Thursday, 15 November 2018 13:29

One tractor keeps cropping farm on track

Written by  Mark Daniel
Ross and Averill Smart have relied on Deutz Fahr tractors to help run their Mid Canterbury cropping farm for the past 35 years. Ross and Averill Smart have relied on Deutz Fahr tractors to help run their Mid Canterbury cropping farm for the past 35 years.

Ross and Averill Smart have relied on Deutz Fahr tractors to help run their Mid Canterbury cropping farm for the past 35 years.

The Smarts farm on the flat land of Mid Canterbury between Rakaia and Methven. 

The 171ha irrigated farm grows wheat, barley, peas for processing, grass, white clover seed and potatoes on contract. The crops are grown 50:50 — contracted and open market. 

During autumn/winter the farm fattens about 2200 lambs that arrive after harvest and are all gone by September.

The Smart family, third-generation farmers, arrived there in 1981 and by 1983 Smart had bought his first Deutz Fahr. This air-cooled, 5-cylinder DX 85 still does active service, mostly light duties such as powering an auger at harvest time.

Today’s main workhorse is a DF 6165RC that arrived in September 2017 to replace a M600 and now shows 600 hours use. The 171hp machine pulls a 7.2m, 50 spring tine Sunshine cultivator, a 24-run disc drill, a Kverneland 6-furrow Vari-Width plough over the potato ground and a 10-disc KV mower in the grass seed operation. 

“The tractor has a little more power than we probably need,” Smart says of its having replaced the 140hp M600. “But our philosophy is to have one tractor capable of all the jobs on the farm.”

The tractor bears stunning modern design by Giugiaro of Italy and the latest technology from Germany. The 6-cylinder Deutz engine meets Tier 4 (final) emissions regulations, and achieves industry-leading fuel consumption, constant power from 2100 to 1600rpm and – importantly – constant torque from 1900 down to 1100 engine revs. 

The RC-designation offers a transmission with five main speeds and six powershift steps, with varying degrees of control from manual, through semi-automatic to fully automatic operation of speeds and powershift steps, dependent on pre-set speed and engine load. 

Add to this a long-travel front suspension set-up with anti-rise and anti-dive, 50km/h capability and a suspended cabin and this is really a great package.

“Many older farmers claim that tractors are getting too complicated and high-tech,” Smart says. “The 6165 offers the best of both worlds; whether you choose to use the automation or control the tractor manually, either way it’s easy to use.”

He has proven this: once shown how to use the headland management functions he soon used them. So much so that he is now speaking to the dealer to retro-fit an auto-steering system to further improve productivity.

Smart succinctly sums up the choice of Deutz Fahr: “It was an easy choice; we’ve had Deutz on the farm since 1983. They perform extremely well and are well supported by a great team at our local dealer Power Farming Ashburton and nationally by Power Farming NZ.”

More like this

European tractor registrations down

A total of 108,800 tractors were registered across Europe in the first six months of 2022, with 31,900 tractors of 37kW (50 hp) and under and 76,900 of 38kW and above.

Cruise control with new Deutz RV-Shift options

As part of the recently announced Deutz Fahr 6C Series tractors, the RV Shift version takes up an interesting position between the conventional semi-powershift models and the top-of-the-range variable TTV offers.

New Warriors set to hit NZ shores

Deutz-Fahr's fourth generation of high horsepower, professional series tractors are being released to international markets, with arrival in New Zealand scheduled for the second half of 2022 or early 2023.

Shipping delays won't stop Fieldays presence

Although the New Zealand release of several new tractor product lines have had to be pushed back to later in the year because of shipping delays, a wide range of Deutz-Fahr tractors will still be on site at Fieldays.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Govt urged to reduce ETS units

The Climate Change Commission wants the new Government to reduce NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction volumes as son as…

Dairy sheep, goat woes mount

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand…

Machinery & Products

All-terrain fert spreading mode

Effluent specialists the Samson Group have developed a new double unloading system to help optimise uphill and downhill organic fertiliser…

Can-Am showcases range

Based on industry data collected by the Motor Industry Association, Can-Am is the number one side-by-side manufacturer in New Zealand.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Papal visit

OPINION: European farmers are going to extreme lengths to have their message heard.

Thai egg tarts

OPINION: The hustle and bustle of one of Bangkok's most popular fast food outlets may feel a world away from…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter