Victorian farmer Nick Brain is already reaping the benefits of having a complete lighting package from Wattz on his tractor
One of the English language’s most famous idioms is that ‘the early bird gets the worm’.
That logic can also apply to farming, where early adopters of new products and technology are able to experience its benefits sooner than others who prefer to sit back and observe initially.
For Victorian farmer Nick Brain, who is based near Lake Bolac in the state’s southwest, choosing to be an early bird is now something which will not carry the impediment of needing to work in challenging light conditions.
Brain is one of the first farmers in Australia to have a full set of new lights from Wattz, a company which recently launched with a suite of products designed to considerably increase the quality of lighting output available for farmers compared to factory-fitted options.
Brain uses a 2014 Claas tractor on his farm and has had all its factory lights replaced with a package from Wattz.
His endorsement of the replacements is as glowing as the lights themselves.
“They’ve been unreal,” he says.
“Compared to what the tractor had, it’s chalk and cheese. You can’t compare how good the new ones are compared to the old ones.
“There is a massive contrast in the difference – it’s ridiculous actually.”
Fresh perspective
The complete fit out involved replacing lights at the front of the tractor, roof line at both the front and back, in front of the grille, mud guards at the back, and on the steps on each side of the tractor.
It was an extensive replacement of the light package, and one which Brain is already thankful for.
By adding more powerful lights to the tractor, it firstly enables work to be done earlier in the morning or late at night, while also allowing operators to have increased safety and comfort thanks to the superior vision.
“You’re also not straining your eyes with these new lights,” Brain says.
“Everyone finds if your lights are a bit dim, then as the day starts to drag on, you seem to get tired quite quickly.
“I think it just gives you so much better awareness of what’s going on as well because with the lights we had, you couldn’t see out the side very far when it is dark.
“You could see ahead and at the back, but you couldn’t see out the side so it’s nice to have much better vision all the way around the tractor.
“This also means we’re able to keep an eye on everything a lot better.
“We haven’t done a heap of night work with the new lights as of yet, but the little bit we have done has been bloody good.”
Here to stay
Like Brain, Wattz founder Andre Meyer is a Victorian farmer.
He understands what Australian farmers need and started the company earlier this year after spotting a gap in the market for high-quality LED machinery lights.
They are designed as a ‘plug and play’ solution for farmers which are easy to install and can significantly increase the standard brightness available by up to 400 per cent.
The company also has the backing of experienced European manufacturer Crawer, whose products form the core of Wattz’s range.
Wattz’s development team – which includes Meyer in a hands-on role – is made up of farmers who understand the real-world needs of those working in the machinery it caters for.
Tractors and harvesters are the machines where Meyer expects the lights to be most popular, however Wattz can also supply lights for other products such as sprayers and implements.
Tailored lights are available for not only an extensive list of brands, but also for specific models within them.
This means a farmer can purchase a set of lights from Wattz knowing it will be perfectly suited to their individual machine, fitting into the pre-existing brackets and not significantly alter the factory look.
Wattz’s website also includes a 3D Configurator where farmers can select their machine model and be guided as to which products are most suited.
Connecting farmers with their ideal product and making them simple to install and operate is a large part of Wattz’s philosophy, but this is also backed up by ensuring its lights are durable enough to handle Australia’s tough conditions.
Special coverings on its sprayer lights protect them from the chemicals involved in spraying, Meyer says, while the chips in all Wattz lights are CISPR Class 4 or higher which eliminates the chance of radio interference.
Plenty of science has gone into the design of each light as well, Meyer says, with multiple beam angle options available to enable farmers to have something which suits their priorities.
These options include having better visibility around the side of the tractor – as Brain does – or being able to see further into the distance for jobs such as mowing.
Meyer also says the Wattz light packages are designed to be affordable.
He cites one example from a quote he received for upgrading a tractor’s standard halogen to LED while previously working as a farm manager, adding that Wattz can provide “much better lights for half the price” compared to what was available then.
Building rapport
The initial meeting between Brain and Meyer occurred by chance.
Brain describes himself as a fairly active user of Facebook groups devoted to cropping and received a “random message” one day from Meyer.
“He just sent me a message out of the blue saying who he was and what he was going to do with Wattz – that’s how it all started,” Brain says.
That initial message, which also shows the power of networking within Australia’s agricultural community, resulted in Brain’s Claas tractor being fitted out with the complete Wattz lighting package.
While Wattz may still be a new player in the Australian market, they already have at least one dyed-in-the-wool fan in Brain.
He says he intends to get his other machines kitted out with Wattz lighting packages, based on both the quality of product and his customer experience.
“Andre is just a great guy as well – some people who you run into are not genuine but he’s just one of those genuinely good fellas,” Brain says.
“It was just so easy to deal with him and communicate with him.
“Once I met him, I thought ‘I hope this goes well for him’ because he’s just a really nice guy and he’s trying to do something good.
“I’m definitely going to order another set of lights for my sprayer and I would order a set for my telehandler as well – no questions asked.”
The full range of Wattz products, along with its 3D Configurator, can be viewed online at www.wattz.com.au
