Situated in Kilrush, Co. Clare, far from the beaten track and well into the west, is Whelan’s Garage – a thriving dealership with a huge range of products to serve its grassland-based customers.
It is, first and foremost, a Massey Ferguson dealer, yet it also carries the fellow AGCO brand, Fendt, and sells Kubota compact tractors and garden equipment as well.
This Easter, it held an open day with the full range of machines on display, with sales reps from the companies concerned on hand to support Whelan’s Garage own staff in helping customers with their decisions.
Being the major machinery dealer in the region, the company has to cater for all budgets and this it does, with a large variety of suppliers.
There are the mainline implement brands, such as Fleming, Kverneland and Major, but also several smaller companies that produce less sophisticated machines for smaller farmers.
Rauch spreaders
In the world of fertiliser spreaders, Rauch are a premium manufacturer and for the first time this season, they are bringing the features of the top end models down the product range, enabling smaller farmers to benefit from both extra sophistication and TAMS eligibility.
On the day there was an MDS 18.2W on display, which has a capacity of between 700-1,820kg, with the hopper extensions fitted.
Spreading width is between 12-15m and it is attached to the weighing frame with two weigh cells in the bottom links.
In this format, it offers speed and weight dependent spreading, constantly analysing the amount of material spread and adjusting the flow rate onto the discs to match the rate at which the hopper is being emptied to the speed of travel.
Fendt goes light
The advent of AGCO’s four cylinder Core 50 with 200hp engine has caused Fendt to rejig its model range to ensure a smooth transition between models through the power range, according to Fendt’s sales manager for Ireland, Sean Gorman.
Last autumn, the company launched its new 620 Vario which is powered by this latest engine.
The model is 530kg lighter than the 200hp six cylinder 720, which will remain in the line up for the time being, although there are plans afoot to further shuffle models around over the next couple of years.
Fendts are solid tractors, but this can count against them in a world which is becoming ever more focused on soil compaction. Shaving half a tonne off a 200hp tractor is a move that can only be of benefit for the brand.
One feature of the Fendt 620 is that the power boost, which will give up to 126hp, supports the ancillaries such as AC and electronics rather than the PTO, as has always been the case with this sort of system.
Feel the pinch
It’s no secret that the trade is not as lively as many manufacturers and dealers would wish this spring, with recorded tractor sales down on both sides of the Atlantic and many stories of slow moving stock.
Sales manager in Major Equipment, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, Martin Walsh, is looking forward to an uptick in trade, but fears that until the weather clears up, that there will be little movement, despite the relative buoyancy in milk and beef prices.
As always with Whelan’s Garages, it carries a good stock of whichever brands it trades in, and Major is no exception – with a selection of tankers and other implements ready to go, it’s just a question of when, according to Martin.
The milk cheques are now arriving and the basic inputs will soon be paid for, which will hopefully leave some margin to be invested in machinery.
Forward with Fleming
Dylan Young of Fleming, on the other hand, was brimming with confidence and enthusiasm, noting that the factory at Newbuildings is working flat out trying to keep up with orders.
This might appear to be something of a contradiction to what the rest of the trade is reporting, yet Dylan notes that the majority of orders come from dealers stocking up, rather than in response to specific orders from individual farmers.
This in turn may be explained by many Fleming products being simple items, such as rollers and toppers, and they also tend to be budget-orientated.
Both factors allow dealers to keep generous stock levels of these lower value items, while the company’s tankers and trailers tend not to be stocked in large numbers.
However, dealers will not be ordering the products to stay in the yard, so there may well be an element of customers becoming a little wary spending on premium products, but are, instead, keeping their investment levels low for the time being.
Plenty of choice at Whelan’s Garage
As already noted, Whelan’s Garage believes in carrying a large stock of machines.
Massey Ferguson tractors are the big ticket items and the number of machines available is impressive, it is an investment that shows tremendous confidence in the marque backed up by a genuine enthusiasm for all things MF.
The Whelans strongly believe in providing something for everyone, as only makes sense given its location, so the yard has machines ranging from cubicle cleaners to Strautmann forage wagons with plenty in between.
Second hand equipment is also available for those not wanting to buy new and any classic enthusiast will be rewarded with a walk out to the further reaches of the yard where a few gems gems usually lie waiting for a new home.
Whelans Garage open day once again went to show that the company is proactive in building trade through being able to supply a wide range of equipment to suit all pockets. The present dearth of sales activity will be of no bother in the long run as the family owned business can take the knocks as well the good times.