Stihl Launches BT140, Its First Battery-Powered Auger
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
Most rural properties wouldn’t be without a chainsaw, so it’s fitting to celebrate the centenary of Andreas Stihl inventing the first portable chainsaw in a Stuttgart workshop in 1926.
To mark such a significant date, the family-owned company will pay tribute by launching a centennial edition of the world’s first mass-produced petrol chainsaw with electronically controlled fuel injection –the MS 500i.
The special edition model will be available to buy later in the year from selected dealers, sporting a black design and centenary detailing, with a power-to-weight ratio of 1.24kg/kW.
Having started with chainsaws, the Stihl range has expanded to include hedge and grass trimmers, multitools, pressure washers, construction tools, lawn mowers, lawn tractors and robotic mowers.
Based in Germany, the company employs over 19,000 people worldwide, selling its products in more than 160 countries globally.
“Any company that reaches the grand old age of 100 hasn’t got there by relying on tradition alone,” said Dr Nikolas Stihl, chairman of the Stihl supervisory board and advisory board.
“Our anniversary is not just a time to look back, but also a moment to recognise the strength that comes from our combination of heritage, engineering expertise, and the courage to innovate."
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.