Purchasing two McCormick tractors across different power segments has opened up new possibilities for one farmer
For New South Wales farmer Gary Olrich, the purchase of a McCormick G-Max 135 marked a step up to a horsepower level he had previously not experienced.
The 133hp (98kW) tractor was purchased from Clark Equipment alongside a 75hp S-Max 75, with the double investment in McCormick opening up new possibilities around versatility and getting jobs done quicker.
Gary has six properties totalling about 11,000 acres, which were formerly used for sheep farming but are now predominantly to run cattle.
With his properties scattered across approximately 30km near Niangala in north-eastern New South Wales, the logistics of how to move the tractor around comes into consideration as well as the work it completes.
The ability to do 35kmh in the tractor has been a “bonus”, Gary says, helping to cut down time spent travelling from one extremity of the properties to the other.
Having a more powerful unit has also enabled him to cut back on the use of contractors and take more jobs in-house, plus the financial benefits this brings.
“The G-Max has mainly been used for pasture improvement, like doing a lot of direct drilling,” Gary says.
“It has also done a bit of slashing, because we’ve got a twin rotor slasher that we use it with. Other than that, we use the forks on it for loading pallets and seed bags and that sort of thing, so there’s a bit of front end loader work but it’s mainly just dragging the seeder.”
Daily workhorse
McCormick’s G Max 135 is a mid-size utility tractor, offering what the manufacturer describes as “industry-leading innovation, cutting-edge technologies and uncompromising comfort”.
It offers a six-cylinder Iveco engine, 54 x 18 powershuttle transmission and five sets of rear hydraulic outlets which provide a 110L per minute hydraulic flow.
It is equipped with diff lock, wet disc brakes and four-wheel drive, while the front axle offers a high ground clearance and 55-degree steering angle.
These features increase traction and manoeuvrability, McCormick says, helping to improve comfort, safety and productivity.
For Gary, the additional power offered by the G-Max compared to previous tractors he has owned has made a significant difference to what can be done.
“It’s been useful because we used to predominantly rely on contractors, but we’ve got our own seeder and everything nowadays so we can just do all our own work,” he says.
“We got a stick rake manufactured for it, but we’ve got also other equipment like an excavator that we do a lot of our timber work with anyway.
“It was the first time I’ve had a tractor with that sort of horsepower range, because normally the highest we had was 90hp, so it’s good to have extra horsepower and obviously it pulls a direct drill very easily and efficiently.”
Moving to a bigger machine which can do more has also proven a labour saver, which is a challenge farmers across the country are constantly dealing with.
“You can have a few tractors but you’ve got to have enough operators to drive them all too – that’s the trouble,” he says.
“There is only four of us working all this country and all up we’ve got a skid steer and five or six different pieces of machinery, so they don’t all get used at once.
“If you’ve got a job to do, you’re going to go with a bigger machine rather than overwork a little machine.”
Double deal
While the G-Max 135 has been worked the hardest of the two newest tractors, it is not the only McCormick he purchased from Clark Equipment.
The smaller McCormick S-Max 75 was acquired as a replacement for a smaller tractor which was traded in about two years ago.
‘It was bought for my wife as a replacement for another little tractor we used to have, just for basic jobs,” Gary says.
“It does a little bit of slashing and light timber tidying up.
“It’s done some bucket work – just levelling up roads – and we’ve done a little bit of boom spraying with it as well.”
The S-Max 75 has a four-cylinder turbo engine producing 75hp (54kW) and offers a 12 x 12 shuttle transmission, two sets of rear hydraulic outlets and two-speed PTO.
A fully enclosed and air-conditioned cabin ensures operator comfort.
McCormick says this tractor “offers unmatched value for money to the general duties farmer” and “has an excellent quality to price ratio, without losing out on components or performance”.
Top service
The value for money cited by the manufacturer was also highlighted by Gary as a major factor in his purchase.
He had never previously owned a McCormick tractor, but it was the ability to affordably step up in horsepower – along with the service provided by Australian distributor Clark Equipment and salesman Aaron Becroft – which saw him make the leap.
“The value for money was probably one of the things, with the amount of horsepower you could get for the dollars,” Gary says.
“I saw them at AgQuip, but I enquired about purchasing one about 12 months before I actually did so.
“Aaron was in the area doing something, and he called in and had a bit of a chat to us. I had prior knowledge of him and the Clark Equipment business, and did a fair bit of research on the internet, but I think the number one thing was probably value for money.”
Gary praises the ongoing service provided by Becroft, having developed the relationship over time, and says Clark have been quick to fix any minor issues which have arisen with the tractor.
“One thing I will say about Aaron particularly and the Clark team in general is their after sales service has been very good. They’ve worked as best as they possibly can,” he says.
“I’ve always had a great relationship with Aaron – he’s always back on the phone. If you ring him and you don’t get a hold of him, he’ll certainly ring you back.
“Communication has been very good and they’re efficient with what they do.
“The couple of little issues we’ve had with it have been fixed very efficiently too.
“We managed to get it back down to Heatherbrae and they did all the work still under warranty and did a service while they were there as well.
“I think it was only missing for about 10 days from when it went down there to when it come back so I thought the turnaround time was pretty quick.
“It’s only been about two years since we bought it, but I’m happy with it thus far.”
The full McCormick tractor range can be viewed at www.clarkfarmequipment.com.au