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Efficient, Smooth, Reliable

Sometimes things just don’t happen on schedule.

By Richard Banks | Photos By Alain Lefort

Rodney and wife, Carol

Rodney and wife, Carol

“We were only in our second season with our 9690 [combine] when we were approached about trading it,” says Rodney Fraser. “We knew Massey was coming out with a new generation, but weren’t really thinking about trading it after just two years.

“So our dealer brought us [an MF9520] to try anyway, and we pretty much immediately fell in love with it.”

Asked why, it was more like why not, says Rodney. “There’s quite a difference with the grain unloading time; it’s much quicker,” which he notes is critical, both because he’s a custom operator offering a variety of services to some 45 customers and due to the region’s short growing season.

And then there’s fuel efficiency.

“We were running the 9690 with an 8-row head at 3.5 mph and 180-bushel corn, unloading on the go with 95% engine load. In that same field with the [MF9520], we were doing 4.5 to 5 mph with 60% engine load. We were down to a gallon an acre. So, it sold itself pretty much that day.”

Since then, Rodney says the new MF9520 has “run better than we anticipated,” with fuel savings as high as 20% better than the previous model.

For much the same reason—“fuel efficiency, fuel efficiency, fuel efficiency,” explains Rodney—the Frasers recently leased two new MF8670 tractors. Replacing two Massey Ferguson 8200 Series models, each with about 6,500 hours on them, reliability was also a factor. There’s no time for downtime, says Rodney. “We can’t wait, and neither can our customers.”

Their Massey Ferguson combine is also powerful enough to handle corn that’s harvested as high as 25 to 30% moisture. Likewise, the new 8670s, with CVT transmissions, pull 40-ton manure tanks with ease. “They’re very, very smooth, and that saves on tractor wear and wear on me too. It’s quite something,” Rodney adds.

The Frasers work with two dealerships—Equipments Seguin in St. Clet, Quebec, and Dan R in Plantagenet, Ontario. “We’re pretty lucky to have two relatively close by,” says Rodney. “Both offer great service.”

Equipments Seguin and Massey Ferguson provided a little something extra last summer—an all-expense-paid reunion for the Frasers, who were the winners of the Massey Ferguson Next Generation Combine Sweepstakes. For more details on that gathering, see myfarmlife.com/reunion.

<< Read the full article, “A Calling, Found”