Back in February, Gurteen Agricultural College in Co. Tipperary updated its tractor fleet for the school, having brought in five New Holland tractors to add to its range of machinery for 2017.
Agriland got in contact with the college to find out how the tractors have been performing.
The tractors, supplied by WR Shaw Ltd, the New Holland dealership based in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, consist of four upgraded models – a T6.180, T6.175, two T6.145s – and an ‘old model’ in the shape of a T6.140.
The T6.145s are also equipped with New Holland front loaders.
These tractors were brought in on a three-year lease agreement, whereby the units are replaced by a new fleet on an annual basis.
According to Ken Flynn, Farm Manager at Gurteen, the tractors have been going well, with very few problems. Apart from one valve that needed to be replaced, there have been no issues with any of the tractors, which have been kept busy sowing spring corn, fodder beet and grass. Some are now busy baling, using McHale balers (which are brought in on a similar type of arrangement).
In terms of features on the new tractors, Flynn said: “The electronic joystick for the loader on the 145 took a little getting used to, but the Range Command [transmission] is a lot more comfortable to use than before.
On the old system, the two buttons on the joystick were further away. Now they are on the armrest, right where they are wanted.
Overall, according to Flynn, the tractors have performed well and are doing what is required of them.
Gurteen College
Located close to Ballingarry, Co. Tipperary, Gurteen is a private agricultural college that provides Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture and Level 6 General Purpose Award (Green Cert) courses.
The college also provides specialised advanced certificate and degree courses, such as the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Dairy Husbandry, the Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Animal Management, and a Level 7 Bachelor of Business in Equine Studies – in conjunction with Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT).
Gurteen also runs part-time evening and distance-learning courses for the ‘Green Cert’ on an ongoing basis.
Gurteen will hold a number of events this summer. On August 22, it will host an Energy and Agriculture event on campus. This will focus on renewable energy and economic opportunities that may be of interest from an agricultural perspective.
The event will feature information on solar panels, heat recovery systems and anaerobic digesters.
In addition, at the end of August (on a date yet to be confirmed), the dairy co-op Arrabawn will hold an open day in Gurteen with focus groups and information showcases – demonstrating re-seeding, grassland spraying, body condition scoring and more.
