Griffith Contractor Takes First of the New Big Massey Ferguson 8480s Distributed by AGCO
Tony Pittari alongside his Massey Ferguson 8480 – “Once you’ve experienced Massey, you won’t go back.”
Griffith based contractor, Tony Pittari recently took delivery of the first Massey Ferguson 8400 Series tractor sold in Australia.
Rated at 315 hp, the big MF8480 is the flagship of the Massey Ferguson tractor line and features the Dyna-VT variable transmission.
As one of the leading tractor brands of the AGCO Corporation , Massey Ferguson has become one of the most renowned names in heavy machinery manufacturing.
Mr. Pittari started his contracting business “Pittari Earth Moving” in 1975, based out of Griffith in New South Wales, he services a wide range of customers in the Griffith district and surrounds.
His business has grown over the years to now include a fleet of six machines and a staff of seven operators.
“We saw the MF8480 as the perfect fit for our contracting business and the jobs that we need to perform”, says owner Mr. Pittari.
In a business that operates 12 months of the year, the new Massey Ferguson 8480 tractor will be put to use in all his broadacre applications, including cultivation, disking and chisel ploughing/boarding along with mounding and channel building, required for citrus, vineyard, almond and walnut plantations.
Mr. Pittari’s new MF 8480 is expected to complete 1200 – 1500 hours per year pulling implements ranging from an 8 meter hilling-up toolbar for channelling and mounding, through to a 10 meter scarifier for broadacre applications.
“I like the way the Massey variable transmission combines with the engine to find the best working speeds.
It’s excellent at getting the power to the ground which helps us save time, fuel and money”, says Mr. Pittari.
When carrying out line-ripping and marking for vineyard and citrus tree plantations, accuracy and precise control are required to lay the exact location for planting trees, vines and posts.
To achieve this, the 315 hp Massey Ferguson MF 8480 has been equipped with the latest GPS Auto guide systems.
Mr Pittari made note of the 8400 controls stating “Being able to engage Auto guide and have the tractor ensure that ground speed and engine rev’s are matched to the conditions, makes the job a hell of a lot easier and more precise for my operators, as well as saving time.”
The Griffith based contractor previously owned a 155 hp Massey Ferguson 7485 tractor that also featured the Dyna-VT variable transmission.
“The MF 7485 tractor completed 1260 hours in 12 months. “It was an excellent tractor that ran trouble-free, so we had no problem upgrading to the higher horsepower MF8480 model”, says Mr. Pittari.
Local Massey Ferguson dealer John Agostini from Agostini Mechanical Repairs was the person who introduced the concept and benefits of the Massey Dyna-VT transmission with the MF 7485 tractor. “Once you’ve experienced this transmission and what it has to offer, you won't go back to using a transmission with a power shift”, says Mr. Pittari.
With rising fuel costs, one of the major factors behind the latest purchase was the efficiency of the Massey Dyna-VT transmission to translate into significant fuel cost savings.
“We work the tractors long and hard, so we need to look at becoming more efficient with the way we do things and the new Massey will certainly help us do that”, says Mr. Pittari.
Another major draw card on the Massey tractor is the all new GTA console.
The on-board management system features Datatronic III and enables the operator to set the controls for all hydraulic valve operations, engine speed control features, cruise control and up to 6 sets of headland functions.
The system will also record information for tractor performance analysis.
“With Datatronic we can monitor the cost of each job by recording time spent working, how many litres of fuel used per acre, how many acres have been worked. This helps us control costs and accurately price future jobs”, says Mr. Pittari.
Other features of the new Massey tractor that impressed included the cabin design. “The visibility is excellent and all the controls are in arms-reach. The cab suspension also adds to the comfort - I just can’t see how you can improve on it, it’s top class”, says Mr. Pittari.
25-Oct-2006