Another important factor was to keep these modifications affordable. “Protecting the residual value has been achieved by fitting a bespoke guard kit to protect the tractor’s front grille, bonnet and fenders, so there’s no damage to repair when it’s time to trade the tractor in. By doing this we could prevent the farmer taking a huge hit on the trade-in value because the tractor was badly damaged or had clocked extremely high hours. “Having talked to our customers, we decided we needed to devise a plan so we could replace their scraper tractor every 12 months or 5000 hours. “In the past farmers would use worn-out or tired tractors at the end of their service life, but in large commercial dairy units these older machines are simply not suitable. “Scraper tractors need to be reliable and highly manoeuvrable,” explains Richard. Having talked to many of their customers and seen the wide variety of tractors used by farmers for handling scraper duties, the team at Battlefield decided to take a different approach to the dairy industry by offering a variety of compact Kubota models in a range of specifications, equipped with a bespoke guard kit to protect the tractor from impact and slurry damage. It’s here where the tractors are continually susceptible to accidental damage, whether this involves colliding with gates and stanchions or even damage inflicted by the cows themselves.” “The scraper tractor works in close proximity with the cows while it’s cleaning out the cubicle sheds, collecting yards and feed passages. It’s not uncommon for a typical 60hp scraper tractor to work eight or nine hours a day, which equates to around 4500 hours a year. “In our experience, we have discovered that one of the most overlooked tractors on large dairy farms is the scraper tractor. If the farm is milking three times a day that means these machines do three shifts each day, 365 days a year. “Typically, on a dairy farm of this size you expect to see a telehandler, a tractor powering a feed mixer wagon and a scraper tractor, all dedicated to the dairy unit. These herds are housed all year round, which means they must be fed and cleaned out every time they are milked. “Many of the larger dairy farms in this area are managing herds in excess of 1000 cows. “We live in an area where dairy farming is an important part of the local agricultural economy,” reports Richard. Headed by managing director Richard Evans, Battlefield Machinery is focusing its attention on the needs of the many dairy farms in this part of the country and it’s here where the Kubota brand is beginning to make a surprising impact. Shrewsbury-based Kubota dealer Battlefield Machinery Ltd has carved a niche in the compact tractor market by supplying modified Kubota tractors with bespoke guard kits.
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