As part of our regular series looking at how farmers and contractors manage their machinery, Nick Fone talks to Northumberland contractor Roger Dickinson

Farm factfile

JO Straughan & Co, Northumberland

Contracting: Stubble-to-stubble: 2,025ha

Combining: 1,215ha

Foraging: 2,025ha of grass silage, 405ha of wholecrop and 200ha maize

Baliing: 20,000 Hesstons, 10,000 Quadrants and 5,000 mini-Hesstons

Other activities: Land reclamation after open-cast mining and all types of groundworks

In the shed

Forager: Claas Jaguar 960 and a 890 Speedstar

Combine: Claas Lexion 570 and two 600 TTs

Tractors: Five John Deere 6930’s, two 7530s, a 6920-S, a 6910-S, two 7920’s and an 8320, a Claas Axion 820, a Fendt 930 and 936, a Challenger MT765-B and a Case Quadtrac STX440

Handlers: JCB Loadall 541-70, TM 310-S, FarmMaster 416-S and 414-S

Excavators: Volvo EC160LC, two JCB JS 130’s, a 4CX and a Caterpillar 953c Traxcavator

Balers: Krone 12130 BigPack, NH BB980, Claas Quadrant 2200, MF 185, two Claas Rollant 365 round balers and a Walton Eclipse bale-chaser

Swathers: two Claas Maxis

Drills: 4m and 8m Vaderstad Rapids plus three Kuhn power-harrow combinations

Ploughs: 5-furrow mounted plus 5-, 6- & 7-furrow semi-mounted Kvernelands

Trailers: 11 x 12t & 14t Baileys plus three low-loaders

Muckspreaders: 3 x 12t ECEs plus two 12t Bunning

Lorry: Volvo FM12 artic with low-loader and bulker trailers

More from our What’s in Your Shed series

20 questions

What are your favourite machinery makes?

Mainly John Deere for tractors because our drivers like them and they’re reliable. That said, they’re not always the best for every job and we need specific machines for specific tasks. That’s why we got the heavier Claas Axion, the two Fendts, the Challenger and the Quadtrac. It’s always Claas for foragers and combines because the service we get from our dealer and the company as a whole is fantastic. The Lexions and Jaguars are the cheapest machines we run – they’re just so reliable.

Favourite dealer?

Rickerbys at Alnwick for Claas and Kuhn and then Claytons at Sedgefield for JD but that’s over 50 miles away.

Favourite tractor?

Currently it’s got to be the JD7530. Its AutoPowr CVT gearbox and suspension make it a really comfortable machine to drive and the power-to-weight ratio seems just right. My favourite tractor of all time has to be the JD3650 – ours did 6000 hours and never missed a beat.

Favourite piece of kit?

Claas Jaguar 890 Speedstar – simple, straightforward machine with plenty of room to work on it. That said, the Lexion 600TT 4wd really is the Rolls-Royce of the combine world.

Least favourite piece of kit?

Case IH Magnum 7140. It was a disaster from day one from transmission through to brakes and hydraulics. I’ve never seen a tractor spread out in so many pieces across a workshop floor.

Latest purchase?

Claas 960 forager, Challenger MT765, Vaderstad Rapid 800, Lexion 600TT, Volvo EC160 digger, JD 6930 and two 7530s, Claas Axion 820 and Fendt 936 – it’s been an expensive year for us!

Oldest piece of machinery still at work?

John Deere 6910-S – now full time on the mid-mount hedge-trimmer the driver loves it.

Most embarrassing incident?

During the 1980s our Ford TW15 was crossing a railway line when a hydraulic hose burst. Instantly the four-furrow plough it was carrying dropped and the front point wedged under the rail. The main east coast line was shut for four hours while we tried to untangle it.

Most awkward grease nipple?

Rear rotor bearings on larger hybrid Claas Lexions.

What couldn’t your live without in the workshop?

The MIG welder and 50t hydraulic press.

Best piece of advice?

Our motto is “Always endeavour to get it right first time – you may never get a second chance.” I saw that at a John Deere dealer many years ago and it’s now up on a big sign on our machinery shed wall.

Best bargain?

When we bought it, our 4m Vaderstad drill was just three months old and had only sown 250 acres. We got it for £15,000 – they’re £31,000 new.

Favourite job?

Driving the forager. You’re at the hub of the whole team and you can make sure everything runs smoothly.

Worst job?

Cleaning out the big square balers at the end of the season.

When you’re not in the tractor, what do you drive?

A Land Rover Discovery TDV6. It’s the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. I had five Isuzu Troopers before that but the Discovery is in a different league.

What’s on your wish-list?

Another big shed so that we can get all the kit in undercover.