New brands, new products and thousands of visitors at dealer event

Thousands of customers descended on the Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd Ulting depot in early February for the 2023 Doe Show. David Williams reports.

This year’s event was the 63rd Doe Show, and it marked the start of celebrations for the company’s 125th year of trading. “I’m really pleased – it was an excellent show,” commented sales director Graham Parker. “The nal day is usually quieter, but this year our teams remained busy dealing with enquiries and taking orders. We had new marquees where clothing, tools and sundries were displayed, and they were constantly packed with people taking advantage of the show o ers.”

The event is famous for exclusive o ers – available only for orders placed during the three show days. “As usual, we had a lot of clearance stock including exhire, ex-demonstration and ex-display machines, and it was all priced to sell. Those buying equipment could compare prices of brand-new machines on the trade stands and see that the discounted o ers were genuine. Large numbers of Marshall bale trailers were sold, and our stock of Maschio ail mowers sold out too,” he added.

Case IH and New Holland had the largest displays, featuring latest models from all the product lines. Those ordering Case IH tractors bene tted from extra discounts across the range and a trip to the factory in Austria, and New Holland tractors were o ered with a ve-year warranty, ve free services and 0% nance.

Horizon drills were added to the franchise list last year, in response to increased demand for premium products for reduced tillage crop establishment, and Ernest Doe Power general manager Ed Perry said that the two drills displayed were star attractions.

Other products generating large numbers of enquiries included KRM drills and fertiliser applicators, added Graham.

Construction machinery was also in demand, despite recent news headlines suggesting the sector is in decline. “There was some trepidation regarding these products, but feedback at the show was overwhelmingly positive and we achieved a good level of business throughout the three days for Hyundai excavators and Engcon attachments – especially the Tiltrotator. An order was con rmed for 50 Bomag rollers, and there are many enquiries for our sales teams to follow up,” stressed Graham.

The Doe Show is the dealer’s opportunity to acknowledge suppliers which have provided exceptional support. This year, the Ernest Doe & Sons Ltd Agricultural Supplier award went to Dalbo, the Construction Supplier award went to Strickland UK, continued over…

The dealer sold several Horizon drills last year, after taking on the new franchise in June. Two drills at the event attracted many enquiries, mainly from farmers already using direct drilling, strip tillage or no-till crop establishment techniques, but who were keen to nd out about the Horizon drill’s unique features. “The main motivation seems to be the reduced operating costs,” explained Horizon head of sales, Sam Illingworth. “Our disc design is extremely e cient, so smaller, lighter tractors can pull wider working widths, and the discs reduce soil disturbance and opportunities for grass weeds to establish.

“A challenge for most direct disc drills is hair-pinning, but our optional row cleaners run ahead of the discs clearing straw from their path. The cleaners have individual pneumatic pressure control which is set from the cab, as they need enough force to be e ective, but mustn’t penetrate and move the soil.

“The discs are angled and, as the drill moves forward, they naturally penetrate even in hard, dry conditions. The diagonal seed slot closes naturally with direct pressure from a press wheel. It’s a reliable and simple action,” he continued.

The modular design means sections can be added, up to a maximum 8m. Pictured with the drill are (l-r) Sam Illingworth, Ernest Doe Power and Horizon brand manager Ed Perry, Ernest Doe & Sons managing director Angus Doe and Ernest Doe general service manager Ken Smith.

and Best Groundcare Supplier was Wiedenmann. Coincidentally, the Dalbo European Dealer of the Year award was presented to Ernest Doe & Sons, also at the event.

Celebrating 125 years of trading, the show had a new format this year and feedback from visitors and suppliers was positive. Visitors arrived through a gallery of historic photographs and the display proved popular. Beyond this, smaller machinery, tools, accessories and country clothing were displayed under cover in the new marquee, which proved to be very popular.

