Fella's new TS 8055 PRO Rake has recently received an award for best new product for technical innovation at a recent exhibition in Lithuania. Replacing the successful TS 880 PRO double rotor rake. It has a working width of up to 8 meters and is fitted with FELLA’s new heavy duty TS 5 rotor heads. In addition to it’s strength and durability the FELLA TS 5 rotor head has the added advantage of having maintenance free rotor arm supports.

Do you own the oldest Strautmann Silofox? If so, you could win an overnight trip to Agritechnica and a silage shovel worth 2,655 euros! To help celebrate Strautmann’s success of being awarded the “Milestone of Agricultural Technology” award at this year’s Agritechnica, Strautmann are giving farmers the chance to win a trip to visit the show which takes place in Hannover later this year. The award is being presented to the German manufacturer for repeatedly producing pioneering technological developments in the field of agricultural feeding technology over the past four decades. Strautmann’s invention of the first silo block cutter (the ‘Silofox’ in 1971) can be described as particularly ground-breaking. This important invention of more than 40 years ago has considerably helped to intensify cattle breeding on dairy farms by reducing the physical effort required by farmers. Over the years, other important developments such as the development of different fodder mixing systems have followed. These have helped dairy farmers to increase the quality of their herds. In 1996, Strautmann was the first German fodder mixing wagon manufacturer to develop a self-propelled mixing wagon of their own. Over the years, continual development has been invested in this field and is today setting standards in terms of efficiency and reliability with more than 200 customers, 365 days a year. The development of a new unique pick-up system for self-propelled fodder mixing wagons - “fast cut system” - is deemed to be the latest important milestone from the well-established manufacturer. This system combines three important arguments which help the dairy farmer every single day to improve his efficiency: using 20% less diesel, producing an optimum cut surface shape and cattle-friendly fodder treatment. Strautmann will be exhibiting both the first (Silofox) and the latest milestone (Verti-Mix SF fast-cut) at Agritechnica to show visitors and customers a snapshot of their longstanding history and experience in the field. For this reason, Strautmann is searching for the oldest complete silo block cutter “Silofox”. The lucky machine will be lovingly restored by the apprentices in the Strautmann-owned training workshop and displayed at the Agritechnica show in November. If you have a Silofox that you think may be the oldest, email your details, along with a photo of the machine and registration plate to silofox@strautmann.com. But hurry - the closing date for entries is 15th February 2013.

RECO dealer Cherrys Country Hardware are celebrating after winning the Best Agricultural Trade stand award at the Driffield show in July. Despite the continuous wet weather in the months preceeding the show, the 137th Driffield show ran as usual- a feat in itself after so many other Agricultural and County shows have been cancelled this year. The company have won this prize once before, in the year of the Silver Jubilee and have been crowned the winners again, exactly 25 years on. The stand included an attractive display of Kioti compact tractors, for which Cherrys are a main dealer in East Yorkshire.

