where they will be on route and follow the tracker.

To donate, visit Bourne To Garden's GoFundMe page.

According to figures released by the AEA, for the second month in a row, UK agricultural tractor registrations (over 50hp) were comfortably above last year's level in May.

At 1,283 machines, the monthly figure was 16% higher than in May 2021 and, indeed, was the highest May total since 2012.

Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist at the AEA, said, "The return to growth comes despite ongoing supply chain disruption, dating back to last summer, which has led to extended lead times, a situation which has not been helped by the war in Ukraine.

"Nevertheless, the underlying strength of the market means that registrations for the year to date are now slightly above their level in the opening five months of 2021, at 5,482 machines."

The death has been announced of Reinhold Claas at the age of 91.

Reinhold Claas

Reinhold Claas was the youngest of company founder August Claas’ three children, and working alongside his eldest brother Helmut Claas, he played a major role in the development of the Claas Group and was a longstanding member of the Shareholders Committee and Supervisory Board of the Claas Group.  With him, the last shareholder of the second family generation passes away.

"All those who knew Reinhold Claas appreciated him for his friendly and modest manner. People and the well-being of the family business always came first for him. Through his actions in important phases of the company's history, he made a significant contribution to our success today," explained Thomas Böck, CEO of Claas.

Reinhold Claas officially joined the company with his brother Helmut in July 1957. His main focus was on the development of balers and forage harvesters. Among other things, he was responsible for setting up baler production at the newly built factory in Metz, France. Until the 1970s, he expanded the production site and developed it to its current size. 

He was the driving force behind the takeover of Josef Bautz GmbH in Bad Saulgau, which today is the main development and manufacturing base for Claas green harvest machinery.

Most recently, Reinhold Claas held a seat on the Supervisory Board and two advisory boards. In the Claas Group, his son Rüdiger Claas is now the third generation to succeed his father.

Allett Mowers have held an auction celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

A special one-off Jubilee Edition Allett Stirling 51 battery cylinder mower commemorating the Queen’s 70 years on the throne was on offer to the highest bidder.

The proceeds are to be donated to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Living Legacy Fund, the DofE charity launched in the Duke’s memory with the aim of reaching a million young people by 2026.

The company says the online auction attracted bidders from all around the world, including entries from the USA, Canada and Switzerland. The winning bid came from Ron Henry of Georgia, USA who bid £4,400.00.

Ron will receive the special British built mower after it has been on display at Windsor Flower Show on 11th June and Gardener’s World Show at the NEC on the 16th-19th June 2022.

Ron describes himself as a ‘lawncare geek’ who owns and runs the Golf Course Lawn Store. He also publishes videos on lawncare, fertilisation and ‘lots and lots of mowing.’ He plans to shoot a video for his YouTube channel and then place the mower in his office studio as a display piece.

Ron said, “Given that it’s a one-off special edition Stirling and so nice to look at, it’s unlikely that I’ll mow grass with it. I’m very happy to be able to play a small part in helping young people reach their goals through the donation to the DofE charity. The Jubilee Edition Stirling 51 is a beautiful piece of history that I’m happy to be part of. Special thanks to Allett and their partners for building an amazing mower and making the auction open to an international audience.”

Allett’s managing director, Austin Jarrett added, “We’re very proud to be able to run this auction with the proceeds going to the DofE Award fund. The DofE Award is something we at Allett are very passionate about and we are pleased to have the opportunity to help young people in this way.”   

STIHL Timbersports will host its first ever British Women’s Championship in June, where they say the best female lumberjill athletes in Great Britain will put their axe, saw and chainsaw skills to the ultimate test to become the inaugural female British champion. 

Sarah Cox

The landmark event will take place at Royal Three Counties Show in Malvern on Friday 17 June and will see the top eight female logger sports athletes battle against each other in three disciplines; Stock Saw, Single Buck and Underhand Chop.

Each discipline will see the athletes slice and chop their way through large logs in seconds using a combination of axes, two-metre crosscut saws and chainsaws, all requiring high levels of power, precision and endurance to succeed. Competitors are awarded maximum points for the fastest time, with the athlete accumulating the most points crowned the best female Timbersports athlete in Great Britain. 

