MC130 - Stephen Jones
Vote of confidence in tractors and dealer as farmer invests in McCormick trio
When a customer comes back with a repeat order, a dealer knows he must be doing something right. So it was a welcome vote of confidence in PGF Agri, the north Wales dealership run by Dylan and Amanda Williams, when a local farmer ordered a repeat batch of three McCormick tractors. "We first supplied Stephen Jones with a trio of McCormick MC130 tractors in 2009 and now we've replaced them with another three to the latest specification," says Dylan. "We're delighted; it suggests Mr Jones is pleased with the machines and the parts and service back-up we provide."
Two of the three 126hp MC130 tractors are equipped with McCormick LiftMaster hydraulic self-levelling loaders. They will be used for handling and loading work related to the beef and sheep enterprises that Stephen Jones and his son Jonathan run at Deiniolen and Nantperis in the shadow of the Snowdonian mountains.
In spring and summer, the sheep head up on to the mountains while cattle in the Hereford x Welsh Black suckler herd graze on nearby Anglesey, where PGF Agri is based. In winter, the animals create a busy workload back at the home farm. "The McCormick MC is very handy around the yard and ideal for our field work," says Stephen Jones. "They're nice and compact but with good stability, which is important up on the hills. "The tractor's solid backend is good for loader work because you don't have to add a lot of ballast," he adds. “You get plenty of traction but the tractor is not too heavy to work on soft ground."
These attributes are put to good use handling the farm’s feed wagon and slurry tanker, carrying straw and silage bales and clearing out the stock buildings; mowing and trailer work are also part of the routine. The tractors are not worked especially hard – they each tend to have their own role to save repeatedly changing implements. But they still clock up typically 400-500 hours a year and the first three proved sufficiently reliable and economical that choosing to replace them with three of the same was an easy decision. "The MC130 at 126hp is the most popular of the three sizes in the McCormick MC range," says Dylan Williams of PGF Agri. "It's a great all-round tractor with an excellent specification for its size."
The MC tractor's back-end is shared with the six-cylinder MTX models, so there is plenty of strength built in. They also share the pressure and flow compensating variable output hydraulic system that pumps only as much oil as needed to minimise power and general wear and tear. The 32x24 power shuttle transmission includes a four-speed powershift operated by an easy-to-use thumb switch on the gear selector; and while the near 6-tonne capacity three-point linkage has electronic operation and draft control, there are straightforward manual controls for the spool valves. "For a livestock farm, it's good to have a tractor that's simple and easy to use," says Jonathan Jones. "The MC has a straightforward gearbox and there's nothing too complex, which is ideal when you're always jumping on and off the machine."
He also likes the look and improved all-round visibility that comes with the new four-post cab of the McCormick MC models. It provides spacious accommodation for the driver and wide-opening doors for easy access, as well as a roof window that lets in more light and makes it easier to see a raised loader. All being well, the new tractors at Glan Dinorwig will perform as well as their predecessors, fulfilling a key role in the running of the Jones' sheep and beef enterprises over the coming years.
Above: Dylan Williams of PGF Agri (right) hands over the keys for the three McCormick MC130 tractors to Jonathan Jones in front of PGF's workshop, parts store and retail shop at Llanerch-y-Medd on Anglesey.
Above: The new cab interior of the McCormick MC130 T3 Tractor.
Above: The McCormick MC130 T3 Tractor
