NEW South Wales farmers had their first look at the new Russian-manufactured high horsepower Kirovets tractor at the recent Henty Machinery Field Days, New South Wales.
Kirovets’ head service manager Andrey Sagaev flew to Australia especially to attend the tractor’s launch at Henty.
The newly-imported 334kW (428hp) Kirovets articulated model, the
K-744R, features a Mercedes Benz engine and a price tag much lower than industry competitors.
Australian modifications have included a heavier drawbar and higher clearance between the wheels and frame.
The tractors are imported by APCO Machinery, a subsidiary of the Australian Productivity Council that was established to offer practical, well-made and reliable equipment to farmers at a much lower price.
Australian Productivity Council’s Craig Milne said the Henty showcase followed up on a launch into the Australian market at the Wimmera and Mallee field days in Victoria.
He was looking for technicians with knowledge of the Belarus tractors when he came across Wodonga’s Stuart Mirtschin, Mirtschin Ag Repairs, a specialist repairer of Russian machinery.
The pair teamed up to present the new Kirovets tractor to the public at Henty.
“Their whole pitch is price,” he said. “They have a simple transmission with a locking axle and it pulls efficiently,” Mr Milne said.
“They last longer as they are precision-made but simple and inexpensive to service.
“It’s not that modern tractors don’t last a long time but the computer hardware and software ages.
“Our theory is you buy a Kirovets and keep it 15 to 20 years to get out of the flip-it-every-five-years cycle.
“Buy a tractor, pay it off and leave it in the shed for at least 15 years – it’s a different approach.’’
Mr Milne said there was plenty of potential interest from growers at Henty, with a factory special price of $148,000 for the 223kW (300hp) model.
Prices range up to $221,000 for the 17-tonne 334kW model fitted with a Tier 4 Mercedes engine and optional PTO.
“They all have three point linkage on the rear as standard and a heavy duty drawbar,’’ Mr Milne said.
“We have this tractor fitted with a 80 centimetre (32 inch) European-style wheel – it’s a smallish wheel normally seen on combines with a low pressure soft, fat tyre.
“But, we might look at 95cm (38in) wheels for Australia and tracks are an option.’’
Mr Milne said the Kirovets could be retro-fitted with a variety of precision guidance systems and was ISOBUS-compatible.
“The only computer on this tractor is the ECL (engine coolant level) sensor on the Mercedes engine,’’ Mr Milne said.
“The Russian version is an old-school engine able to run on chip fat – we have been surprised as we thought Aussies would only buy a Mercedes engine.
“But, a lot of interest has been about the 420 horsepower (313 kilowatt) Russian engine as it’s quite a bit cheaper at $185,000.
“The engine is not rubbish, it’s a big 17-litre V8 military engine used in armoured personnel carriers and there are plenty of people who like old-school, simple tractors they can work on themselves.’’
Mr Milne said the Kirovets typically worked the large wheat fields of Kazakhstan where private farms were up to 60,000 hectares and yields average 1.5-3 tonnes/ha.
“The Russians use it as a year-round machine pulling chaser bins, tillage and harrowing, for typically 1500 to 3000 hours a year,’’ Mr Milne said.
A Kirovets is yet to be sold on Australian soil but he has confirmed a dozen strong leads since the
K-744R landed with plans to hold demonstration days.
A mini-articulated 179kW (240hp) version is scheduled for next year’s Wimmera Field Days, Victoria.
“I want to get a few tractors out and look after people and we are not impatient because we are here to stay,’’ Mr Milne said.
Brings back memories of the old days and using Russian-made Belarus tractors, particularly for summer rips.