Hay tools
Ten out of ten The new Dieci Agri Plus telehandlers makes light work of heavy hay operations for a major Australian fodder exporter Adding the Dieci Agri Plus 42.7 to its fleet of telehandlers has helped to change the game for Hay Australia, a large-scale exporter of highquality fodder. While operations manager Geoff Walker says the business has been using Dieci telehandlers for about four years, a recent decision to buy two of the new models is already paying off in terms of productivity and reliability. “We sell about 140,000 tonnes of fodder, mostly oaten hay, each year through sites in WA and Victoria,” he says. “We are constantly moving hay around the sites, from delivery to dispatch to the plant, and it’s all done by telehandlers. These machines run 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they clock up 2,500 hours per year. “Dieci is the best brand of a number we have tried.” Before buying the two new models, Walker bought a 40.7 Dieci telehandler, even though he knew it was probably not the ideal size for his high capacity, non-stop operation. “We were still running another brand at that time, but we put the Dieci in to give it a challenge. That Dieci machine is actually still running now and has done upwards of 6,000 hours!” he says. The two Agri Plus 42.7 models are both based in Victoria, where the original smaller Dieci is still hard at work. “The 40.7 with power shift is an excellent machine that will meet most farmers’ needs, but the hydrostatic single speed Vario Evo 2 in the 42.7 Agri Plus is just ideal in an around the clock production facility,” he says. “It’s like an auto transmission. Put your foot down and it drives. It also has a comfortable cab, which really matters when you are asking an operator to sit in there for a long period of time. They need space and good air-con because there’s a lot of glass and Dieci has the best air-con I have come across.” Hay Australia bought the new telehandlers with Dieci’s Haymaster specifications, adds Walker. “The Haymaster has a side shift on the boom and it’s surprising how often we use it. It lets you shift the carriage side to side to tightly pack the load. If you lift up and realise a bale on the front needs to move left or right, you can do so in small increments without having to move the whole machine. It takes some getting used to but once operators learn to use it, they love it.”
As in most businesses, time is money for Hay Australia, and breakdowns can get very costly, very fast. “Dieci’s reliability really has been excellent, but the reality is, every brand has breakdowns. It costs a lot when a machine is down. For us, losing the opportunity to do a couple of containers could cost $20,000 in cashflow, plus we’re paying wages to people who are just waiting around as we’re unable to load trucks coming in from farmers. It all just snowballs. “It really comes down to your dealership and their response time, their ability to carry spare parts and their knowledge of the machines. Farm & Diesel near Bendigo is our dealer and they have really looked after us. If we have a problem, they have always had us back up and running within a day. “We wholly and solely rely on Farm & Diesel to look after us. A good relationship with the dealer is paramount.” Hay Australia sells into Asian and Middle Eastern markets, servicing customers with high quality fodder for their equine, dairy and beef operations. “It’s critical to our business that we have the logistical and processing capabilities to handle large volumes, so we can minimise risk and maximise
Hay Australia chooses Dieci for its Victorian operations because the product is unbeatable and the backing of local dealership Farm & Diesel is exceptional, it says
returns for both growers and customers,” says Walker. “Choosing the right equipment and creating relationships with the dealership are an important part of being able to deliver on our promise of quality and reliability.” About the new Dieci Agri Plus 42.7: • Maximum load 4,200 kg • Maximum lift height 6.9m • Maximum forward reach 3.75m • 230 litre/min hydraulic oil flow • Peak power 153 hp (114kW) • Maximum road speed 40 km/h • Boom suspension and 460/70 R24 traction tyres • Four driving modes, changed via an easy-to-read and LED screen • Revamped cab with suspension seat, adjustable steering column and armrest, sound damping and more.
The new Dieci Agri Plus 42.7
34 Farms & Farm Machinery
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26/8/21 5:23 pm
