It grows 120ha of potatoes, 70ha carrots, 20ha process peas, 170ha ryegrass for seed, 130ha milling wheat and 130ha feed barley. "We also fatten 10,000 lambs each year," says co-owner Chris Judd.
Westacre Farm Ltd is on land owned by the Judd family since the late-1800s. They have long preferred Massey Ferguson.
Chris Judd says he expects the Topcon System 150 automatic steering to boost efficiency and productivity – especially the potato and carrot cropping.
"We got the MF 8650 in September and it went straight to forming beds for potatoes and carrots... the most important part of the operation, where we need accuracy. Using the Topcon system, during later passes with the planter and other implements, we can follow the original beds.
"When we got the new tractor we budgeted on using it for 1200 hours a year. By early January we were up to 700 hours."
The MF 8650 was factory fitted for auto steering. The Topcon system was installed by local AGCO dealer JJ Ltd, Christchurch. It uses the Omnistar HP correction signal.
Hamish Friedman drives for Chris Judd on the farm and in summer manages Judd's contracting operation, Hawkins River Contracting, run with business partner Dwayne Molloy, doing mostly big square bales. It employs six at peak season.
Experienced with other brands of auto steering, Friedman had not used a Topcon system before, but finds it "very good... accurate, and you can get down to 3.0cm differential so it's spot on."
"The Topcon system is also user friendly. The screen is self-explanatory and easy to follow. After you've done it once, you can use it pretty easily."
The Topcon system has on-screen visual aids and coverage maps. It offers a range of guidance patterns including boundary and U-turn recognition, facilitating turns and locking on to the next swath.
Light and portable, it is simple to move from vehicle to vehicle. It allows the operator to set up configurations for front or rear implements and single or double-trailed hitch points.
Friedman describes the MF 8650 as "more advanced" than others he's driven, "easy to use and with driver comfort second-to-none [because of] good suspension.... It's a good solid tractor; we do a lot of hill work and it's stable."
The Massey Ferguson 8650 is powered by a 6-cylinder AGCO Sisu Power engine driving through Dyna-VT transmission.
Chris Judd says he likes the tractor's Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) engine – "very efficient on fuel for a tractor of its size" – and its 53km/h transmission, good for travelling for contracting.
"We operate from the coast to the mountains between the Rakaia and the Waimakariri Rivers, and we do a bit north of the Waimakariri as well. We tow all the grass gear with the tractors so the ability to do 50km/hour is good."
Tel. 0272 708 027
www.fendt.com.au
