New Zealand farmer George Morrison, 78, still does most of the tractor work for sons Donald and Andrew, who run separate enterprises near Gore, Southland. He took Rhian Price for a tour around his machinery yard

How loyal are you to your brands?

We aren’t really loyal to a particular brand. We have four or five different makes in the shed, including Valtra, Massey Ferguson and Fendt.

Which is your favourite dealer and why?

JJ’s Ltd, Gore, because they deliver a good service and most times can get parts delivered quickly.

Favourite piece of kit?

I have a Kverneland semi-mounted plough I quite like, because I can plough steep hills quite safely. The steepest I work is about 34°. After that, gravity beats you with a tractor.

Least favourite piece of kit?

Our mower, because I spend hours on it in the summer, topping grass paddocks (about 1,350ha). It’s a 3.5m mounted disc mower, but it would be good to have a bit more mowing capacity.

See also: Map: Best of our What’s in Your Shed series

Latest buy? What do you think?

Two years ago we bought a Massey Ferguson 180hp tractor. It has already clocked up 1,500 hours and it performs well.

Oldest machine still going?

1940 International Harvester Farmall M. It still gets used for raking hay and my hobby, tractor dancing.

How long do you keep your machines?

Too long from an economic point of view, probably. We tend to keep them and repair them rather than buy new.

Next on the wish list?

My Bedford 1975 truck needs some work on the chassis so we are looking at changing that.

Most embarrassing mistake?

I was carting some spoil to fill up a culvert using a Ford semi-trailer. I pulled parallel to the ditch to tip off the soil but unfortunately half the load slipped off and the other half hung in the trailer on the one side, causing it to turn upside down in the hole. We had to get a crane to lift it out.

Most awkward grease nipple?

The one on the PTO shaft. You have to take it off to grease it. I was just cursing it recently.

Best invention?

Currently it is a round bale feeder made out of plastic PVC pipes. They cost only NZ$100 (£45) to make and I’ve now made 25 or so.

What couldn’t you live without in the workshop?

The welder. It’s the thing that gets used the most.

Do you buy secondhand?

Quite a lot. You have to watch what you spend your money on and there are some good deals to be found. The plough was second-hand but I went over all of it and put new cultivators on it.

Favourite job?

I like working the diggers. We have a David Brown 990 back acter for drainage maintenance and a 12t O and K track digger for roadways and clearance.

What’s your everyday transport?

A Nissan Navara 3-litre diesel double cab (2003).

Best tractor?

615 Fendt. It was also our best bargain. It was secondhand when we bought it and if we didn’t have it we would have never been able to cultivate our steep paddocks.

Biggest machinery myth?

Fuel efficiency. Power is always related to the amount of diesel used. You never get something for nothing.

Any toys or classics in the shed?

A 1907 Garrett steam tractor. It is the only originally built 4hp single-cylinder steam tractor in operation. We also have a 1938 Farmall F30 International Harvester.

What would you buy if you won the lottery?

A new 3-litre V6 Nissan to give me more power for towing.