Having tried a variety of tractor brands in their Queensland orchards, Jim Mullett decided he can’t go past the compact Case IH Farmall B.
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“Every little thing about them ticks the box, like no other tractor has done beforehand,” he said.
“We have 14 Farmall B’s now and are looking to increase the fleet.”
Monduran Orchards also has a Farmall C on order for the narrow rows.
Farming 1214 hectares at Gin Gin, north-west of Brisbane, the property, Monduran Station, is one of Queensland’s largest producers of early-market citrus and one of the biggest producers of red grapefruit and also grows seedless lemons, limes, grapefruit and mandarins.
Mr Mullett said the move to Case IH happened over time.
“Most orchardists buy small tractors second-hand to pull trailers and bins for picking.
But increasing buying competition from hobby farmers means you’re buying 50-year-old tractors for $10,000,” he said.
“For not much more, you can buy a brand new Farmall B.
“We’ve tried other tractor brands, and while we found them good, the maintenance is too much — particularly with plastic parts.
We found the expense of replacing them was (a) not cheap, and (b) we had to do it regularly.
“So when we went back and looked at all the brands, we were most impressed with Case IH.”
The tractors come with canopies, three remotes and four-wheel drive — “everything that we wanted for a price you couldn’t better anywhere,” Mr Mullett said.
Case IH tractor product manager Peter Elias, said ease of operation is often a factor in orchardists, viticulturists and small-block farmers choosing these tractors.
Mr Mullett said they were easy to use and very light.
“And they’re an adaptable and strong, tractor — we’ve even designed lemon-picking aids to big trailers that fit on behind our Farmall B’s, and we use them to apply herbicide at very low rates under our trees to keep the rows clean.
“They’re very sound, and the simple fact is by sticking to the one brand, any maintenance is easy,” he said.
Mr Mullett recounts how a branch from a 21 metre tree fell onto a tractor and didn’t even bend the bonnet.
“If that had been plastic top or bonnet, it would have broken much of the engine,” he said.
“But we continued using it, and got it repaired when the season finished.
That’s the strength of the Farmall B.
With a season-peak staff at 170 and growing, Monduran Orchards is looking to build its Farmall B fleet to 30, to accommodate 90 pickers.
