Wimmera Field Days: Rake’s self-opening wings get rid of the heavy lifting
SIMON Schinckel isn’t saying today’s farmers are layabouts but he does reckon they shy a little from the heavy lifting.
SIMON Schinckel is not saying today’s farmers are layabouts, but he does reckon they shy a little from the heavy lifting.
That’s the thinking behind the latest product off the drawing board of the Naracoorte, South Australia farm machinery producer.
While most buyers have been happy with the strong and super reliable rakes he has been churning out at the rate of one a week for more than a quarter of a century, some (himself included recently) have baulked at the effort needed to lift out the 20-25kg raking wings.
About two years back he decided to do something about it.
He went into research mode, started trials and came up with what he is calling a “smarter, simpler, safer and sexier” machine whose raking wings do not need to be lifted out but open themselves via telescopic arms.
With a patent in hand, he is launching the product at Wimmera.
A former shearer and bulldozer driver and considered one of the great characters of the farm machinery industry, Simon has given his innovative new hayrake — an update of his popular F Series — an obvious name: “the Next F Series”.
Victorian farmers who have had a sneak peek have been impressed and Simon is hopeful orders will soon flow.
“Look, the customers are getting older and I know I’m getting older. No one can lift things that easily any more — and it’s not just the old ones; the young generation doesn’t want to do any work either,” he says.
“With this machine, there’s no lifting involved. You can actually drive forward on the tractor to open out these new telescopic arms each side, or you can just do it manually.
“The arms are fitted to the rake and open themselves.”
Simon estimates the base machine will cost between the mid and high $20,000s, with optional extras also available.
“It’s not going to cost a hell of a lot on the top of the price of the rake, and we’ll presumably be making them as standard this year, doing away with all that hard work farmers have previously had to do,” he said.
For details, visit schinckelhayrakes.com.au
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