A quality product supported by a passionate advocate has JBS manure spreaders ready to grow its Australian presence
The passion that Jim Ryan has for JBS manure spreaders is infectious.
Where some distributors might adopt a cautious approach to introducing a new product to Australia, slowly testing it in the market, Ryan knows he has a quality machine to sell and is keen for local farmers to see it for themselves.
Ryan is the product and sales specialist for Parkes-based Atlas Ag, which is the Australian partner for JBS manure spreaders.
Atlas Ag, which is also the distribution business of eastern states dealership group AEH Group, first introduced the spreaders to the Australian market about a year ago.
Ryan says the product evolution overseas has him excited about the impact they can have on the Australian market.
“It is probably one of the best designed spreaders on the market,” he says.
Available in both tandem and tridem axle models with capacities ranging from 11 to 58 tonnes, JBS manure spreaders
offer flexibility and adaptability to suit a variety of farming operations.
Broadly speaking, the JBS range begins with the M-Series, which is a compact unit designed for smaller operators, right up to the wide body units which reach the 58 tonne mark and which suit large-scale broadacre farmers, along with contractors.
There is also the mid-sized E-Series, which is one model within this range that Ryan expects to be a “game changer” for both farmers and contractors.
Part of the E-Series, the newly released wide body 3048 spreader has a 30 tonne capacity, a considerable upgrade on its “little brother” which holds 22 tonnes, and which Ryan describes as a “no brainer” upgrade.
“Everyone is chasing big volume, and this one is still the same size machine – just a bit longer at 30 foot long, rather than 22 foot long – but which carts more, which is what the contractors want,” he says.
“That seems to be the golden figure and is designed for that market.
“This has only just been released in Canada and there’s a couple coming for Western Australia and then we’ve got some coming for the east coast.”
Offering a range of sizes means farmers and contractors can find something perfectly suited to their needs, but this is not the only reason that Ryan is such a passionate advocate for JBS spreaders.
One impressive feature they offer is interchangeable beaters.
Designed to handle a wide range of materials, from heavy manure through to lime, this flexibility allows farmers to efficiently spread different types of materials based on their specific needs.
This ties in well with the versatility of the spreader and its ability to be adjusted into several configurations, effectively giving users multiple machines in one.
“We can take the back off and use it for a gravel trailer, we can put a set of hungry boards on and make it a forage trailer,” Ryan says.
“The big thing is the interchangeable beaters to transfer it to a forage wagon. We just take the back off, lift it up and tip into your pit and it just feeds out the back on your chain.
“It’s just the versatility of them – there’s nothing else out there like these.”
These interchangeable JBS beaters are available as a Vertimax attachment, or the optional Hurricane attachment.
The Hurricane offers two horizontal beaters in narrow body setups and three horizontal beaters on the wide body units.
On the Hurricane, the rear gate is adjustable, which JBS says allows for a more consistent spread, even in windy environments.
Driven by gearboxes, which help to reduce overall maintenance, the Hurricane attachment can spread as little as two tonnes per acre.
The Hurricane is ideally suited to lighter and low-moisture materials, while Ryan says a combination means farmers are covered for all options.
“If it’s light material, you go with your Hurricane. If it’s big, heavy material, then you go with your vertical beaters,” he says.
“Hurricane probably gets a more of your pig and chicken manures, and really fine cow manure, but your vertical beaters will get you out of trouble if there’s a bit of rock or rubbish as it can get rid of it.”
Another area in which JBS spreaders excel is through their robust construction – with quality, reliability and versatility being the three words which Ryan uses when summing up the spreaders.
“We’ve got machines that are five or six years old over in the United States just running around getting absolutely hammered,” he says.
“We don’t have any floors rot out and you can just clean them up and they look like new.”
While Ryan jokes their long-lasting nature might be “terrible for repeat business”, he has no doubt that farmers and contractors will want to keep adding to their fleets once they have used them.
“Once our contractors start getting the taste of them, I can guarantee they won’t stop,” he says.
“We’re not the cheapest, but we’re the best. If people are paying good money, they want good gear.
“That’s what Atlas Ag offers all across our range and I’m passionate about them.”
JBS spreaders are sold through Atlas Ag and are available at all 14 AEH Group branches across the eastern states.
With stock on hand and hire to buy programs, contact Jim today or visit www.atlasag.com.au or www.aehgroup.net.au