Tractor choice: ‘Buy right machine for the job and work it hard’

When new tractors arrive at Andrew Reed’s Northumberland farm, they are made to work hard in their early years to justify the outlay. It is a mantra that has offered flexibility throughout his fleet and a selection of tractors that are suited to their roles.

“I believe in buying the right machine for the job and working it hard when we get it. This not only takes some pressure off current frontline machinery, but makes the best use of the investment,” says Andrew, who farms at East Ancroft, near Berwick-on-Tweed.

The farm has a history of running Massey Ferguson tractors now purchased through dealer ScotAgri. With a busy workload totalling more than 800 hectares of arable crops, and tight weather windows to contend with, reliability at peak times is essential.

Andrew Reed of Berwick-on-Tweed

The arable work is spread across five main tractors, with the current fleet’s flagship MF 8690 Dyna-VT used for cultivations and ploughing. The newest addition is an MF 8S.265 Dyna E-power that runs the baler in the summer along with ploughing. Drilling is handled by a MF 7726 that powers a four-metre combination drill, while the MF 6499 handles pressing work, rolling and fertiliser spreading. An MF 7718 takes care of the trailed SK Atlas sprayer. Smaller machines in the fleet include an MF 6480, MF 698, an MF 135 and a grey Fergie.

Working tractors hard when they first arrive, and through to 3,000 hours, is essential for reliability and is something that Andrew learnt from his grandfather. He says: “I think it helps to bed a new tractor in by giving it a heavy workload during the first few thousand hours. We iron out any early issues and the engine is broken in well and made to work.”

The frontline machines will cover about 800 hours per year with the workload tailing off for the smaller machines. Regularly investing in new machinery is not only key to keeping reliable machinery in the fleet but keeps good operators interested in the work and provides new challenges.

Grey Fergie and MF 135 are smaller machines in the fleet

He says: “New machinery shows that we are investing in our farm and our employees, who are essential. It is hard to employ new staff in our area so when we have reliable people who look after our machines, it is in my best interests to keep them.”

Machinery is maintained in-house as much as possible with only larger jobs being sent to the dealer. Andrew is also a believer in keeping jobs such as fertiliser spreading away from new machinery as corrosive jobs such as this will only shorten the life of some components and cause issues.

Part of the reason for staying with Massey Ferguson is that the tractors offer a good balance of value for money and spec, alongside reliability. Although simplicity is not usually a benefit associated with modern machinery, Andrew is of the opinion that too much technology and multiple different brands can lead to unnecessary confusion, especially for new operators or when switching between different tractors.

“I don’t believe enough value is put on keeping tractors simple to operate. Not every machine requires lots of technology that could end up over-complicating simple tasks,” he says

This is why only two tractors in Andrew’s fleet are equipped with GPS – the 7726 for drilling and the 8S.265 – and he believes the spec options offered in Massey’s three packages add plenty to the tractor.

Dyna VT transmissions are becoming more popular, and Andrew says the ease of operation means they are now an operator preference for some jobs. “The Dyna-VT tractors are more suited to jobs such as drilling as the operator has greater control over speed adjustments.”

Andrew says his next 8S will arrive with a Dyna-VT gearbox as it will replace the current drilling tractor – the 7726. This will also provide cover for several other jobs on the farm and allow the main workload to be spread.