Good vibes among machinery dealers at Dowerin despite seasonal concerns for clients across the Wheatbelt

If there was a Beach Boys song that could best describe the vibe among machinery dealers at the Dowerin Machinery Field Days it would be Good Vibrations.

From small to large machinery displays, the mood among visitors and dealerships was “positive”— despite some concerns of an average to below average harvest in some parts of the WA Wheatbelt.

While the Dowerin Machinery Field Days always provides a great family outing, farmers were keen to size up the latest machinery on offer and break out the cheque book on much needed tractors and equipment.

AFGRI Equipment Wongan Hills branch manager Brendan Barratt said it was well worth attending the Field Days on August 30-31, and displaying the wide range of John Deere machinery, equipment and toys on offer.

“We’ve had a good flow of people through the display with strong leads and lots of enquiries,” Mr Barratt said.

“There’s been a good vibe considering how the season has been going for some people.

CLAAS Harvest Centre Northam branch manager Michael Phipps said this year the CLAAS team decided to move site positions at Dowerin in order to achieve more traffic flow and interest, and it had worked.

“This year we have a bigger site in a more central location and we brought new equipment,” Mr Phipps said.

“We’ve seen more traffic flow than last year and had good sales enquiries.”

Mr Phipps said new and existing farming clients had been through the site and a small tractor had been sold.

Fendt Perth- based product specialist Ryan Neilson said the AgWest Machinery site, where the Fendt brand was on display in a large marquee, had seen “lots of people” through, with a surprising amount of “international visitors”.

“We’ve seen a lot of interest in the new 900 Series Rogator sprayer on display,” Mr Neilson said.

“There’s also been genuine enquiries about some of the other products on display,” which included a number of different Fendt tractors as well as a Fendt Ideal harvester.

AgWest Machinery group sales manager Martin Crawford said having the products on display reinforced to existing clients “they are part of this Fendt presence” at the field days.

“We go above and beyond in our displays to promote the products, and customers appreciate that and also get to see the latest and greatest products the company has to offer,” Mr Crawford said.

Tucked inside the McIntosh and Son display was the New South Wales designed and manufactured Stoll 10,000 litre S Series boom sprayer.

Stoll’s Spraying Equipment general manager Richard Wishart made the trip across the Nullarbor to support the McIntosh team and said the company’s product was only available in WA at the McIntosh and Son Merredin branch.

“We’ve had our product at the Merredin branch for three years now and we are still in the growth stage at the moment in WA,” Mr Wishart said.

“Demand has been strong since the company was established in 2001 in Wagga Wagga and we have never advertised.”

Mr Wishart said the “small family based business” was focused on providing a simple product in terms of layout, with less complexity, while using “commonly used parts” that could be backed up with service and supply easily across the country.

During the field day, he said there had been “good enquiry” and “feedback”.

“A lot of people have been coming through (the display),” Mr Wishart said.

“People are a bit reserved due to the season, which could perform or not.

Standing out from the crowd was the massive GrainKing 300-tonne Maximus field bin, designed and manufactured in Cunderdin and Perth and sold across Australia and into North America.

GrainKing executive director Vince Trewarn said it was the “largest field bin” in the world and the fourth year that the company had shown it at the Dowerin Machinery Field days.

Mr Trewarn said the bin was always an attraction and the site had been busy with a lot of existing customers dropping in for a chat, as well as “a lot of interest” from prospective clients.

“Farmers have had three good years, and while the weather is drying things up a little, there’s still a lot of positioning happening at the moment,” he said.

“A lot of people have been passing through the site — farmers wanting a catch up, or a few tips and parts.

“It’s also about building relationships.”

WA’s machinery field days season kicked off with the Mingenew Midwest Expo on August 9 and 10, and will continue with the Newdegate Machinery Field Days on September 6 and 7.