MF balers, Fendt tractors: AGCO combination Working Well for Australian Contractor

Victoria farmer/contractor Brad Mayfield has a new high-density Massey Ferguson 2270XD large square baler that will allow him to produce the top-quality bales his customers expect.

Brad and his wife Carla run Oakleigh Hay Contracting & Sales and each year they grow 300 hectares of crops on their farm in Victoria’s Western District to make hay for their clients in the dairy and beef industry.

“I have run a Massey Ferguson 2170 RotoCut baler for two seasons,” Brad says. “I’ve been very happy with it. It’s very reliable.”

Brad Mayfield Photos by Rob Lindblade.

“I sell the hay that I produce and am chasing the extra 20 percent weight gain in my bales, plus the extra speed when baling. Because the window for baling in the Western District is very short, speed is a definite advantage. That’s a big reason I have purchased the new MF 2270XD baler, which is also RotoCut.”

Brad says the RotoCut version of the new baler suits him very well for two reasons.

“Firstly, some of the crops I grow are very tall so I need to chop them to make the bales more palatable for the cows. The RotoCut baler allows me to do this.”

“The second reason we ordered the RotoCut version is that it feeds better in straw.”

Another option Brad selected for his new MF 2270XD baler is the tandem axle because of its turning ability and comfortable ride at 50 kph on the road.

“All the mowing in the field is done ‘up and back’, and the rear steer on the MF 2270XD makes turning a breeze to prepare for the next row of baling.”

To further boost the capacity of his operations, he has also bought a new 16ft (4.9m) Massey Ferguson mower conditioner.

“Each hay season I mow a considerable amount of product in the Wimmera and the Western District. The width and the new cutter bar are what made the MF mower conditioner a sensible choice for me.

“The new cutter bar is also able to get underneath the vetch better. I chose the steel rollers for the crimping precision in the large crops that I grow.”

Brad says he currently owns two Fendt tractors. One is a 720 Vario, which he uses for mowing on GPS and auto-steer.

It is very suitable for large paddocks in the Wimmera because of its comfort, fuel savings and outstanding reliability. The 720 is also used for spraying.

“I have a 24m Goldacres sprayer. It has five-section control and it runs off the GPS, which is all plugged into the Fendt monitor.”

His other Fendt is a 722 Vario model, and it pulls the MF 2270XD baler and also his 5.0m direct drill with a roller behind.

“I have two cameras in boxes on the drill to keep an eye on things. The two camera pictures come up on the monitor.”

“Both my Fendt tractors have front-end loaders, and I find the vision through the front windscreen to be in a class of its own. I am able to stack bales seven high without even bending my neck,” Brad says.

“It definitely makes long days a pleasure when operating these very well-engineered tractors. The comfort and ride is second to none. I am finding everything in the cab is positioned well and is at my fingertips, especially the front-end loader toggle. My wrists don’t get sore even after long hours.

“Thank you AGCO, for making these very precise machines. In my opinion, there is no other tractor like them.”

Photos by Rob Lindblade.