Goodacre Farm is currently owned by Ian Buckley and his sister Carrol Buckley. They milk 285 cows on 100ha.
Ian and Carrol’s grandfather bought the property in 1930. Their father and uncle took over farming in 1945, and when they did they bought an American-made Case tractor. That tractor made an impression on the young Ian.
“My very early memories are of that Case tractor. The Case symbol was of a bald eagle on top of a globe. I was fascinated with that and with all farm machinery.”
The two brothers split the land and farmed separately from 1950. The uncle took the Case tractor and Ian’s father bought a David Brown Cropmaster from William Gill and Son, in Huntly. That tractor is still on the farm in a shed.
The family stuck with David Brown until the 1970s when David Brown tractors became Case. They’ve had Case ever since. William Gill’s grandson, Phil, is owner of Roger Gill Agriculture, and the Case IH dealer.
Ian and Carrol now own a Case IH Puma 125 and in March bought a Maxxum 110X. Ian says Case IH machines have always measured up, so he doesn’t go hunting around.
“I stay with what I have confidence in. I’ve always had great back-up service and an excellent working relationship with Phil, and Mark Ellett in Pukekohe. So that’s why I chose Case IH, partly for nostalgia but also for practical reasons.
“We’ve had a continuous account with Gills since 1950. So it’s a 64-year relationship. There can’t be too many firms with customers that have stayed for that long.”
The Puma 125 is a ‘gold’ model with a luxury cab and a 19-speed full powershift transmission. It does the heavy work on the farm – towing 10 tonnes of metal, spreading fertiliser and cutting hay and silage for a contractor to bale.
For a chunk of the year, the 1100 litre sprayer stays on it. “It takes time to put the sprayer on, and with two tractors I can leave it on so if there’s a break in the weather I can be straight out spraying. With the GPS I can get a paddock done at night when I’ve finished in the evening.
“If I had to drop something off and attach the sprayer I probably wouldn’t have the energy. So that’s a major reason for a second tractor – to get work done when it’s needed and not when it’s overdue.”
At this stage Ian and Carrol have switched off cropping and gone to an all-grass system, so there’s no cultivation. “I don’t know if I’ll continue with that, I’ll see how it goes.”
Ian says the Puma is probably overkill for what he needs, but he wouldn’t change it. “I like the Puma. It handles everything so effortlessly, and yet it’s not big and unwieldy. When I eventually have to replace it, it will be with a newer version of the same.”
He and Carroll bought the Maxxum so they could employ someone to share the load. It’s the bronze model and a reasonably-priced, reliable tractor with a 16 speed semi-powershift transmission.
“This is a workhorse. The Puma is a Ferrari, but the Maxxum is everything a second tractor should be. I have no disappointments. There’s nothing more important than reliability.”
The Maxxum does a variety of jobs on Goodacre Farm. It has an excellent loader and Ian uses it to load the feeder wagon for the Puma to tow. The Maxxum also does bucket work such as cleaning out effluent traps and takes the hip lifters for any down cows.
Ian says visibility in the Maxxum is excellent, and so is the suspension. There’s plenty of room in the cab. He reckons it is less fuel efficient than the Puma, which has a six cylinder common rail engine and the load-sensing hydraulics.
Both vehicles have a 40km/h road speed, which suits Ian. Another feature he likes is the length and attachment of the linkage arms. It makes a difference in how long it takes to change implements and how much bad language and skinned knuckles ensue.
