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Season’s Greetings
As another year draws to a close we sit back and wonder what has happened to all that time that has whizzed by in a flash.
What we do know is that our customers have been loyal and supportive throughout the year, and that we have been pleased to serve them.
We wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2013.
Visitors from Krone
Klaus Maecker from the Krone service department arrived for his first visit to Aotearoa last month. He was kept very busy and he covered a fair bit of the country from his base here in Masterton.These visits are vital aspects of our business. From a mechanical point of view, we have a good deal of expertise and experience with machinery, but with ever more computerised control, we need to learn firsthand about the various configurations and variations of the software that controls today’s machinery. The other important aspect of these visits is the hands-on experience that these guys get when taken out into the field to understand the unique challenges that make farming in New Zealand so interesting.
Win a trip to Grasslands 2014
We are holding another photographic competition. You have the chance to join us on the Grasslands Field Days trip in Europe 2014 for free.Below is the photo that won the 2008 Grassland trip for Ken Donovan. Can you compete with this?
Get out your camera and let’s have some fun. Show us your idea of life on the land with machinery in New Zealand. Snap those working machines in action and you could win! Just remember the machine needs to be something imported by Tulloch Farm Machines.
Watch this space for further information. Conditions apply; see our website for details.
Big X in The ’Naki
On 23 October we set off for Taranaki with a new Big X 700 fitted with the EasyFlow grass front to demonstrate to interested contractors. Orchard Contracting, K.G. Moratti Contracting and Campbell Contracting had the opportunity to try out the new machine. Once the operators got used to the configuration of the joystick the comments were all quite similar: “Nice to drive, comfortable and plenty of power – would love to see it in maize.”All models in the new Big X range from Krone now feature very quiet running MAN engines, a new spacious cab which includes a new colour screen and reconfigured joystick, and finally the VariStream which smoothes out peak loading when harvesting grass.
Swadro 2000 from the Operator’s Seat
Andrew Tulloch Contracting has put the amazing six-rotor rake from Krone to the test. Righthand man Arron Cook took the 19.5m model out and had this to say:“The controller is very easy to use and has some really neat functions - like set the tine height on one rotor, press “all” and it resets the remaining five to that new height.
“On the road it feels really good at 40kph no problem. I noticed next to our Swadro 800, the 2000 was actually lower in transport mode. The rake has two steering modes, one for transport and one for field mode. When in transport the rake manoeuvres quite well getting through gates but if it is too tight you are able to use a manual override to get the extra bit.
“When raking the front rotors are quite close to the tractor which means you have more control and raking around corners you overdrive a bit and it cuts in quite neatly. Because of its size you might take a bit longer to get into the paddock and set up into work mode but when you get going – do the maths: 19.5m x 10kph. You can get some good productivity.
And chopping with the Big X V8 (605hp):
“The Swadro left a really well formed row for the chopper and in the light crops we had a good advantage with rates in excess of 14 hectares per hour. Opening up was easy and safe with trucks well away from fences, troughs and other obstacles.”
1tRIPr Strip Tiller from Orthman
This season three new Orthman strip tillers were put to work here, preparing for maize.The Orthman strip tiller - 1tRIPr - from the USA is a particularly robust machine that has been in production since the late ’90s. Configured on a 7" beam the row units have a parallelogram frame like that of a precision planter and are designed to deal with crop residue and place fertiliser while tilling the strip.
A crop monitored near Masterton (pictured) has germinated and there is little sign of any yield loss from this new method, which brings with it reduced cultivation costs and the benefit of the soil being treated more sustainably than by current traditional methods.
We never believed this tool was going to be a magic fix for all your soaring input costs - as with any cultivation, timing and other factors are also critical - but it is quite clear this tool has a place in New Zealand agriculture.
What we do know is:
- Tillage costs are significantly reduced
- The method of tillage is more sustainable than current practices
- The inclusion of fertiliser placement when tilling makes the critical planting operation easier.
