Friday, 03 June 2022 13:55

Legen-dairy Kubota tractors

Written by  Mark Daniel
Reporoa farmer Alastair Neville says Kubota tractors have enabled him to run bigger, more efficient equipment on the farm. Reporoa farmer Alastair Neville says Kubota tractors have enabled him to run bigger, more efficient equipment on the farm.

Alastair Neville is a third-generation dairy farmer, at Reporoa in the central North Island, running the family’s 320-cow operation.

Over the past five years, Neville has transitioned from a traditional spring calving to a 100% autumn high input system.

Like any high-output system, a range of tractors and machinery is required, but for the last 40 years, since their first purchase in 1982, the Nevilles have relied on Kubota for tractors, owning 13 different examples over that time. Currently the operation uses four Kubota tractors, including a 2004 M110, 2006 L5030, 2013 M126GX and a 2021 M7152.

Neville says the business needs reliable machines that pull their weight, to avoid any production related interruptions.

“Despite the increased demands placed on us by the switch to autumn calving, our Kubota tractors have always kept up,” he says.

A high input system requires different machines and tractors to be running daily at different times of the year. Between February and September, a mixer wagon pulled by the Kubota M7152 plays a key role in producing a mixed ration for the feed pad.

Neville says that Kubota tractors have enabled him to run bigger, more efficient equipment on the farm and allowed him to take on larger projects.

“As well as being able to take on larger jobs such as cultivation, general farm work and harvesting, our Kubota tractors have been nimble and compact too, with the ability to get into tighter spaces,” he says.

Of particular interest, Neville feels confident that whoever works on the farm will feel comfortable from the moment they are in the cab, with clear key operating controls, a logical layout and easily accessible service points, making them user friendly and safe.

“Kubota machines stand out because they are simple and reliable. There aren’t any fancy tricks with our tractors, they’re simple to start, easy to put it into gear and just get on with the work,” Neville said.

Having recently been through the exercise of buying an extra machine for the operation, the Nevilles looked at four other competing tractor brands.

“Knowing how reliable Kubota machines are, with excellent components and build quality, it was really a no brainer to choose Kubota again.

“We have continually purchased Kubota tractors because of excellent service and back up, so mixed with quality of construction, comfort and evolving technology, they really stand apart and get the jobs done efficiently, without costing you a bomb.”

More like this

LDV unveils all-new Terron 9 Elite ute

As if there wasn’t enough choice in the New Zealand ute market, LDV New Zealand is expanding its offering, by showcasing the all-new Terron 9 Elite at Fieldays.

John Deere acquires Sentera to boost smart farming capabilities

While tractors combines and machinery for agriculture and construction is still its key business, John Deere appears to be taking opportunities in the hightech sector via acquisition, with the recent purchase of Sentera, a Minnesota-based company that specialises in equipment for capturing and interpreting aerial images.

Fendt 600 Vario Series arrives in NZ

Released in New Zealand earlier in the year, the new Fendt 600 Vario series, serving the 150-200hp category, is a compact and manoeuvrable 4-cylinder tractor with high performance and payload, at a low power-to-weight ratio.

Featured

National

Machinery & Products

Farming smarter with technology

The National Fieldays is an annual fixture in the farming calendar: it draws in thousands of farmers, contractors, and industry…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

110,000 visitors!

OPINION: It's official, Fieldays 2025 clocked 110,000 visitors over the four days.

Sticky situation

OPINION: The Federated Farmers rural advocacy hub at Fieldays has been touted as a great success.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter