WHEN A tractor’s workload involves three diet feeder mixes a day, 365 days of the year, if there’s one thing it needs, it is reliability.

Having experienced the assured performance of the previous tractor given this task – a Landini Powerfarm 100 – Robert and Sharon Buchanan, Pow Farm, Powmill, by Dollar, had little hesitation replacing it with a more modern model.

“The Powerfarm 100 had clocked up 4500hrs with no serious issues but reliability is paramount for a feeder tractor when it comes time to replace it,” said Mr Buchanan, who produces beef and milks 200 commercial Holsteins on his 440-acre all-grass farm.

“I wanted a simple and relatively compact tractor but of good quality rather than cheap and nasty,” he added. “It also had to be manoeuvrable for steading work – and that’s what we’ve got with the Landini 4-100.”

The 99hp tractor supplied by Willie Sneddon, of George Colliar Tractors, Kinross, is the middle of three models from 90-107hp in the Landini 4 Series. It was introduced featuring new transmissions coupled to a compact and economical four-cylinder Deutz engine, and a new cab.

“The Deutz engine was an attraction because of the other tractors we run here and the new cab is a good place to be because it’s roomier and the controls are better placed than in the Powerfarm,” pointed out Mr Buchanan.

“We kept the tractor’s specification down by having mechanical lift controls, a synchro shuttle and no air conditioning. But we still got features like hydraulic pto engagement, which works very smoothly and takes up drive nice and gently.”

Manoeuvrability is also a key feature because feeding out to the beef cattle and dairy cows, which are housed all year, involves tight turns, especially into a building with a dead-end feed passage. But because the Landini can draw the tub-type feeder through a tight side gate, there is no need for what would be the more awkward manoeuvre of having to reverse it into position.

“We also put the tractor on the slurry pump because it’s so manoeuvrable and we can stir up the underground storage tank from several different positions and get a good mix,” said Mr Buchanan.”

A simple spec' was chosen from the wide choice of features and options available with the 4 Series. These include a synchro or fingertip power shuttle; four different transmissions from a 12x12 to a 32x32 creep ‘box with two-speed powershift; pto configurations with power or economy gearing; and mechanical or electronic linkage operation and draft control.

“The visibility is very good and just what you need for work around the steading,” he confirmed. “There’s also a strong fan with plenty of output for ventilation – but have an opening windscreen like ours and in the field you also get a very nice airflow on a warm day.”

The tractor’s busy workload saw it clocking up 1600 hours in its first 15 months on the farm and another Landini was purchased a few weeks ago, supplied with Landini’s MClassic loader.

At 113hp, the Landini 5-115H is a more powerful and more substantial tractor, with a heavier duty transmission, longer wheelbase and greater linkage lift capacity.

“But it shares the 4-100 model’s cab and has a similar control layout, which is handy when you jump from one tractor to the other,” said Mr Buchanan. “This time we have a power shuttle, giving easy changes between forward and reverse, which is essential for loader work.”