Grasslands Trip 2014
We are excited to announce the next Grasslands trip in 2014. The proposed itinerary:
May 2014
| 13 | Depart Wellington for Johannesburg via Sydney | |
| 14 | Day in Johannesburg to de-jetlag | |
| 15 | Visit the Nampo agricultural show in Bothaville - live demonstrations | |
| 16 - 18 | Depart for Victoria Falls for various activities | |
| 19 | Depart for London - travel to Stoneleigh Lodge | |
| 21 - 22 | Grasslands Field Days | |
| 22 | Depart for Dusseldorf Germany | |
| 23 | Factory visit at Krone | |
| 24 | Visit contractors around Spelle | |
| 25 | Depart for Munich | |
| 26 | Visit MANN plant in Augsburg and return to Munich | |
| 27 | Depart by bus to Frankfurt | |
| 28 | Depart Frankfurt for Wellington |
Watch our website for updates
All are welcome but seats are limited. If you are interested, please contact Coral on 0800 88 55 624 to make sure a place is available for you.
A fond farewell for Ralph Priddle
After almost 40 years with the company, Ralph is leaving the company to pursue a more leisurely lifestyle.We held a small reception for staff and family in November. Graeme Tulloch was able to share a couple of stories about the early days when Ralph and Neale were first employed.
And in the showroom we unveiled portraits of the company’s founders and of the company’s great marketing people, the late Neale Hannon and Ralph Priddle, acknowledging their exceptional service and dedication to the company.
Record attendance at Service School 2012
This was yet another tremendous success due to the massive effort from the team led by Allan Taute and backed by Coral Birch. We had record attendance, and the results from the test were well above the average on previous years - good news for our end users!We thank our dealers for their continued support and dedication to fine-tuning the service they make available to our end users. The attendance at this year’s Service School was further evidence of that commitment.
Survey Responses
We thank everyone who returned the surveys sent out in June. We received a lot of positive feedback which we appreciate very much. Each response has been carefully read and we are using the information to plan ways of improving our performance. If you left something out of your response or did not get around to returning the survey and still want to comment, we are always very keen to hear from you, either at marketing@tulloch.co.nz or on 0800 88 55 624.New media …
Our Facebook page has really taken off. We’ve had more than 100 ‘likes’ already! We think this is a terrific start. We’re finding it a great way to communicate with you and keep everyone up to date with what is happening here at Tulloch’s. We are always keen to hear back from you via this new medium as well - even if it’s just to post jokes on our page or tell us what you are up to! The page is frequently updated; we see it as a very positive way to connect with you and also for you to connect with others. We also have competitions - you've got to be in to win the prizes on offer, so visit us at Tulloch Farm Machines and let us know what you think.
Krone on your phone
For those into gadgets and apps… if you have a smart phone, Krone has an app for you - keep up to date with the latest news from Krone and watch or download video clips of the latest machines working. It covers the full range; you can watch everything from mowers, rakes and tedders, to the full range of round and square balers, loader wagons and of course the most powerful forage harvester available today, the Big X 1100 powered by MAN. The app is very easy to use!
We’re on the Tube, too
You see what is happening locally now on our own You Tube channel. Just enter “Tulloch 1000” in the search box and that will take you to the latest New Zealand video clips of some of our awesome machines in action. Currently you can see Big X 850, Big X 700, Swadro 2000, Big M 420, Orthman 1tRIPr and the Monosem Pro strutting their stuff. (Our editor thought this was very cool, too!)
Staff Profile Gary Kessler
Gary Kessler started at Tulloch Farm Machines in April 2011. He thoroughly enjoys working here and finds family-orientated business very personable.
Q: “What do you like best about working at Tulloch’s?”
A: “The people.” (with a big smile)
Gary is a warm-hearted, positive and loyal employee.
He came from Zimbabwe with his family in 2002. Qualified as a heavy diesel mechanic, he was looking for work with big engines. He applied at Tranzit and when he was called into the office he saw his CV in the rubbish bin. He asked whether it was his CV and they said, “Yes it is, you’ve got the job.”
For the next nine years he worked servicing buses, and much more. Prior to working with buses Gary worked with big trucks. Working with big engines has always been his passion, so working with big agricultural machinery suits him perfectly. He has gained wide experience and has always stuck to the big engines.
On weekends Gary likes to go for family bike rides and fishing. He has had four boats in his life and in one of them took out his Mum who had never been out on one before. She was very frightened on this first trip, but has loved it ever since, Gary says. While he has been in New Zealand, he has taken his daughter, Shannon, out fishing at Lake Ferry, catching about 10 kahawhai each time they go. They quickly caught on to Kiwi food trends and love fresh-caught fish & chip dinners.
