Landini Landforce: making life on the dairy farm safe and easy
It’s easy for tractors to look good in the sunshine. It’s in the wet they earn their keep.
Fifth generation farmer, Peter Apthorp, was looking for a designated dairy farm tractor. Being able to get in and out of it easily wearing wet weather gear was one of a few deciding factors behind choosing the Landini Landforce ROPS showcased at Fieldays earlier this year.
A lot of other features also appealed: a well spec’d loader with good reach, good visibility, a heavier weight in general and on the front axle, and good hydraulic flow.
It poured down the morning we caught up with Peter on his (200ha) dairy farm on the outskirts of Pahiatua and he’d just finished hosing off the tractor, sprucing it up for us to photograph as part of our visit.
“It’s one of the good things about a ROPS tractor,” Peter said. “Easy to get in and out with all the gear on, easy to clean, and the cab won’t stink in a couple of months’ time.”
Peter’s dairy farm, milking 470 head, is a relatively new venture for him and business partner Nathan Ebbett. They also operate nearby Springview Agriculture, a 794ha sheep and beef farm and winner of the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management and Norwood Farming Efficiency Awards in the 2024 Ballance Farm Environmental Awards.
The Landini Landforce may eventually be used across both farms, but at the moment it’s doing the niggly work on the dairy farm where there’s a lot of getting on and off while dealing with animals and feeding out.
Herd Manager, Hayley Hoogendyk (Dairy Manager of the Year in 2017), operates the Landini Landforce most days and feels safe with the heavy build and the good visibility. “I haven’t been on a farm with hills before, but at no point have I felt concerned. It’s very stable.”
The manual gear box has a range of options and powershift to make it safe on this kind of terrain. The wider rubber tyres soften out when doing bale work, and the physical weight for the tractor size makes this a very safe unit. With a fleet made up of previous Case IH and New Holland purchases, the Landini Landforce fills a gap with features Peter couldn’t find in another brand of tractor.
In the summer months, Peter plans to use the Landini Landforce for general maintenance work like fencing. The heavy back end on the tractor, the high flow pump, and the free return will be ideal for fitting the post rammer. The ROPS will again be the perfect choice for all the getting in and out that’s required.
Peter has had the Landini Landforce for a couple of months now, and he thinks it was exactly the right choice for his dairy farm. “It’s got everything we need. We’re not paying for extra frills that aren’t necessary, or buttons that we won’t use.”
As the work changes with the season, this tractor will move from spring calving into the summer fencing. The forecast ahead is for a thumping good summer and the Landini Landforce will still be earning its keep.