A competition run by RECO to win a brand new Kioti Mechron attracted over 2500 entries earlier this year. The lucky winner was Penrith-based Estate Manager Richard Price who was presented with his prize at the Highland Show last week. Richard, who works for Lowther Park Farms, part of the prestigious Lowther Estate Trust, says that the Kioti Mechron will be a valuable addition to his small fleet of ATVs. “We currently run a fleet of three ATVS and one other utility vehicle. We were looking to replace one of our ATVs with a utility vehicle anyway, and had already had the Kioti on demonstration. We were really pleased with the way the machine performed on demo, and the fact that the new homologated version can safely carry three passengers on the road is crucial for us.” “We are obviously really pleased to have won the competition and are looking forward to getting the vehicle delivered to the farm and put it through its paces. When demonstrating other models, we were struggling to find one with a suitable towing limit, but the Mechron seems to cater for this, along with being durable and nimble enough for our needs”. Lowther Park Farms is part of the Lowther Estate, a Trust which is owned by the Right Honourable Jim Lowther. The Lowther family own in excess of 90,000 acres of land in Cumbria and the Lake District, of which 3500 is managed by Richard and his team. Its Lake District location means that the farmland is spread across varied terrain, on land that sits between 400 -1400 ft above sea level. Two thirds of this is used as grazing land and ATV’s and UTVs are a necessity for the day-to-day managing of the land and livestock. With over 200 summer-grazing cattle and 5500 breeding ewes, Richard and his team are grateful for the additional vehicle which will help the shepherds cover some of the 13,000 km that they drive each year. The shepherds are assisted by some 20 sheepdogs, which will be transported in the cargo box at the rear of the Mechron. The machine was supplied through local RECO dealer Carrs Billington (Penrith) who have retro-fitted a sheepdog/livestock crate to the rear of the machine to assist in the safe transportation of the dogs to and from the fields. “Working 20 dogs, their safety is a key issue for us. Having the ability to use the cargo box of the UTV is great benefit for this” says Richard. Carrs have also supplied a weather-proof cab for the machine and Richard says he will be getting a ball hitch fitted so that the UTV will be able to assist with trailing duties, topping and their Swales Snacker. In addition to the grazing land, 1000 acres of the Lowther Farmland is cultivated for arable use, and the Mechron is also earmarked for assistance with slug pelleting duties. Richard says that the Estate is looking to replace all of their quads in the near future and if the Mechron performs as well as they hope, they could potentially be purchasing more of the Kiotis.

RECO are pleased to announce a new addition to their portfolio of Grassland equipment with the introduction of the Sitrex Haymaker. The HM300 is not a new name to the UK as has been previously available through Landmec Pottinger for the past 10 years however RECO have exclusive rights to this machine from March 1st this year and will supply units through all depots of their Agricultural dealerships. Sitrex are an Italian company founded in 1970, specialising in the production of hay-making equipment. 99% of the company’s production today is for export to over 60 countries across Europe, U.S, Canada and Australia. Sitrex produces a full range of grass-cutting and harvesting machines, and has recently diversified into finishing mowers and other turfcare implements. The full range will not be available in the UK through RECO as the importer already boasts an extensive line-up of quality grassland products from German manufacters Fella and Strautmann. Sales Director at RECO, John Sadler, says “We have for a number of years now, received requests to supply a simple, low-cost machine that will both spread and row-up grass. Our Fella range of haymaking products does not currently include a model that fulfils this request but the Sitrex product provides a superb solution to this, and complements the RECO line-up perfectly.” The Haymaker Super HM300 offers high work rates, strong construction and simplicity of operation all in one machine, providing a cost-effective machine for tedding and raking duties. Suitable for use with tractors from 20hp, a central dividing head ensures that even spreading is achieved, whilst adjustable deflectors can be open or closed dependent on the aeration requirements of the grass. The HM300 is available from £2700 RRP, and as an introductory offer RECO are offering a free tandem axle on the first 30 machines ordered.

RECO have spent the past two weeks touring the UK and offering dealers and their customers the chance to see the Sulky Min-Till drill in action, along with learning more about the benefits of the minimum-tillage principle. Min-till specialists from Sulky, along with RECO staff visited a selection of key RECO-Sulky dealerships up and down the country to demonstrate the TRW 6m drill sowing a range of seed types including spring wheat, peas and beans. Over 100 customers and dealers attended the events over the two-weeks which took place in various locations across Bedfordshire, Shropshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Northumberland and Berwick upon Tweed. Each visitor was given an informative presentation about the features and benefits of the drill and an overview of how the min-till principle can increase crop quality and yields. Refreshments of authentic French cheese and wine were available throughout the day, and all visitors were offered the chance to enter a prize-draw to win a pair of Sulky overalls. Also available to all visitors was a free copy of the comprehensive ‘Min-Till’ guide produced by Sulky which focusses on the agronomic benefits of minimum tillage practices. Sales Director at RECO, John Sadler said: “The events were a great way for both customers and also dealers to learn a little bit more about the benefits of the Sulky min-till drill. Being able to demonstrate the drill with a wide range of seed types offered customers an advantage which they wouldn’t get at a show for example, and the response from customers that attended was very positive” Whilst the basic format of each event was the same, RECO worked with different dealerships at each location who added their own personal element to the day. Everitt & Marshall in the North-East brought along eight of their John Deere tractors and a selection of their other machinery which enabled their customers to test-drive a large range of the tractors and other machinery including ploughs and subsoilers etc. The events also provided an opportunity to demonstrate how the Sulky ‘Stop & Go’ spreading system works in practice. The system was fitted to a Kioti Mechron Utility Vehicle and offered visitors the chance to drive the vehicle, map the field and see how the system automatically opens and closes the actuators according to the requirements of the field.

