Sheffield-based CDG Farm Services run by Chris Gregory from Four Acres Farm, Todwick, has operated Vicon round balers since he started in business, some 15 years ago.
“I’ve had RV1601’s, RV4200’s and my current fleet includes a pair of RV5216’s,” says Chris. “And there’s nothing out there at the moment that will make me change my mind.”
CDG Farm Services operates a variety of contract operations for local customers, including mowing, tedding, raking and round baling of grass, haylage and straw.
He says baler reliability, bale quality, and local dealer back-up through Farmstar, is what keeps him with the Vicon brand.
CDG Farm Services produces a range of 4ft and 5ft bales to suit its customers’ requirements, with each baler producing around 10,000 bales each season.
“They make a good bale, and our customers tell us they are easy to unroll and use,” he says.
His newest RV has completed its first season, while the other machine – bought as an ex-demo unit – has now covered two seasons.
“The oldest baler may be replaced at the end of this year – it’ll have done around 35,000 bales by then, and will suit an operator who doesn’t need to make thousands of bales each year.”
“We don’t have time to repair kit mid-season, so we need to ensure that when we start baling, our kit is fully serviced and refreshed where necessary, so we can maintain performance and reliability for our customers,” says Chris. “These balers have been so good, that I’d consider a set of Vicon mowers when my mower needs replacing.”
Typically, he says each baler can produce 500 bales/day in grass, and 6-700 in straw.
“My best day was in straw, making 5ft bales,” he recalls. “I was told there was plenty of straw, and I’d set myself a target of 1,000 bales before midnight. I was gutted when I ran out of straw at 987 bales.”
April 2020