Competing in this ground-breaking event will be Beth Parker from Southport, Catherine Eccles from Scotland, Dee Hardwick from Redditch, with the remaining five athletes in Justine Narusa, Kristy Bray, Martine Arrowsmith, Sarah Cox and Zoe Penlington all hailing from Wales. The athletes have been sharpening their logger skills at Timbersports training camps throughout the year and say they are ready to put on a high octane performance in front of a live audience.  

 
The 2022 STIHL Timbersports British Championship and British Rookie Championship crown will also be fought for at the Royal Three Counties Show on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June respectively. In the British Championship, the top male athletes from around the country will compete against each other across six disciplines. The rookies, who are under 25, will take part in four events, accumulating points in each round based on their placing in each discipline. The overall winner in each competition is the athlete with the most points once all rounds have taken place. 

Simon Hewitt, head of marketing at STIHL GB, said, “After several behind closed door events, not only are we thrilled to be bringing Timbersports back to a live audience, but we are also very excited to introduce the first British Women’s Championship. 

“All of the competitors want the chance to be the champion in the first Women's Championship, so all eight athletes have been working hard, but even the smallest slip-up on the day can have a huge effect, so anyone can win it! We can’t wait to see the best-of-the-best female athletes compete for the ultimate logger prize.” 

An all-electric Loadall 525-60E raising funds for the NSPCC charity will be among the JCB equipment exhibited by Scot Agri at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

The machine on display represents the manufacturer's Platinum Jubilee NSPCC Appeal, which aims to raise thousands of pounds for the children’s charity.

Built by a team of 36 JCB apprentices, who have all signed the engine cover, the machine features a vinyl wrap incorporating the handprints of 20 pupils from schools close to JCB World Headquarters in Staffordshire.

Together with a portable power pack also built by the apprentices, the special telehandler will be auctioned to add funds to the appeal.

All-new for 2022, Husqvarna are excited to announce the release of an all-new battery-powered grass trimmer, the 110iL.

Available as a standalone unit or as a kit with the compatible battery and charger, the 110iL trimmer comes with Husqvarna’s intuitive edging mode feature enabled by a supporting wheel making it significantly easier to manoeuvre and achieve straight lawn edges for the perfect result.

With an automatic line feed-out and a split shaft, not only can trimming be achieved effortlessly but it can also be stored easily in the garage or tool shed, making it the optimal grass trimmer for the suburban garden.

Attention to detail is what truly makes a garden personal. The 110iL helps to ensure your lawn is precisely cared for and perfect from every angle. The 110iL also comes with a range of smart features, such as the plant guard, a user-friendly keypad and an auto-off function, ensuring it is simple to operate for both first time and experienced users.

In addition, its automatic line feed-out not only saves time, but the spools also come preloaded from Husqvarna. 

The 110iL ensures an effective, efficient and reliable performance for trimming lawn edges and overgrown grass. 

The 110iL is fully compatible with Husqvarna’s 36V battery series which delivers seamless power to other battery products from across Husqvarna’s extensive product range, meaning there is no need to purchase new batteries for every new Husqvarna tool.

Simply put, the 110iL trimmer delivers ease and accuracy – from every angle.

For more information on the Husqvarna 110iL visit https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/grass-trimmers/110il-with-battery-and-charger/

For further insights into the Husqvarna battery series or various other products visit https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/ or your local Husqvarna dealer which can be found via Husqvarna’s dealer locator: https://www.husqvarna.com/uk/dealer-locator/

The new STIHL HTA 50 cordless pole pruner is compact and lightweight, weighing 3.6kg, whilst offering a high-cutting performance and making life easier when it comes to maintaining tall and hard to reach trees and hedges. 

Ideal for a variety of tasks, such as pruning trees and the removal of dead wood, with branches with a 5-12cm diameter, the HTA 50 features a branch hook for the easy removal of small branches from the tree canopy and has a length of 280cm, plus an additional 50cm extension as an optional accessory. For maximum comfort and ease of use, the HTA 50 features a large trigger, soft handle and rubberised grip.  

The tool has a ¼ PM3 chain to ensure an efficient and clean cut, as well as a side chain tensioner for simple adjustment. The inclusion of an inspection window on the chain oil tank also makes it easy for users to see when the chain oil levels require topping up. 

The first cordless pole pruner in the STIHL AK system, the HTA 50 has an operating time of 45 minutes when used with the AK 20 battery. 

The HTA 50 has a RRP of £279 as a shell only or £499 as a set with 2 of the recommended AK 20 batteries and AL 101 charger. It is available now.  

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