Kuhn Group Sales Dip 9% in 2025 but Orders Signal Recovery
Kuhn Group recorded net sales of NZ$2.27 billion in 2025, finishing around 9% lower than in 2024.
Kuhn claims its latest 13m wide tedder can be folded and ready for transport in 25 seconds – about half the time taken by its predecessor.
Machines with wider working widths have become a lot more common on the farm, particularly in the grass and hay production arena, where oversized rakes and tedders have helped to increase daily output dramatically.
In many cases the size of the machines dictate that they have complex hydraulic and mechanical systems to fold the machines from transport to work and back, while also eating up a surprising amount of time.
Grassland specialist Kuhn has addressed this latter issue with a redesign of its latest 13m wide tedder, allowing it to be ready for transport in 25 seconds – said to be about half the time taken by its predecessor.
The machine features a new single-movement folding mechanism which works directly off a tractor spool valve without needing any control box or electronic sensors.
Transport and storage are also improved thanks to a reduction in length to 6m, while a reversible drawbar allows it to be hitched to a greater variety of tractors.
The GF 13003T replaces the outgoing GF 1301 and offers operators improvements centred around new rotors, tines and the fast-fold system.
Still equipped with 12 rotors like the previous machine, internal upgrades are said to reduce wear, while the mounting system and improved contour following characteristics is said to reduce the
risk of soil contamination.
New 10mm diameter tines are equipped with springs that have increased from 70mm to 80mm diameter, that work in conjunction with an anti-tine loss system and hydraulic tine height adjustment to effectively double the expected lifespan of the previous tine format.
In operation, the weight of the chassis is supported by large transport wheels, while the small diameter rotors are suspended separately on individual wheel equipment, enabling each rotor to adapt to the ground contours, meaning soil contamination is reduced and tine tip wear is less severe.
Running a tight and self-contained ship is the key to the success of the country's largest dairy farmer, says Blair Robinson, the new man at the helm of Dairy Holdings.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst and his family raised a glass of milk last week to toast the start of a new addition to their farming operation at Makihihi, south of Timaru.
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
Food rescue charity Meet the Need has released its 2025/26 Impact Report, revealing a record year of growth alongside a stark warning: demand for food support across New Zealand is rising faster than supply can keep up.
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.
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