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Spring 2011

A Very Effective Equipment Combination

Dairy Farm Relies on Trio of Bobcat Equipment

Marylander Holsteins, Inc. owner Tim Hummel with his S185.

Marylander Holsteins, Inc. owner Tim Hummel with his S185.

A well-matched equipment combination quickly found a home on Tim Hummel's new dairy farm in Western Canada. Five years later the two Bobcat machines — a V723 telehandler and a Toolcat™ 5600 utility work machine — have built a solid reputation for dependable performance. A newly added Bobcat® S185 skid-steer loader is also playing an important part in the farm's day-to-day success.

"When I purchased the Bobcat telehandler and Toolcat 5600 in 2005, I wanted machines that were durable and capable of efficiently handling specific jobs every day," says Hummel, owner of Marylander Holsteins, Inc., in Picture Butte, Alberta. "The telehandler and utility work machine were the best options for the way my dairy farm was set up."

Hummel purchased an existing dairy farm — 160 acres that are custom-farmed — and moved 60 cows over from the operation he had with his brother. He added 30 more and now milks 90 registered Holstein cattle. The free-stall barn and double six-herringbone milking parlor was in place; he installed alley scrapers to remove manure. "I didn't need a big tractor because I was not going to be doing a lot of field work," he says.

S185

Hummel's newest Bobcat machine is his S185 skid-steer loader.

The V723 and the 5600, purchased from local Bobcat dealer Evcon Farm Equipment, fit his needs perfectly. The telehandler is the main loading machine on the farm, handling feed and manure every day. "My silage pits are 12 to 13 feet high and with the V723 I can easily reach the top and remove the silage in layers instead of having to knock it down," Hummel says. "When it comes to manure, I scrape the pads, extend the boom over the feed bunk and dump the manure into the spreader. That allows me to keep the spreader outside the corrals and do a better job of cleaning them. The V723 is very handy for these two jobs."

He also uses the telehandler for plowing snow with the 1.5-yard bucket. A set of pallet forks and a bale fork attachment are used to move the square and round bales of straw Hummel uses for bedding.

The Toolcat utility work machine spends most of its time inside the barn, delivering chopped straw to the free stalls, pushing feed with the blade attachment and cleaning out the pens. "It easily maneuvers around the barn, going over the tracks that move the hydraulic scrapers and driving up and down the alleys. The 5600 does an excellent job. I consider it a cross between a loader and a small tractor."

V723

The V723 extends its boom to lift a round bale.

Recently an S185 skid-steer loader was purchased to move big square straw bales in the barn to bed down the straw packs. It also will be a welcome addition to help clean the straw packs and complement the Toolcat 5600. While noting that he made a large equipment investment with the V723 and the 5600, Hummel believes it was a wise decision. "After five years operating these machines I am extremely satisfied. They have done exactly what I expected them to do and they have held up to daily use very well."

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