Archive, Features

Hay exporter selects Massey Ferguson

The Field family’s new Massey Ferguson windrower and 2270XD large square baler combo is cutting mowing time and adding 100kg to every bale.

Chris Field and wife Angela run their own farm, Chrisela Estate, while also managing the cropping and baling operation on Chris’s parent’s farm, Garvan Park.

In total, Chris and Angela look after 10,000 acres – 4000 acres at Avoca, Victoria, and 6000 acres about 90km to the north at Cope Cope, near Donald.

They grow oaten hay, lentils, beans, canola, vetch, hay, wheat, barley and oats.

“Dad and I combine our resources during the busy sowing and harvesting times, but we run two separate farming enterprises,” Chris says. “Dad owns the mower and I own the baler.”

Chris’s dad John purchased the MF WR9770 windrower, with a 16-foot MF 9196 mower conditioner front and 30-foot MF 5200 draper front, in September last year.

They hadn’t had a Massey Ferguson mower conditioner before and they chose it mainly for its TwinMax conditioning system.

“We did a lot of research and read a lot about people who had bought it and liked it,” Chris says.

“The TwinMax conditioning system is why we went for the Massey Ferguson. It has hydraulic pressure on the roller; this is far better than others we looked at, which use springs.

“You can alter the pressure quite easily just by turning a dial. We do a lot of export hay, so it’s also got our curing time down.”

The new mower is considerably quicker than their previous self-propelled mower conditioner.

“With the TwinMax conditioning system, I reckon this Massey Ferguson mower makes us at least a week quicker than our previous machine. I know the season is different this year, but it’s a lot quicker,” Chris says.

“We’re very happy with it. It has cab suspension, rear suspension and horsepower. It’s a great machine.

“The autosteer holds really well; the autosteer on our old machine was always dropping out, but the Massey Ferguson never drops out and is as straight as a die.

“It’s comfortable to sit in and quiet. You don’t have to have the engine revving all the time; you can idle it back a bit.

“We’re really impressed with the machine and it has ended up being a lot better than I thought it was going to be.”

Chris bought the new MF 2270 XD large square baler at the same time and is equally impressed with it. He previously had MF 2170 and MF 187 balers.

“I usually keep my balers for about four years, and I was looking for another baler. We liked the high density of the new 2270 XD, and the speed, which is faster than the 2170,” he says.

“Compared to the 2170 I’m averaging up to 100kg a bale more with the new baler. I can’t load the truck up now because it’s overweight.”

Chris’s new 2270XD is also fitted with five knives across the chamber for chopping oaten hay.

“Oaten hay grows four- to six-foot high and the dairies want it chopped slightly so the cows aren’t pulling out big pieces of hay,” he says

“I think that’s also probably made a lot better bales, as the shape of the bales in this baler is a lot better than we’ve ever had. It is a very neat-shaped, square bale.”

Chris made about 6000 bales last season with the MF 2270 XD baler, which he says is simple and easy to operate.

Find Massey Ferguson self-propelled windrowers for sale

Send this to a friend