Dieci's Agri Plus 42.7 telehandlers are the latest machine on the job for fodder exporter Hay Australia.
 |
| Hay Australia chooses Dieci for its Victorian operations because the product is unbeatable and the backing of local dealership Farm & Diesel is exceptional. |
 |
The business – which has been using Dieci telehandlers for four years – recently upgraded its fleet with two new Dieci Agri Plus 42.7 telehandler after being impressed with a previous Dieci 40.7 machine.
“We were still running another brand at that time, but we put the Dieci (40.7) in to give it a challenge,” Hay Australia operations manager Geoff Walker says. “That Dieci machine is actually still running now and has done upwards of 6,000 hours.”
A considerable operation, Hay Australia sells about 140,000 tonnes of fodder – mostly oaten hay –each year through sites in WA and Victoria.
“We are constantly moving hay around the sites, from delivery to dispatch to the plant, and it’s all done by telehandlers,” Walker says. “These machines run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and they clock up 2,500 hours per year,” he adds. “Dieci is the best brand of a number we have tried.”
A key feature that Hay Australia has been impressed with is the Dieci’a power shift transmission.
.jpg) |
“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,” Walker 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,” he adds. “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’s two new 42.7 Agri Plus machines in the specialist Haymaster model are based at their Victoria operation.
“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,” Walker adds. “If you lift up and realize 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.”
Hay Australia’s local dealership Farm & Diesel near Bendigo (who the machines were bought through) acts as an extension of their business.
“Dieci’s reliability has been excellent, but the reality is, every brand has breakdowns. It costs a lot when a machine is down,” Walker says. “For us, losing the opportunity to do a couple of containers could cost $20,000 in cash flow.
“It really comes down to your dealership and their response time, their ability to carry spare parts and their knowledge of the machines,” Walker adds.
Key Specs 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
- Maximum road speed 40 kph
- 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.