“Standing time” is a very ugly word that any farmer would rather never use. Unfortunately, ordinary tractors and ordinary service can sometimes force that nasty word on a farmer unsolicited. It has already happened at GC Boerdery near Dendron that some of the ordinary tractors are out of action for up to a month while parts are being waited for.
This is one of the reasons why Nicky Prinsloo from GC Boerdery was looking for new horsepower and service. He read in ProAgri that the Finnish Valtra tractor has twice been named Tractor of the Year and went to NAMPO last year to look at the different choices. “We decided to first buy a smaller tractor that we can use for a wide variety of tasks on the farm,” says Nicky.
A beautiful red Valtra A95 of 74.5 kW recently made its appearance on the farm and so far exceeded Nicky’s wildest expectations: “He has now worked about 500 hours and uses a third less diesel than other tractors in the same class. ”
The farm’s main industry is potatoes and there is also a large cattle and game branch, with associated feed production. The A95 is used for everything from soil preparation to removing and feeding potatoes. Nicky says the Valtra drags and lifts the 4-shear, 560mm plow they use with ease. The tractor is also used to help remove potatoes.
From June to December, ten hectares of potatoes are harvested every week and the A95 has no problem hauling the potato trailers out of the country. The tractor can also be used for hoeing, because he stands tall and Nicky and his family have narrow tires fitted for him (13.6 / 38) so that he can work in the fields without damaging the plants.
Furthermore, the tractor is used to tow the toll cutter and baler and also to cut sorghum for feed. Nicky says it is a delicious mid-range tractor that can be used anywhere on the farm. Nicky can’t get enough of Valtrac’s legendary service either. He says the tractor was damaged on the ship and shortly after the A95 was unloaded on the farm, they could see there was something wrong with the gears.
“Those guys from Paris provide excellent service. They brought us another tractor so that the work could continue unabated and our tractor was perfectly repaired. There has not been a problem again. ”
One of the large belies in the T-series was also tested on the farm and its fuel consumption was 14 liters per hour compared to a comparable ordinary tractor’s 25 liters.
This is what the A95 looks like
The A-Series from Valtra offers farmers in South Africa reliable, proven power together with modern power transmission technology. Nicky’s tractor has 16 forward and 8 reverse gears that are fully synchronized and ideal for towing. There is also a gear option of 12 forward and 12 reverse gears if you have more utility for slow crawling. The tractor is four-wheel drive with a turbocharged AGCO Power engine with intercooling. The A95’s engine produces 74.5 kW.
Nicky says the tractor is easy to understand and convenient for the operator. The flat floor makes getting in and out easy and there is no chance that you can burn yourself against a hot engine. The levers are comfortable under your right hand and if you want you can make yourself comfortable with the elbow on the mudguard for a good day’s work. The integrated fuel tank means that the tractor has good ground clearance to be used in vegetable fields as well.
The A95 has a two-speed power take-off and Nicky says it means you do not have to work at high engine speeds. The hydraulic power take-off is strong enough to power even low-engine revolutions, such as the baler, with the result that less diesel is swallowed.
The three-point linkage can lift 3.2 tons and is therefore particularly useful for heavy-duty lifting. The A95 can also be equipped with a front power take-off and lifts. One of the unique features of Valtra is that you can choose the color of your tractor. Nicky has a metallic red tractor…. “Oh so little sentiment, because the good old Volvo tractors were red mos”
Become part of the Valtrac family and get 110% service. Contact Attie de Villiers at 083-261-9863, 056-817-8006 or attiedev@valtrac.co.za. Also visit www.valtrac.co.za for more information.