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Dylan Eaves set up Deades Handyman Services to service a growing client list in a 150km radius from his Feilding base.
'Tried and tested for more than 15 years’ was a phrase that came to mind when an ex-dairy farmer in Taranaki decided to set up a fencing business in the Manawatu and had a post rammer on the shopping list.
Dylan Eaves set up Deades Handyman Services to service a growing client list in a 150km radius from his Fielding base.
Specialising in farm fencing, post and rails, forestry gates and deer fencing, Eaves prides himself in quality work, leading to repeat business, backed by a significant investment in high-end machinery.
At the heart of the system, a Kinghitter post driver plays a huge part in the one-man operation erecting up to 1km of fencing over five days.
Combining an Expander Series machine mated to a Terminator base has helped transform the post driver from a standard rear-mounted machine to one that can now work to the side of the tractor instead. The design means that the unit can easily be swapped back to the original format if conditions or terrain demand it.
Featuring a 230kg counterweight, the Terminator set-up offers 950mm of side shift, meaning that driving beside a fence line and shifting the driver into line is easier said than done.
Looking at the Expander driver in more detail, the machine utilises a 6mm Bisalloy reinforced mast design, with a telescopic shifting between heights of 3.1 to 5m, offering the capability to drive any standard post sizes in any terrain or environment.
This includes wooded tree lines, where the mast can be lowered for ease of access, then extended once in position, for the likes of deer fencing or predator exclusion systems.
Other features include a 340kg lead-filled hammer, 300mm of mast shift and the custom designed Soft Touch system for controlled starts and finishes.
A 6-bank hydraulic valve bank incorporates a spare outlet making it easy to combine with the Terminator base. Other details include a 50mm heavy-duty post cap with nylon slides, complemented by a hydraulic top link and side-shift systems.
Eaves says he’s been running the machine for about a year now, mounted on the back of a 115hp Fendt 412 tractor, chosen for “comfort and speed on the highway between jobs, but also safety and precise positioning and control at work, by virtue of the CVT transmission”.
He also notes that the general build and durability of the Kinghitter product means that it’s been faultless, even ramming posts into rocky outcrops.
“Importantly, it’s very easy to use, has a great layout for all the tools you require in a working day and should last for a very long time,” he says.
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With the biannual Italian EIMA machinery Expo less than a month away, Case IH has taken out a Technical Evolution award for the Advanced Vehicle Suspension system available on its Optum 360–440 series tractors.
The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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