The Valpadana tractor range will be re-launched into the fruit sector at the National Fruit Show on October 19/20 at Detling near Maidstone, Kent. This follows the decision to fully integrate the specialist manufacturer into the ARGO Tractors operation and transfer GB distribution to AgriArgo UK Ltd.
"Valpadana has previously been run as an independent business within the ARGO Group, making specialist tractors for orchard and soft fruit operations," notes Ray Spinks, General Manager and Sales Director at AgriArgo UK. "Now that it has been integrated into the ARGO Tractors division, which produces Landini and McCormick tractors, the Valpadana line comes to us as the established distributor of these products."
As a result of these organisational changes, the Valpadana product range will benefit from the economies of scale that arise from engineering and sourcing components to assemble up to 24,000 Landini and McCormick products every year.
"It also means that Valpadana tractors will be supported by the full-scale international parts operation run by ARGO Tractors," Ray Spinks points out. "This includes a European parts distribution hub in north-east France, which supports the extensive parts resources we maintain at our headquarters in Harworth near Doncaster."
Valpadana products are now available through AgriArgo UK and its separate Landini and McCormick dealer networks; one of the latest models will be shown on the National Fruit Show stand of Kent-based dealer Horsepower UK. With a total of more than 100 outlets throughout Great Britain, new and existing owners are assured of reliable service and parts support.
The line-up available in Britain comprises six different families of compact four-wheel drive tractors with a choice of articulated chassis or four-wheel steering creating a total of 24 individual models.
Reversible driving controls are a highlight of the 26hp 2730 hydrostatic drive tractor and the 54hp to 101hp 6600 and 9600 machines. This allows the operator to work the tractor in whichever direction best suits the task and equipment involved.
Because of the manoeuvrability and visibility this configuration provides, popular applications for the reverse drive mode include fruit box stacking and handling with a linkage-mounted forklift, and operating mowers and specialist top fruit maintenance equipment.
The ability to reduce width to less than 1m on the smaller models is attractive to growers wanting a relatively powerful tractor capable of working between narrow soft fruit rows.
"The Valpadana concept of a compact and very stable four-wheel drive tractor with excellent traction and flexible implement operation has been developed in recent years to include the more powerful models up to 100hp," says Ray Spinks. "As such, they are entirely complementary to our conventional Landini and McCormick machines, and are in many ways ideal for meeting the needs of fruit growers."
