Sold on AGCO

Murray Vollmer doesn’t follow the herd. He doesn’t make decisions based on what others are doing, but what will be best for his family and farm for years to come. His move from Case IH® to AGCO’s Fendt tractors and Gleaner combines is a reflection of such future-forward thinking.

These days, in addition to a Gleaner S68, Vollmer runs three Fendt tractors, including the family’s loader tractor, a 716 that’s also used for a variety of jobs delegated to a midsize tractor. A Fendt 822, has become the family’s planting and tillage tractor, while a new Fendt 1038, rated at 380 HP, pulls a 10,000-gallon manure tanker and a 45-foot Sunflower field cultivator.

“I love how smooth they operate,” Vollmer says about his Fendt tractors. “There’s no jerking or bouncing, and the fuel economy has been exceptional. While pulling our no-till planter with the 822, I was using about 3.8 gallons per hour and as little as 0.7 gallons per hour when idling.”

As for the family’s choice in combines, “We have a few hills in our area, and we really see a difference in the way the Gleaner works on slopes,” Vollmer says, noting that their current Model S68 is the third Gleaner they’ve owned since switching from a Case IH Axial Flow. “In the past, we couldn’t go slow enough to keep from putting grain over the back on hillsides.”

Vollmer is also quick to credit the AGCO dealers that provide him with parts and service. Vollmer does much of his business with Fendt dealer Maple Lane Farm Service, located in Mount Forest, Ontario. However, since Maple Lane doesn’t sell combines, he also works with Hyde Brothers Farm Equipment in Hensall, Ontario.

“We have a good relationship with both dealers,” he concludes. “Now that we’ve switched mostly to Sunflower tillage equipment, we’ve worked with both dealers on that product, as well.” An additional reason for working with Maple Lane, says Vollmer, “is that one of their employees lives just a couple miles from us. So, if we need parts, he just brings them home with him in the evening and drops them off.”

For more about Fendt tractors, including the groundbreaking 1000 Series, visit your local Fendt dealer or see Fendt.com.

Written by: Tharran E. Gaines

FarmLife magazine is published quarterly in multiple versions for the U.S. and Canada, including a version for French Canadian readers. FarmLife covers topics that include agriculture and homesteading, featuring stories about innovative farmers and their families, best practices, equipment updates and celebrations of the rural lifestyle.