Check out the finalists of the 2024 Machine of the Year award
6 September 2024
Sheep feedlot and containment specialist Justin Dunn designed The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter to win highly commended in the 2023 Machine of the Year Award. Pic: Supplied
An article by Natasha Lobban
The countdown is on to find out which cutting edge technology will win the 2024 Henty Machine of the Year Award.
Announced on the opening day of the event, this “farmers’ choice’’ award is presented to the most outstanding new piece of agricultural machinery exhibited at the Henty Machinery Field Days, which will this year be held on September 17 to 19.
The award is judged by an independent panel of regional primary producers.
In many cases the machine has gone on to become a standard piece of equipment on farms.
Judging criteria includes the machine’s purpose and suitability, scope of application, construction, ease of maintenance and service, ease of operation and adjustment, availability of parts and overall value for money.
In 2023, entries ranged from a manure spreader, heavy-duty double row aerator, an automatic horse feeder, self-propelled sprayer, trailed mower conditioner, pump, wheeled loader, chaser bin, mechanical interrow weeder, draper platform, a passive, automatic sheep drafter and an autonomous orchard sprayer.
The award drew 23 entries with the GUSS autonomous sprayer, entered by Hutcheon & Pearce, impressing judges with its innovation, engineering and design. Highly commended was The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter entered by Justin Dunn, of Temora.
This year’s line-up also includes a grain tube conveyor, petrol driven hot water pressure cleaner, bulk bin feeder, fencing innovation, super seed and fertiliser bin, large square baler, silage tipper trailer, self-propelled sprayer, portable bushfire protection system, trailing spreader and the world’s widest draper platform at 18.2m.
HMFD chairman Nigel Scheetz said a win at Henty gives the entrant valuable exposure for their product.
“Henty continues to showcase the latest in agricultural technology - the entrants certainly excelled last year, and we are expecting the innovation will be repeated this year.”
The GUSS autonomous sprayer on display at the field days was at the time one of less than 10 in Australia with the others field proven in almond orchards in the Sunraysia and Riverina districts.
Mr Dunn won the highly commended award with The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter, after being an entrant the previous year with the Road Runner, an off grid and solar powered loaded automated feeder with online connectivity. He was also the winner of the 2018 Henty Agri-Innovator Award.
Mr Scheetz paid tribute to the excellence in design displayed by all entrants, which varied from battery chargers to sprayers and disc chains.
“The competition is very well supported, and we appreciate the interest each year from local and international businesses,” he said.
An additional accolade at Henty is the Greater Hume Council Award for the best new Australian designed and manufactured machine. It is judged on the Monday and presented on the Wednesday of the field days.
2024 Machine of the Year entries include:
BA Group - Pumps & Sprayers LM Linkage Sprayer is a shift towards a more efficient, safer, and productive spraying solution for farmers. This innovative product, allows you to cover more ground with complete control from the tractor seat.
Bauer - Machine fully compatible with SmartRain Bauer App.
Clever Gate Co - patent pending and is a self-aligning, double hinged gate that can be end mounted on any post and will open fully in either direction flat against the fence. The double hinge self aligns back into position upon closing.
Commander Agriculture - With experience and knowledge of over 30 years in the grain handling manufacturing industry, the Grain Commander tube conveyors combine operator safety, practicality and efficiency for the ultimate grain handling solution.
Farm Tech - 40m Silage Tipper Trailers built in the same Wodonga Factory as Ausmix with Australian Bluescope steel.
Goldacres - Goldacres G4 Crop Cruiser Series 2, lightweight self-propelled sprayer with increased comfort, industry leading boom ride and quickest filling system on the market.
Metalform Ag - Introducing the Tow and Fert MultiCrop 4000. Now with 1800mm tyres, up to 3m wheel width, 800mm ground clearance - spray widths up to 24m - soon to be 36m. Options includes a 500 liter wash down tank, Hiab crane and dual spray control.
Mozzie Fire - Portable bushfire protection system able to be used in a wide range on applications across any size farm.
QuikFence - The FastFencer Jr has been created for farmers that only want to use a parent machine up to 100hp. They have the option of carrying 1 or 2 rolls of fence mesh rolls. To save weight it only has one clamping arm to tension the wire when erecting the fence.
Steele Steel - The Maxi Feeder bulk bin is our latest design after popular demand for a larger multi-purpose capacity holding bin. With a 10TN bin capacity on all terrain walker, this machine is great for bulk feeding and fertislising, feed lotting and working.
Trac Mac - Large square bale feeder/straw spreader.