“The Doe Show is a good indicator of the year to come, and it gives us a good idea regarding feelings within the industry. Farmers and contractors are looking forward to a prosperous year and investing in the latest machinery. Our new fruit and viticulture display attracted new and existing customers from across the South-East, and the construction industry is buoyant too,” concluded Graham. FG

The Iseki compact tractor and grass cutter range includes models from 23–65hp. The current best-selling SXG dedicated cut and collect mower series is being upgraded and new models are due soon. Improved collection, faster emptying, faster travel speeds, joystick hopper operation, an adjustable steering column and the addition of cruise control are among the improvements and, for the rst time, a dedicated rear discharge mower without collection will be available. “The SXG series has a strong reputation as the best cut and collect mower on the market,” suggested Iseki area sales manager Phil Sell. “The new models retain the best features including the cutter deck, but feature improvements where they will provide advantages.” Pictured (l-r) are Iseki UK product and marketing manager Richard Tyrrell; and area sales managers Phil Sell and John Cli ord.

The recently launched Puma 260CVX, with up to 300hp, had pride of place on the Case IH stand. “We are experiencing high demand for models across the range,” explained Case IH area sales manager John McAuley. “The Puma 260CVX is likely to become our best-selling tractor in the high horsepower segment, with wide appeal for transport and draft applications. The superb new AFS Connect cab has already proved popular on the latest Optum models, with an excellent all-around view from the seat and a great working environment. The Optum 300 has similar power but will appeal more to those wanting a tractor for heavy draft work, with its higher permissible gross vehicle weight and superior lift capacity.”

John said he is delighted by the dealer’s investment in a division dedicated to the fruit and viticulture industries. “Demand is growing for specialist tractors for this expanding market, and the division sales manager, Tom Wheatley will be a big advantage with his considerable knowledge and experience, as he understands what customers need and can provide practical, useful advice.”

Pictured are members of the Case IH team at the event (l-r) customer care manager for UK and Ireland Amy Foord, John McAuley, country service manager for UK and Ireland Neil Macer, and key account manager Anton Stander.

On the New Holland stand, special o ers across the tractor range resulted in large numbers of orders placed at the event. Attracting most attention was the latest New Holland T7.300 with up to 300hp available and equipped with the Horizon Ultra cab. With the T7.300 are (l-r) Ernest Doe & Sons managing director Angus Doe, New Holland brand communications manager Dawn Wightman and Sue Hart who is based at the Basildon plant.

On the Opico stand, as well as within the precision farming display area, the FarmDroid robotic seeder and weeder attracted interest. Fitted with seeding units, the FarmDroid uses ultra-precise GPS guidance to record where every seed was placed, then it uses the information to accurately weed the crop using inter-plant hoes.

From the Maschio line-up, power harrows continue selling well, and rigid 3m models and wider folding models over 5m are most popular currently with the dealer’s customers.

“The 5–7m Torro has a 400hp-rated transmission,” explained Opico Maschio territory sales manager, Matthew Ashton. “Modern tractors often have additional boost power for PTO work, so buying the right implements is essential.”

Opico

Reduce Operator Stress

• Operators no longer have to continuously look at the boom

• Allows operator to focus on drive path

• Operator can go faster

Cover More Acres

• Work day and night – sensors do not need light to “see”

• Take advantage of low wind conditions at night

• Spray faster – no manual boom adjustments

Other Benefits/Features

• Boom height control systems may offer other features such as Headlands Assist so that the boom can be automatically lifted and lowered at the end of the field

• Satisfaction guaranteed

Maintain Proper Spray Tip Height

• Increase application efficiency – get the most from your spray

• Too low = Streaking

• Too High = Drift Issues

• Ensures chemical application is not wasted due to improper boom height

Protect Sprayer From Damage

• Accurate control

• Avoid ground strikes

• Prevents downtime from repairing bent booms and broken spray nozzels

Hybrid Mode™

• An advanced crop sensing feature for in-crop spraying that eliminates the need for the operator to take manual control of the boom in a row crops or adverse situations such as lodged, thin and uneven crop Patented