The return of the FTMTA show to Punchestown was long anticipated, and the move to an autumn slot has only reinforced the enthusiasm of exhibitors and visitors for the event, which is shaping up to be a great success.

The stands were fully booked well in advance of the show starting and the feedback from the trade is that there has been a steady stream of genuinely interested farmers coming to their stands.

Visitors themselves have commented favourably upon the chance to see such a wide variety of machinery and suppliers in one spot without having to travel to the UK or the continent.

Old favourites on show

Being at the back end of a year that lies between Agritechnica events, there were not too many new announcements in the way of new machinery, however the trade is in constant flux and there were plenty of developments and changes.

We needn’t always look to the the large manufacturers or dealers for news either, one of the more popular newcomers to the the Irish market was Underhaug of Norway.

Underhaug Potato harvester — The Underhaug Potato Harvester dates back decades but is still in production and still remains popular

The company is now represented in the UK and Ireland by Top Chem Solutions Ltd of Enniskillen, and the products were attracting considerable interest at the show.

There were two categories of Underhaug machines on the stand, potato equipment and seeders with the first two items, a planter and harvester, bringing back many nostalgic memories for the more mature visitor while smallholders and specialist vegetable growers were looking to them as tools suitable for their less intensive operations.

Top Chem 7942 seeder at show — The 2.5m Underhaug 7942 seeder relies on plates and blades to sow small seeds. The blades are claimed to last at least 4,000ha

The range of seeders on the other hand were gathering attention from many grassland farmers looking for a lightweight tool that could stitch a new sward into an existing cover or cultivated ground.

At the other end of the machinery scale, was a new mower from Krone which is the first on the market to come with cutter bar, conditioner and auger groupers.

Krone mower at FTMTA show — The right hand unit of the Krone EasyCut B 1050 CV BSS with auger conveyor

This machine is known as the EasyCut B 1050 CV with Big Swath System, and can be thought of as a Big M mower unit for mounting on tractors which need to be at least 300hp to handle the power requirement and weight.

Cutting width is up to 10.45m and the hoods on the auger units can be set to deliver the grass to the centre or as individual swaths.

Control is everything

McHale is still pushing forward with creating ever more efficient editions of its balers and the latest F5 range is claimed to further increase forage quality and operator comfort.

McHale Baler — McHale balers are in continuous development and the company is now ensuring that the controls are class leading and operator-friendly

All first line manufacturers are attempting to lead the way in machinery control systems that are usually built around the ISOBUS protocol, and McHale are no exception, so it was not only displaying the machinery but also the software that increases work rate and bale quality.

Expanding Range

Keltec Engineering ltd from Kilmallock in Co. Limerick is probably best-known for its bale chasers, which continue to be a big seller for the company.

Keltec tree shears — Keltec is expanding its range of tree sheers to include bigger models capable of having chainsaws as well as blades fitted

Yet the range of machinery does not stop there, it has been producing tree shears for several years now and is expanding its range with the latest model having the option of chainsaw cutting rather than just a blade.

Thomas Sheedy Keltec — (L-r:) Joe Fenlon and Thomas Sheedy, founder of Keltec, report a busy show with plenty of interest in the products

Another line that has taken off for the company is its concrete bucket, which mounts on a 360 digger and can transfer concrete from the mixer to fill shuttering without the need to hire an expensive pump.

Farmalls break cover at show

Announced last month, the Farmall C series tractors are intended to capture the family farm market, with compact tractors that can handle all the tasks on small to medium-sized farms.

The Farmall C tractors are the latest iteration of the Farmall series which has always been aimed at the family farm

It was at the the FTMTA show that Case decided to give the first viewing of the tractors with the new sharpened styling that may be more angular, but it does give a more modern look.

The model on show was the 120C with 119hp on tap and the design of the cab being focused on operator comfort. Although it’s now being shown the price won’t be released until next January.

New Weidemann dealer

Lyons and Burton of Kilcock, Co. Kildare has recently taken on the Weidemann loader franchise and sold two machines off the stand at the FTMTA before the show closed.

The second machine to find a buyer was the new T6026, a smaller machine with a low cab that is ideal for smaller stock units where loader work is quite often the most common task asked of the tractor.

This has just been released by the German company as a completely new from the ground up machine powered by a 75hp Perkins engine, a name which is starting to surface again in the farm machinery world.

This being the prominent machinery show in Ireland, Merlo was not going to miss the chance of promoting its range of Telehandlers.

Merlo loaders at FTMTA show — The competition to win the use of a Merlo Multifarmer for a year is still open with the winners to receive delivery in the new year

It was the perfect opportunity to remind visitors of the chance to win, in conjunction with Agriland, a Merlo Multifarmer for a year complete with Pallet Forks, Muck Grab and Bucket.

Underhaug

Machinery: Old favourites return to FTMTA show