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Sir David Fagan says every farmer should own a Can-Am.
A pre-Fieldays dash down to Te Kuiti in the rolling south west of the Waikato gave Dairy News a chance to catch up with New Zealand shearing legend Sir David Fagan and get his views on his latest side by side/UTV.
Needing a side by side for his rolling home property, Sir David packs no punches when he says, “Every farmer should own a Can-Am.”
Having owned numerous machines over a lifetime of farming, here’s how the 16-times record winning shearer sums up the latest Can-Am Defender XT HD-10: “The stability, suspension, power and the handling means there is no comparison. Its features and technology make it incredibly safe for me and the family.”
Taking a closer look, the Defender XT HD-10 is powered by the company’s own V-twin, 976cc water-cooled engine that pushes out 82hp. Power delivery is instant and smooth from a slow crawl at tick-over right up to maximum speed, with delivery linear, ensuring the operator has precise control at all times.
Much of that driveability also falls to a CVT transmission set-up that responds smoothly to changing throttle inputs, with Extra Low, High, Neutral, Reverse and Park choices, alongside integral features such as high airflow ventilation and an electronic drive belt protection system.
Taking Sir David’s machine – standard except for some grippy ITP Cryptid tyres – around the farm quickly establishes that its capabilities are never going to come into question. Travelling along metalled tracks, comfort is akin to any car on the public highway, delivered by double A-arm set ups in each corner with up to 11-inches of travel, twintube gas filled shocks and a large external sway bar on the rear.
Driving the machine off-road on the typical King Country property takes us across steeply undulating paddocks, through a rock-strewn stream and traversing some steep slopes, with the main man demonstrating the machine’s capability with ease, bringing into play controls such as low ratio, 4WD, diff locking and electronic Hill Descent Control.
At no point did the machine feel unstable or likely to be beaten by the gnarly terrain, but it also delivered the reassurance that it could be brought to a controlled stop at any time, using engine revs and the more than capable dual disc brakes all-round. This point becomes interesting as the HD-10 is no lightweight, tipping the scales at 736kg dry weight, no doubt combining with a low centre of gravity to give the feeling of stability.
It is also capable of carrying a load in the bed of up to 454kg and up to 1,134kg at the tow-bar.
In practice, the likelihood of loading the tray to its max is low, but hooking up to a heavyduty trailer loaded with fencing supplies showed the extended capabilities of the Defender, demonstrating oodles of power, plenty of grip and high levels of control.
To sum up the machine, using Sir David’s words, “Out on the farm the Defender is incredibly comfortable, stable, durable and more than capable for any of the tasks we throw at it… It makes me happy to know that if I’m away from the property, my wife can go and get the jobs done and I know she will be safe.”
That’s probably the reason that Can-Am is claiming a market-leading position for 2022 with a share of 31.5% (YTD).
www.can-am.brp.com/off-road/nz
Massey Ferguson has announced a strategic supply partnership with International Tractors Limited (ITL), a manufacturer of low-horsepower and compact tractors, with recognised brands such as Sonalika and Sollis, to expand its portfolio with a new tractor range.
With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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