NEWS RELEASE April 05, 2024
Quality Lubricants Provide 'Peace of Mind' for NZ Farmer
Crestmead, Queensland (5 April, 2024) — As one of the leading suppliers of kumara (sweet potato) in New Zealand, Evan Paxton and his family at Riverview Farms, Dargaville, are no strangers to the pressures of food production.
Each year they crop around 60 hectares of kumara and fatten prime lambs and beef cattle on their 200-hectare farm on the North Island, two-and-a-half hours north-west of Auckland.
Dargaville is built along the edge of the Northern Wairoa River and the local Delta Co-op packs, markets and transports the Paxton family's crop throughout the North and South Islands, so it's critical they keep their machines humming.
"If we do have a breakdown, especially on a key tractor like the 7230 or 7290 we use for ground work, or our moulding tractor or spray tractor, it pretty much puts a halt to the whole day. Until we get that fixed, we're under the pump," Evan said.
"Breakdowns are rare, but if you're working towards a weather window or trying to fill orders from the packhouse, they can have a huge financial bearing on our company."
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Evan Paxton from Riverview Farms, Dargaville, one of the leading suppliers of kumara (sweet potato) in New Zealand.
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Evan has exclusively used John Deere transmission, hydraulic and engine oils and grease over the past 10 years.
Family business takes delivery of tractor number 13
Riverview Farms is a family business established in 2001 when Evan and his partner Tanya, who had been in business on their own, joined forces with his mother Judy and brother-in-law Graham and his wife Twane.
Since then, the business has gone from strength-to-strength, with the Paxtons staunch fans of the green and yellow, running a fleet of 12 John Deeres ranging in power from 70hp to 290hp.
In March, Riverview Farms took delivery of its thirteenth John Deere tractor via local dealer, Brandt Machinery in Whangarei.
"The new 6120M utility tractor with AutoTrac™ replaced our very first John Deere, a 6400 that we bought back in 1994," Evan said.
"A small compact tractor like the 6120M with 120hp is ideal. We can still use it to pull a three-metre machine without any problems harvesting, and for day-to-day crop maintenance, whether it's spraying and dry cultivating or top chopping, it's absolutely perfect."
Reliability of John Deere is key, but so is maintenance
Evan considers lubricants a key factor in maintaining his fleet.
"The old 6400 has been amazing. It's done over 13,000 hours and we've had absolutely no issues with the engine, just a few little bits and pieces, as you would expect. It'll probably end up being a boat tractor!" Evan said.
"That's what we love about John Deere, the reliability. That's key for us.
"Over the past 10 years, we've exclusively used John Deere transmission and hydraulic and engine oils and grease, and we've noticed a big difference with the running of the machines, especially using the grease on our harvesters and tractors as well.
"If you're spending all that money on machines, you definitely want to look after them."
Quality pays — lack of breakdowns speaks for itself
Evan uses Plus-50™ II Engine Oil, Hy-Gard™ hydraulic oil and SD polyurea grease.
"It's the lack of breakdowns that we've really noticed over the years — the products speak for themselves in that regard," he said.
"The 500-hour service interval is also a game changer. That said, we've actually had some tractors go over 500 hours, when we've obviously been busy but with the quality John Deere products that we're using, we've had no issues to date.
"I personally wouldn't recommend using a cheap oil if you want to achieve a 500-hour service. At the end of the day, quality pays, and the upshot is when we're out there in the paddock, the machines are working and not sitting in the shed.
"I think when times are tough, people might stop buying quality and look for a cheaper product, but for us, it's more about peace of mind. You know your tractor is in safe hands."
About John Deere:
Deere & Company is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, golf & turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor and See & Spray™ are just two of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in New Zealand at JohnDeere.co.nz.
Media Enquiries:
Tim Vetter
tim.vetter@bluehillpr.com.au
0439 681 793
Kate Scott
kate.scott@bluehillpr.com.au
0438 389 092
