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Richard Clapperton, Agri-Centre South and Martin Gray, Stoll NZ with the popular loader.
New Zealand farmers seem to have a love affair with front-end loaders, particularly in comparison to their European counterparts who around the 100hp mark switch their allegiance to more specialised telehandlers.
When it comes to buying a new tractor, the current system usually sees the tractor being delivered to the local dealership, where it gets its pre-delivery checks, then it gets a loader fitted, which dependent on size might take between six and sixteen hours.
A new initiative from Case IH NZ sees the availability of ‘loader ready” options in the Farmall U, Farmall C and Maxxum 4 and 6-cylinder models right up to 160hp. Loader-ready means that while the tractor is being built at the factory, key loader component such as sub-frames, hydraulic and electrical lines, and loader joysticks, are incorporated into the build.
When the new tractor arrives at the local dealership, the business can complete the standard pdi, then fit a new loader boom from stock, thereby saving time, knowing the loader is fitted to the manufacturers specifications, and covered as part of the tractor for warranty purposes.
From a dealership perspective, the loader ready option is also a bonus, by saving time, and meaning that a new tractor doesn’t have to be partially dismantled to fit the loader subframes or hydraulic lines. The option is delivered with German manufacturer Stoll, which works with Case IH to optimise their products to fit the tractors. Once in NZ, colour matched Stoll LRZ loader booms are fitted in a range of sizes to suit the power available.
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