Previously the business has run a succession of LEXION 630s but this harvest saw the arrival of a wider-bodied TRION 650 equipped with TERRA TRACS and 6.7m (22ft) VARIO header.
Taking control of his own baling operation, livestock farmer Phil Dickinson bought his first combi-baler in 2021 in the form of a CLAAS 455 UNIWRAP. And already the investment is paying dividends, not least
financially, but also in the quality of the bales being produced.
“Even though it is bigger, it’s a lot more stable, the boom more rigid and the visibility not only to the front but also to the rear is great, which
is important when working in the yard".
"It’s a combination which keeps things comfortable, convenient and simple, according to George; “This is my main tractor. This is the office. It’s like sitting in an armchair in this tractor, as opposed to some other makes which you can bounce around in. You can easily spend 16/17 hours per day in this tractor and not get out walking like an old man."
There’s a good reason why forager manufacturers view the north west of England as a proving ground for their machines. The region’s climate is about as good as it gets for growing grass, producing waist-high rows of chewy, damp crop that will test any chopper’s mettle.
The last few years have been ones of considerable change for Martin Ainscough Farms, not least in a gradual change in the colour of machinery to CLAAS seed green.
“It’s significantly faster travelling across side-slopes. In fact, in places
we now make the choice to cut that way rather than travelling up
and downhill.”