Kubota tests diesel engines
Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.
A NORSEWOOD farmer whose used Kubota tractor (bought 17 years ago with five years service to its account) refuses to lie down, has relented and bought a new one.
Andrew Young is “pretty confident it’s got at least another 10 years in it,” says Kubota marketer CB Norwood Distributors.
Young still feeds out silage and hay with this tractor. “That first Kubota came with the job when I was share milking,” he says. “I got to like it because it is simple and reliable.”
Five years ago he bought his second farm, buying another second-hand Kubota, an M9580. Then he had one Kubota for the 80ha dairy farm and another for the 170ha beef farm/run-off.
He deals with tractor supplier Trevor Stephenson from Firth and Stephenson in Dannevirke. “The service has always been good and one of the reasons I got the new one was the back-up service. Trevor’s always gone the extra mile.”
The new tractor is a Kubota M110GX with 24 gears. “If you’re mowing a paddock, you have more gears to choose from and it makes it more efficient.”
The M110GX does the mowing, baling and direct drilling of crops. It came with a Kubota loader, designed and matched for the tractor.
The size of the new cab was important. “It’s the biggest cab in its class and it has the option of an instructor’s seat.” Young’s son Jacob (10), who loves tractors, gets to sit there.
“It’s also got a quiet cab…. You can hardly hear it running and you can easily hold a conversation in it.”
“At Central District Field Days I hopped into other brands of tractors and none were better for the size and visibility.”
Power and stability is said to impress Young. “It’s well balanced. I did some topping two to three months ago and on steep slopes the traction was good.”
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
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Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.