H Gedge Contracting Finds the Perfect Fit with Valtra Tractors
A busy Norfolk contractor was so impressed by the Valtra demonstration tractor he borrowed from us at Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS), that he immediately placed an order rather than sending it back to the depot. Now, five years later, two Valtras are relied on to provide an efficient contracting service to farmers in the local area having successfully replaced a previous competitor brand.
Trading as H Gedge, Kevin Gedge and his wife Moira run their business partnership from the family’s farm at Bunwell, near Norwich. With their son, Nick, the Gedges farm 150ha of their own land and provide a stubble-to-stubble contracting service for two other farms nearby. A general contracting service is offered within a 20-mile radius of the base, from ploughing and primary cultivations to nutrient applications and harvesting. A high clearance self-propelled sprayer carries out fertiliser and crop chemical applications, and a range of plant machinery provides a contract groundworks service. The family also owns and operates several lorries and transports agricultural and plant machinery around the Eastern region.
Superior comfort
The first Valtra was purchased in 2020. “Having relied on one competitor brand of tractor for many years, we just replaced like with like whenever tractors were due for updating and didn’t know any better,” explained Nick. “I had been transporting and applying slurry with a large, trailed tanker towed by my usual tractor, but one morning the customer’s Valtra was already hitched to the tanker, so I used it instead.
“I couldn’t believe the improvement in ride quality. My own tractor’s large American-style seat was comfortable when stationary but pulling the tanker at speed it was like riding a rocking horse and I was thrown from side to side. The Valtra seat wasn’t just more supportive. It was more comfortable too and combined with the effective cab and axle suspension the Valtra’s operator environment was far superior.”
Demo tractor remained
Keen to try the Valtra tractors in a wider range of applications, Kevin contacted TNS Area Sales Manager, Jolly Bullen and arranged a demonstration. A T254 was delivered to the farm, and its arrival coincided with a requirement for soil loosening 40ha of heavy, dry ground with the farm’s Cousins Patriot 3m, five-leg subsoiler. “It must have been the hardest job of the year, but it pulled it with no problem at all, and we were staggered by the fuel economy as it used much less than our existing tractors,” stressed Kevin. “It’s a better pulling tractor too, and whereas our tractor needed 2t of ballast on the front linkage, the Valtra pulled it better with just 1.3t. It really impressed us.”
A price for the demonstration tractor was obtained from Jolly Bullen, and the T254 didn’t leave the farm.
Two years later, an ex-demonstration N175 also joined the Gedge’s fleet. “Before acquiring our larger 36m self-propelled sprayer, we had a 4,000-litre trailed machine and the N175 was chosen primarily to pull it, replacing a second tractor of the competitor brand we’d used for many years,” continued Kevin. “The Valtra’s Isobus connection allowed the sprayer to be operated using the tractor’s armrest-mounted touchscreen and controls. Our Valtra N175 also has the SmartTouch Extend terminal which displayed field maps and guidance while the main display was dedicated to the sprayer. Essential tractor operating information is monitored using the cab A-pillar display, so everything is easy to see at a glance.”
Versatile tractors
For most tasks the N175 and T254 have proved interchangeable. The T254 is favoured for ploughing with the 6f reversible plough, pulling the Patriot subsoiler, establishing crops with a Claydon direct drill and transporting compost and other materials in a 16t trailer. Tasks carried out by the N175 include topping verges and field margins, pulling the 16t trailer, operating a 3m power-harrow drill combination, rolling, and applying crop nutrients through a twin-disc mounted spreader. “We’ve used the Claydon drill behind the N175 although the T254 handled it better. For a relatively small tractor the N175 is incredibly capable and when combination drilling we often forget it’s only 175hp,” said Nick. “We get on well with the Versu transmission. We have to maintain constant engine and PTO revs for the drill’s fan, but it’s easy to control the travel speed independently using the foot pedal.”
No need for ‘degree’ in Valtra
Nick said Valtra Smart Farming systems are impressive but easy to use. “I’m still surprised at how easy they are to set-up, without needing a ‘degree’ in Valtra,” he commented. “Once field boundaries have been set, then as soon as the tractor enters the field the system recognises the location and asks the operator if he wants to start task recording. We were able to use most features right away, with the benefit of initial training provided by TNS AGCO Technologies Specialist, Kristian Clarke, but we made even more of its capabilities the second year as every field location and task was already memorised.”
Setting and saving profiles for every implement saves time swapping between tasks. “The Valtra SmartTouch terminals make the process extremely quick and easy, so I’ve got into the habit of saving bespoke settings the first time any implement is used,” Nick continued. “I just attach the implement then recall the saved profile. My preferred buttons for each function are automatically allocated while hydraulic oil flow rates and timings are set and ready to use. It saves time and means I don’t have to keep getting in and out of the cab to make adjustments.”
Automatic headland turn sequences are also a popular feature, increasing efficiency and reducing operator fatigue. “They are simple to set up, so just one touch on the activation button starts the pre-set sequence including front and rear linkages, PTO engagement and hydraulics. I carry out the turn, then another touch on the button restarts the operation, and it’s much easier than manually operating sequences of buttons and switches every time,” he stressed.
Valtra the obvious choice
Last September, when the T254 was due for updating, Kevin and Nick didn’t even consider any other brand. “The T254 did everything we’d asked of it and more, and the back-up from Jolly and the rest of the TNS team has been brilliant, so upgrading to the latest T255 version was the obvious choice. We requested a quote to change which turned out to be very reasonable, mainly because Valtras hold their value so well,” Kevin explained. “As expected, it features a few upgrades over its predecessor including an improved transmission. The latest Direct gearbox is smoother and it’s easier to make very small speed adjustments to suit every task. It’s better on the road too, and gear ratio changes are barely noticeable even when it’s pulling hard.”
Nick said he enjoys operating both the tractors. “Working with many local farmers I have driven most popular tractor brands and the Valtra cab is the best working environment. It feels like my own space. It’s quiet, well ventilated and everything is where it should be. I’ve just one very minor complaint which is that the cup holder is too small.”
The T255 will work approximately 1,000 hours per year, much of that time spent carting compost. The N175 was clocking up 1,400–1,500 hours per year when it did the spraying, but that is expected to reduce to 1,000 hours now the wider self-propelled machine has taken over the work. Both tractors are easy to look after. Kevin said daily checks take just a few minutes, and the well-designed cab filter and cooling packs are easy to access and blow clean.
Reliability has been excellent and error codes have allowed quick diagnosis of minor issues by phone. “We work well with TNS and consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have the Attleborough team supporting us. They really are second-to-none and whenever we call for assistance then someone always gets back to us quickly. We do still have one tractor of another brand that is permanently attached to a hedgecutter, but eventually that will be replaced by a Valtra too. I just wish that we had realised how good Valtras are much earlier,” concluded Kevin.