One of RECO’s key Agricultural accounts – G & J Peck – have confirmed that they will sell the Brevi range of power harrows and rotary cultivators, in replacement of the previous brand supplied by RECO. Pecks have been selling RECO products for over a decade and this longstanding relationship between the two companies was one of the key factors that helped Managing Director Ian Loversidge commit to selling the Brevi range over their previous brand. “The decision to sell Brevi was based on several factors, with one of the main reasons being the established and reliable relationship that we have built with RECO over the past ten years. Although the Brevi name is new to the UK, it is one of the top cultivation brands in Europe and Pecks as a business only look to supply their customers with a range of value for money, well-engineered, premium brand products which have a good level of after-sales service support”. RECO are aware that marketing an unknown brand in the UK can provide a challenge, but their confidence in the product is demonstrated through their provision of a five-year warranty on all power harrows. Ian says “The extended warranty on the Brevi power harrows was enough to convince us that the machines would prove to be equal quality to the range we are replacing. From the initial sales that we have made so far, It seems also that the five year warranty is giving our customers peace of mind and confidence in the Brevi product, along with the service and parts back-up that both ourselves and RECO provide”. RECO Managing Director, John Walls, says “We are obviously extremely pleased that Pecks have made the decision to sell the Brevi products. As we know, the previous brand we sold up until last year is also a good-quality product and I am very proud of the fact that the RECO – Pecks relationship was the key factor in their decision and hope that this will be echoed with other dealerships that may be in a similar situation. I am confident that the Brevi product will prove itself to be the high-quality replacement that we believe it to be”.

Reco are now able to announce the exciting new range of Brevi Power harrows and rotary cultivators following the termination of their longstanding agreement with Maschio effective from 1st November 2011. Brevi are one of the original manufacturers of Italian Power harrows, and the new range has some exciting design innovations as well as exceptional reliability. Breviglieri (or Brevi as they will be known in the UK) will be marketed by RECO after the conclusion of their importer status with Maschio on 1st November 2011. Based in Verona, one of the most industrial areas of Northern Italy, Brevi were founded in 1949 with the prime objective to design and produce machines to make working the land easier. RECO will distribute the full range of Power Harrows, Rotary Cultivators and Inter-Row Cultivators which are the major products in Brevi’s portfolio. Brevi also manufacture a range of seed drills and flail mowers but there are no plans to market these products in the UK. From 1st November, RECO will replace their current Maschio line-up with a range of similar specification machines from Brevi so as not to leave any gap in their portfolio. Like other suppliers that RECO work with, Brevi is a family-owned and run company that has grown to become one of the world’s leading suppliers in the industry. With a turnover of €20million, Brevi export over 70% of their output to 55 countries worldwide. Renowned for their quality construction and reliability, the Brevi machines are manufactured from a special type of steel renowned for its high tensile strength and elasticity. Brevi design and manufacture all of their transmission components in-house at the 25,000m² plant. The structural frames and welded components are outsourced to local specialist suppliers but are subjected to Brevi’s rigorous quality control checks throughout the manufacturing and assembly processes. RECO Managing Director, John Walls, says “Whilst we are sad to see the end of our 33 year relationship with Maschio, we are, at the same time, very pleased to announce our new partnership with Breviglieri. With the quality and value for money offered by the Brevi range, we are confident that RECO will remain at the forefront of the UK market for powered cultivation equipment for another 33 years!” RECO will cease selling Maschio machines on 31st October, but any machines sold prior to this cut-off date will be covered by the standard warranty and spare parts will continue to be available.