Potential Troubles with Chinese Agricultural Relationships Loom

Just a few short weeks after the Aussie news was full of new agricultural trade deals done with China, comes the rather sad revelation that the United States and other nations are not satisfied with China’s efforts to either open up its own markets or reduce its subsidies to its own agricultural exporters.Read More

Maximum Inclines for Kubota Tractors – the Perennial Question

We’re occasionally asked questions relating to the maximum permissible incline for equipment such as tractors and lawnmowers.

This is a notoriously difficult question to answer in isolation because there are just so many variables involved. For More detail Visit http://www.whitestractors.com.au/blog/157-maximum-inclines-for-kubota-tractors-the-perennial-question.html

Kubota’s Safety Seat

In spite of huge improvements in tractor and lawnmower safety, every year their drivers continue to be seriously injured or in some cases killed due to poor safety practices.

Ultimately, no manufacturer’s equipment can ever totally guarantee to protect people from their own mistakes or the tendencies to try and bypass safety systems for one reason or another. Yet few if any manufacturers have gone further in their efforts to make tractors as safe as possible than Kubota Tractors.(Continue Reading...)

How to Mow right up to that Tree or Fence

Many of us will have experienced the frustration of looking behind us at an immaculately mown lawn, only to notice that there is a thin strip running along the fence we haven’t touched plus several around trees and other garden ornaments.

How to deal with this predicament, short of going and getting out those old-fashioned garden shears?

More Good News for Livestock Exporters

Many people working in farming will tell you that good news hasn’t exactly been in plentiful supply over recent years.

However, it’s possible that things are turning a corner because we have recently seen a spate of encouraging announcements.

They largely relate to the opening up of various markets that have typically been closed or at best difficult to access for the Australian agricultural community. 

What is ‘ROPS’ on a Tractor?

Modern tractors are very robust and safe vehicles if they are used within the manufacturer’s stated performance envelopes.

However, in certain situations they can, by definition, also be dangerous and tractors rolling over was once one of the commonest forms of serious and fatal agricultural injury.

As you can imagine, even with some of the smaller models, you wouldn’t want to be underneath a tractor if you somehow managed to accidentally turn it over.

That is why, by law, all tractors above a certain weight, including Kubota tractors, must have some sort of ‘ROPS’ fitted. That actually stands for ‘Roll Over Protection System’ and it acts to ensure that there is something in place to stop the tractor rolling over directly on top of the driver in an accident situation. 

Interestingly enough, the system has its origins in Sweden during the 1950s and it became a legal requirement, under specified circumstances, in Australia during 1981/82.

It’s an incredible fact and a tribute to ROPS that since its introduction, there has been a 72 per cent decline in roll-over accident fatalities within the farming industry. 

Be Careful about Private Cash Purchases

We make no apologies for pretty consistently recommending that you should only buy used farm equipment from a quality and professional source. It’s also important to generally select good-quality equipment.

Having said that, we recognise that people will make their own decisions and it isn’t our intention to try and frighten anybody off going for a private purchase bargain if they think they’ve seen one. Even so, we do need to remind people to keep a few things in mind when paying by cash for a private purchase of farm equipment.

Remember that one of the biggest advantages of paying by cheque, bank transfer or card, is that you have an audit trail of how much you paid should you ever need to use it.

Now we’ve said before that when purchasing from a private individual, you probably don’t have too many consumer protection rights but what protection you do have may be even further watered down in situations where you can’t prove how much you paid for the item concerned or to whom you paid the money.