Garrett's thinking big with massive Multidrive M550

For Western Australia grain farmer Garrett Browning the decision to choose a Kellands Multidrive Sixtrac was an easy one because no other machine on the market could match the outstanding capacity of its 9,200-litre tank, or its perfect weight distribution.

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Based in the small outback town of Kondinin – 230 kms east of Perth - Garrett and his father Bruce farm more than 5,500 ha of crops, growing a mixture of field peas, canola, wheat, barley, and oats.

They needed a machine with the productivity to spray hundreds of hectares a day without lengthy downtime spent refilling the tank, while also delivering excellent reliability and low running costs.

Garrett explained: “For us there was no comparison because the Sixtrac’s huge tank capacity and wide 30m booms meant no other self-propelled machine could match it for productivity. It enables me to spray more than 320 hectares in a single afternoon.

“Build quality is also very important to us because here in Western Australia it could take a while to get back-up in the event of a failure, so we wanted a machine we could depend on. That’s where Kellands really impressed us because the craftsmanship is exceptional.”

Garrett and Bruce chose the Sixtrac machine after seeing one in action at a local Agricultural Show Field Day where the benefits of its mechanical drive, such as consistent traction and effective power delivery were put under the spotlight.

Bruce said: “We were very impressed with the stability of the machine because most large-capacity hydrostatic sprayers carry the weight on four wheels while the Multidrive spreads the weight over three axles and six wheels. This also prevents excessive wear on the tyres.

“Mechanical drive also delivers excellent fuel economy and means we can travel up to 50km/h on the road – even when fully loaded.”

The Brownings have used their Multidrive machine intensely for three years now – spraying for up to 10 months a year and covering thousands of ha, earning the machine a strong recommendation from both Garrett and Bruce.

Garrett said: “We would definitely recommend the Multidrive. It has everything a premium heavy-duty machine has but better. It’s economical, well-built, and excellent at spraying so we would definitely recommend it to others.”