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Taranaki-based contractor Andy Hey started his business back in 2004 with two John Deere machine that today has grown to a fleet of 15 green machines.
Based on a 220- head dairy farm near Stratford, and with a good knowledge – gathered first-hand – of the region’s agriculture sector, Hey Harvesting is owned and operated by Andy and Rebecca Hey.
Starting from a humble beginning in 2004 with two John Deere machines, today’s fleet runs to an impressive line-up of 15 dark green and yellow units. They include a 1750, a Range of 6 series from a 6410 through to the latest 6230R and a trio of 7530’s.
Offering a multitude of on-farm services, which includes maize and cereal crop harvesting and small-seed planting, 95% of the Hey’s customer base are dairy enterprises. Therefore, efficient silage and haybaling is imperative, a reason that drew Andy Hey to John Deere products.
“Being a dairy farmer myself, I have high expectations around the quality and pace of work we provide and know we must be as productive as possible,” he explains. “We turned to John Deere balers as they have been consistent and reliable.”
In October last year the silage and hay equipment line-up was boosted by the arrival MARK DANIEL This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. of a John Deere V451R Variable Chamber Baler to complement the 960 Variable Round Baler already in the field.
Featuring a 2.2m wide feeding system and a high-capacity rotor, with a 480 mm diameter converging auger, the V451R is said to be capable of producing more than a bale a minute – a level of production Hey says is “exactly where we need to be”.
Durability is also important as the Taranaki dairy sector sprawls across a range of land types, from rolling and steep hill country to peaty loams.
“We have found our balers can follow the ground quite easily and required very little maintenance in terms of repairs,” he adds.
Although the silage and hay equipment is parked in the shed during the off season, diversification has also been a key to the couple’s success.
This – alongside the dairy and harvesting enterprises – sees them operating a quarry to supply material for drive and raceway construction during the winter months, which keeps a fleet of five large trailers towed by John Deere tractors busy.
“We are unique in this region with our tractors, as most other suppliers use trucks, but we can get to places that are far more inaccessible,” Andy Hey explains.
Reflecting on the future, he says the key focus is a shift to enhancing the business’s productivity.
“With the machinery on board, we are aiming towards making the business stronger after many years of expansion.”
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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