Maurice Hourston and his son, Michael, of Brae of Montgrew farm, near Keith in Aberdeenshire, were inspired to buy the new skidsteer after struggling to find a machine suitable to carry their new auger feeding bucket to feed their herd of 150 prime beef cattle.
The family鈥檚 existing machines, including a tractor and a loader backhoe, were too wide to fit in the byre. Yet while the machine had to be narrow enough to fit into the confines of the cow shed, it also had to be powerful enough to wield and operate the feeder bucket.
The answer came in the form of the New Holland L185B, which measures only 1.8m wide yet weighs in at 3.2t and has a maximum power output of 61kW. This means that although it is small enough to fit comfortably between the cow stalls, it also has enough power to handle the 600kg auger feeder bucket.
鈥淲e used to have to feed the cows by hand,鈥� explains Maurice. 鈥淲e used to have to spread eight to ten bags of barley twice a day, and we used to have to fill the bags manually as well. That鈥檚 about 1.5t per day by hand.鈥�
Now the L185B, which can lift 1,150kg to full height, is used to carry over half a ton of barley in one load and feeds the cows in only a couple of minutes. 鈥淚鈥檓 not so fit as I used to be, and this has been a big save,鈥� says a still-agile Maurice.
The decision to take the construction machine was something of a gamble. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know if it would do the job before we got it, nobody knew, but now it鈥檚 working out perfectly,鈥� says Michael.
In fact, the Hourstons quickly discovered that the combination of compact size and considerable power is not the machine鈥檚 only virtue.
鈥淚t鈥檚 got good power and good hydraulics. It鈥檚 also very important to be able to go slow enough not to scare or bang into the cattle, and the hydrostatic drive is excellent, much better than the gears on the tractor, as I can feather the speed to almost nothing, so there鈥檚 no danger of banging into anything,鈥� Michael adds.
According to Michael this degree of control is enhanced still further by the fact the machine鈥檚 movements are controlled entirely from joysticks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very natural process that is very easy to pick up, and once you鈥檝e picked it up it is very easy to use effectively.鈥�
This control and manoeuvrability, along with the L185B鈥檚 power, also makes the machine ideal for moving bales around the farm. 鈥淚t can get into places we鈥檇 never have dreamed of getting into with a machine,鈥� says Maurice.
Then there鈥檚 the use of a quick hitch attachment that has also allowed the Hourstons to make the most of their existing array of attachments. This includes a silage cutter and grab, and the combination of this and a high enough tipping point enables the skidsteer to not just cut the silage but also feed it into a hopper for distribution across the farm.
鈥淲e use it for 101 different things,鈥� Maurice adds, pointing to its use for mucking out one of the small byres that has not been cleaned by mechanical means since the demise, ten years ago, of an old and very narrow tractor. 鈥淚t鈥檚 small, and then there鈥檚 the fact it鈥檚 a skid so it turns in its own length.鈥�
It has also replaced the farm tractor for patching the road. 鈥淚t鈥檚 better because you sit looking at the bucket, so you can see exactly where you are,鈥� explains Michael. 鈥淲ith the tractor and the digger you鈥檙e sitting away from the bucket.鈥�
Even the Arctic cold of one of the harshest Scottish winters for years has not posed a problem as the Hourstons were persuaded of the merits of taking a machine with a cab heater and door. 鈥淚 was worried that it might break easily and be inconvenient, but you just make sure you have the bucket fully lowered and it鈥檚 not a bother to get in and out,鈥� says Michael. 鈥淚t gets quite cosy in there, and I wouldn鈥檛 like to do too much work without a door now.鈥�
The family is also considering purchasing a rotating brush to help keep the yards clear and continue making the most of having such an already busy and versatile machine. From not even knowing if the machine would do the one job for which it was purchased, the New Holland L185B has now become an essential workhorse for a range of activities across the farm.
New Holland L185B fact box:
Operating weight:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 3.2t
Operating capacity:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 1,134kg
Max power:聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 61kW
Ravenhill Construction () is the New Holland construction dealer for Grampian, the Highlands and Moray. It is also distributor for Merlo and NC construction products. It鈥檚 headquarters are in Elgin, and it has depots in Aberdeen, Peterhead, Turriff and Dingwall.聽
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