“With livestock, our tractors are needed every day for feeding and bedding, so reliability is essential,” says Staffordshire farmer Jason Beeson, who currently operates an M5111 and an M7132, both equipped with loaders, and supplied and serviced by JAB Agri.
Based at Ashcroft Farm, Kingstone, J Beeson & Sons run a herd of 100 suckler cows and followers on its all-grassland operation. And over the last 14 years, Jason’s investment in a succession of Kubota tractors has paid off with reliability and residual values.
“We’ve never needed to buy a starter motor, battery or alternator for any of our Kubota tractors,” says Jason. “Our Kubota tractors have proved to be the pinnacle of reliability, and they also represent superb value for money.”
“While we don’t do big hours in short periods, we do need them both to start every single day of the year,” he adds.
He says that the farm’s preference for smaller tractors has previously included ME9000 and M5091 models, and both proved essential for their access to traditional buildings.
“The latest M5111 is a great example of how this size of tractor really works for us,” he says. “It’s agile around the yard with its portal front axle, and has a low overall cab height. And with 115hp, it packs a good punch too. It just doesn’t disappoint.”
With its farming activities taking place at multiple locations around Kingstone, the ability to move quickly and easily between livestock units has become a more integral part of the operation. And that requirement put the emphasis on moving up to a tractor with a 50kph transmission.
“We bought the M7132 primarily for its higher road speed,” he says. “We also have a 27ft low loader trailer, which is handy for moving silage and straw bales between the three farms – and it’s equally as useful when it comes to moving kit around, too. That big four-cylinder engine is gutsy.”
With a loader on the M7132, Jason says the farm has flexibility for how it chooses to operate, though both tractors can do pretty much the same jobs.
“While the M5 is better suited to working around the buildings, the larger, more powerful M7 is far more capable with field work and much quicker on trailer duties,” he says. “We’ve got the best of both worlds.”
