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Ease of maintenance and build quality in the high throughput game of bulk silage harvesting were key reasons behind Trevor Lalich's decision to purchase a Schuitemaker Rapide 135 loader wagon last season.
Trevor had enjoyed a good run with a Schuitemaker 100 loader wagon, but was ready for a machine with higher capacity and throughput that matched the seasonal demand of the grass silage business.
"I knew that John Austin over in Te Awamutu had been more than happy with his wagon, and figured if it were good enough for John, the Schuitemaker would be the one for us," says Trevor.
Making the jump to the 135 has bought him a machine geared for the hard core demands of the contracting business, and Trevor believes the stories he has been told about Schuitemakers that have rolled on stacks, been righted and put straight back to work.
Not that roll-overs would be common with the wagons, their low profile and massive dual radial tyres delivering renowned stability on the most challenging contour.
Many of Trevor's clients have smaller properties where access is a challenge, and access is made easier with the hydraulically operated steering unit that has a ram on each rear wheel to force the tyres into position when negotiating tricky gateways.
The country forming much of the territory for Trevor's business in the Waitoa and surrounding region ensure the Schuitemaker can operate to maximum productivity, and good design has ensured maintenance is minimised.
A key feature that appeals to Trevor is the wagon's knife bank, easily accessed from the front without necessitating any climbing under the machine to change or adjust the knives.
The electrically controlled swing out cutting unit folds out from the working position hydraulically, ensuring the double edged blades can easily be turned by hand.
With the knife bank split into 3 sections, stress across the whole unit is reduced and Trevor reports minimal breakages well into the season.
The knife bank delivers a constant, fine cut quality with excellent feed through to the wagon. The conveyor floor is shut off when a load sensor detects a full wagon, and Trevor has also installed a TV monitor "to save my neck", within the cab.
Maintenance and down time from cutting unit damage is also kept to a minimum by good and compact design. The complete pick-up unit floats away from the wagon's direction of travel, which helps keep stress on the unit down as foreign objects are encountered. The unit is capable of folding up closely against the body of the wagon, increasing user options for crops like maize harvest silage.
For Trevor the Schuitemaker's bulk grass capacity compliments the baled silage side of his business well, where he operates a McHale Fusion 2 machine. The Schuitemaker Rapide 135 is well suited to the small to mid sized dairy operations Trevor does work for over peak season, while the McHale mops up smaller jobs or one off paddocks clients choose to wrap up.
His enthusiasm for the Schuitemaker is also boosted by the excellent support he has had from his local dealer.
"They have only ever given us excellent service, and are straight up about what they can do for us, overall it's all a great package," says Trevor.