Daily workloads at Freshfields Equestrian Centre, Market Drayton, Shropshire, have
been transformed since the arrival in March 2006 of a 22hp Massey Ferguson 1523 compact tractor.
Replacing an aging farm tractor of more than twice the size and three-times the power,
the MF1523 is in action every day at the British Horse Society-approved centre, which
was established in 2000 by Tim and Rachel Bailey.
So successful has been the new tractor that Tim Bailey says that he is using it four times more often during the week than its predecessor.
“Its low weight, compact size and excellent manoeuvrability means that we can access places never contemplated before,” he said. “Apart from carrying big bales of haylage
from the feed store to the stable yard and paddocks, the MF tractor is ideal for all-year-round grassland maintenance, for yard work and for cleaning and levelling our two all-weather maneges and indoor arena. It’s like having a second pair of hands and we
wonder now how we ever managed before.”
Tim explained that he and Rachel had been considering for some time the merits of getting a smaller tractor better able to meet the demands of their equestrian centre. Situated on a six-acre site, Freshfields has 30 working ponies and horses and offers a range of equestrian activities including all-age riding instruction, practice and improvement sessions, family rides, school holiday activity days and courses in stable management.
“We began thinking seriously about a change of tractor the day a sales leaflet arrived unexpectedly in the post,” he said. “It came from Massey Ferguson dealer, R V W Pugh, who have branches at Sandbach in Cheshire and Churchstoke, near Montgomery in Powys. A week later, the mailshot was followed up by a phone call from Pugh’s area representative, Dylan Owen, who organised a demonstration for us of a Massey Ferguson compact tractor with pasture topper.”
Although they had started off with the thought of buying a pre-owned compact tractor, Tim and Rachel Bailey decided that they would best served over the long-term by going for a new model specified to their exact requirements and able to comfortably lift and move the 200kg bales of haylage made for them each year by a local contractor.
The result was the purchase of a four-wheel drive MF1523 tractor fitted with a front-end loader capable of lifting a 450kg load. Ordered at the same time were a number of tractor-matched attachments including a powered paddock sweeper, fertiliser spreader, topper mower, flat roller, grassland harrow, sprayer and a specialist leveller for the PVC/silica sand surfaces of the two maneges.
“Being quiet and unobtrusive, the tractor and loader combination is proving ideal for moving feed and materials using either its fork or bucket,” pointed out Tim Bailey. “Horses grazing out in the paddocks now associate the tractor with feeding time and actually start eating haylage off the bale before I have even off-loaded it.”
Another task that the tractor has transformed is cleaning-up the paddocks using the trailed sweeper-collector. A back-breaking job that used to take a fortnight with shovel and barrow can now be completed in a morning – with minimal effort.
“I am really pleased that we decided to go for a tractor that is absolutely right for the job,” concluded Tim Bailey. “Complemented by its attachments, the MF1523 is proving a great workhorse that is making light of many jobs that were carried out previously by hand. It’s just like having a mate working with you.”
ENDS
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About AGCO
Founded in 1990, AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AG) (www.agcocorp.com) is a global manufacturer of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. AGCO offers a full product line including tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage, tillage equipment and implements, which are distributed through more than 3,600 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. AGCO products include the following well-known brands: AGCO®, Challenger®, Fendt®, Gleaner®, Hesston®, Massey Ferguson®, New Idea®, RoGator®, Spra-Coupe®, Sunflower®, Terra-Gator®, Valtra®, and White™ Planters. AGCO provides retail financing through AGCO Finance. The company is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, and in 2005, had net sales of $5.4 billion.
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