Parts & Service

Colin's view

Colin Molloy runs a 420-sow piggery, along with 130 hectares of cropping and livestock, in Sheffield, Canterbury with two large effluent ponds.
Although it was the advanced hydraulics that first drew Colin to his Veenhuis Profiline 16600 litre Slurry Tanker, he is also acutely aware of the need to successfully manage environmental issues and soil fertility. The tanker enables him to recycle the nutrient-dense manure and reduce odour in one go.
His tanker injects the effluent back into the soil providing a great start for barley, wheat, and pasture and removing the nuisance normally associated with conventional “broadcast” systems.

- Veenhuis Slurry Tankers

Barry’s view

Barry Lawry farms 200 cows on 78 hectares in Te Awamutu on heavy, rolling country. In addition, he contracts and sub-contracts using his Harry West 3000 Dual Spreader. Barry credits the spreader with giving him an additional avenue into contracting. His original Harry West Spreader saw out about 20 years hard work. And he’s now bought a second. Which, as he says “must say something about them.” Barry collects mostly from weeping walls, herd homes, and separators, then spreads the nutrients back on the paddocks where they belong.

- West Dual Muck Spreader

Scott's View

Scott Croft farms 250 ha of crops, 650 Perendale sheep, and Angus cattle in heavy country at Lakeside, Canterbury. His crops include wheat, barley and grass-seed, Watties peas, and radishes.
Scott says his previous plough was simply getting a bit old for the task of turning over more than 80ha a year.
A fan of ploughing; “It’s a good way of breaking up the ground here, especially where there’s a bit of compaction”, Scott says he got his 5 furrow Agrolux from FarmChief for a demo to see what it could do. “It ended up staying here.”.
Scott says he’s had no problems with the plough and it has proved its worth, burying stubble and crop residue and giving a clean finish.

- Agrolux Ploughs

Marcus's View

Marcus Tuck farms a 400 cow dairy unit on the West Coast near Rotomanu. After 30 years in Rotorua, he moved there to be closer to family farming in the area and despite his considerable experience it meant facing a few new challenges.

On the West Coast, as Marcus points out, it takes almost no time for a creek to turn into a torrent. The resulting damage to culverts and banks on the farm can be significant, if not severe. “We lost the main culvert behind the house three times in one year, so the cows couldn’t cross to be milked.”

Before purchasing his VGM tip trailer, Marcus had a 6 ton, wood-deck tip trailer used for carting rocks. However it simply didn’t have the strength, or capacity, to effectively handle the job and the deck was getting damaged.

Marcus says the need for maintenance is at least monthly and that’s where the VGM trailer proves its worth. He’s also uses it for routine track up-keep, mostly for animal health reasons – to avoid foot problems.

In the first two weeks of owning the tip trailer, Marcus reckons he moved around 350 tons of gravel. “It’s become very handy very quickly. The jobs that needed to be done have been done.” Before that, he says, he simply didn’t have the kit.

Since moving to the West Coast, Marcus says he’s been keen to learn from neighbours, to remain humble, and to keep an open mind. “I like to listen to what they’ve got to say. It adds to your knowledge and understanding.

“It’s hard to beat a good day on the West Coast and it’s hard to beat a bad day. The next day will be brilliantly fine.”

- VGM ZK10 Tipping Trailer