Agricultural contractor Patrick Flynn operates an impressive contracting business based in Lusk, Co Dublin. Patrick started contacting over 23 years ago after taking over from his late father who had started the contracting business.
Today, Patrick trades as D&P Services and offers customers within a 30-mile radius various services such as ploughing, harrowing, dung and slurry spreading, mowing, baling and wrapping, as well as also buying and selling straw.
D&P also offers a waste handling service for the local area, disposing of various wastes from domestic and commercial clients.
“I operate out of Naul in north county Dublin and will travel around 30 miles from there for work. I cover the area from the M50 all the way up to Drogheda,” commented Pat.
Pat runs an impressive machinery fleet, which he regularly updates in order to offer his customers the most efficient and reliable service he possibly can. This is largely the reason he has chosen McHale as his choice of baler.
“I have been using McHale wrappers for over 17 years without any problems, but over the past number of years, good labour is getting harder and harder to find. This is a huge problem for me and it was this very reason that I went for the baler-wrapper combination.
“Initially working with a trailed wrapper, I bought my first Fusion 1 in 2003 and have never looked back since then,” said Pat. The Fusion allows Pat to do the job with one machine, one driver and one tank of fuel. It cuts down on labour costs, as well as fuel costs, plus he now only has to keep the tractor and Fusion updated instead of an extra tractor and wrapper.
Very reliabale
This year will be Patrick’s 13th season operating McHale Fusions. He bought his first Fusion 1 in 2003, which he kept for two seasons, before trading for another Fusion 1, which he kept for another two years.
Pat purchased the Fusion 2 after that, which he kept for longer, not trading it for five years, due to it being a more efficient machine when used in straw, according to Pat. Next came his first Fusion 3, which was traded this year for another one.
“I can’t say a bad word about McHale, as I have had no bad experiences. They are Irish-built for Irish conditions, which makes them very reliable, allowing me to get on and do my day’s work. As long as they keep their standards as high as they are, I have no reason to look elsewhere.”
The latest Fusion 3 offers Patrick the highest output of all the versions thus far, with bale outputs regularly of 60 per hour in ideal conditions. This is largely down to the machine’s reliability of transfer from the bale chamber to the wrapping table.
“I work on normally level ground here in Dublin, so hills are never an issue with me. The bale falls out on to the wrapping table and simply cannot go anywhere. I have never in 13 years had a problem with bale transfer.”
Also helping Patrick get maximum output out of his Fusion 3 is the fully automatic operation feature.
“The full auto mode allows me to concentrate on the job at hand without the need to press buttons or worry about anything on the baler, it simply looks after itself, all I have to do is press the clutch when the alarm sounds.”
Pat does not operate the auto drop function as he personally doesn’t like leaving the bales in groups of two, but the option is available to him.
“The larger monitor is definitely an improvement over the older machines. It is clear and easy to follow what is happening in the machine. This has made my working day less stressful and I am noticeably less tired after a long day.”
Patrick uses his Fusion 3 not only for silage, but also bales a large quantity of straw and hay for his customers in the area.
“The area where I am based is largely tillage and during the harvest, I cover a large area baling straw, mostly in 20ft to 25ft swathes, which the Fusion handles without any problem.”
The drop floor allows Pat the option to have the knives in place during silage baling and with the press of a button on the control panel, he can lower the knives out of the way and bale straw immediately.
Resale value
Commenting on the resale value on the McHale Fusions, Pat said: “This year I will be running my fifth Fusion and I am very pleased with the value I get out of the machine, both work-wise and when trading.
“As long as the machine is well maintained and has a reasonable bale count, then it commands a high resale value. Due to their popularity, the dealer has no problem getting a good price for second-hand Fusions and therefore can allow me an attractive cost to change, which is a win-win for everyone.”
Patrick carries out all servicing on his Fusion each winter at a cost of between €800 to €2,000, depending on the bale count and amount of parts needed to be replaced.
Clarkes Machinery are the dealer of choice for Patrick. “I have bought all my McHale Fusions off Clarkes and really cannot fault them in any way. They offer a truly 24/7 back-up service and will never see you stuck.
“What I like in particular is that they have all the parts in stock on the shelf or, if for whatever reason they don’t, they will have it within a few hours. That is the benefit of buying an Irish-built machine, the parts are never far away.
“I will never be left stuck with Clarkes. I have personally collected parts at 11 o’clock on a Sunday night without any problem. That type of service is invaluable to my business.”
Patrick has a great relationship built up over the years with both Clarkes and McHale’s.
“I find the guys in McHale’s very easy to get along with. I can always get someone at the end of the phone that is willing to help me and if needs be, a technician will call to the field to help me get the most out of my Fusion. It’s that level of customer service as well as the build quality, output and reliability of the machine that keeps me coming back to McHale year after year.”
Read more
Full coverage: Ploughing 2016
Agricultural contractor Patrick Flynn operates an impressive contracting business based in Lusk, Co Dublin. Patrick started contacting over 23 years ago after taking over from his late father who had started the contracting business.
Today, Patrick trades as D&P Services and offers customers within a 30-mile radius various services such as ploughing, harrowing, dung and slurry spreading, mowing, baling and wrapping, as well as also buying and selling straw.
D&P also offers a waste handling service for the local area, disposing of various wastes from domestic and commercial clients.
“I operate out of Naul in north county Dublin and will travel around 30 miles from there for work. I cover the area from the M50 all the way up to Drogheda,” commented Pat.
Pat runs an impressive machinery fleet, which he regularly updates in order to offer his customers the most efficient and reliable service he possibly can. This is largely the reason he has chosen McHale as his choice of baler.
“I have been using McHale wrappers for over 17 years without any problems, but over the past number of years, good labour is getting harder and harder to find. This is a huge problem for me and it was this very reason that I went for the baler-wrapper combination.
“Initially working with a trailed wrapper, I bought my first Fusion 1 in 2003 and have never looked back since then,” said Pat. The Fusion allows Pat to do the job with one machine, one driver and one tank of fuel. It cuts down on labour costs, as well as fuel costs, plus he now only has to keep the tractor and Fusion updated instead of an extra tractor and wrapper.
Very reliabale
This year will be Patrick’s 13th season operating McHale Fusions. He bought his first Fusion 1 in 2003, which he kept for two seasons, before trading for another Fusion 1, which he kept for another two years.
Pat purchased the Fusion 2 after that, which he kept for longer, not trading it for five years, due to it being a more efficient machine when used in straw, according to Pat. Next came his first Fusion 3, which was traded this year for another one.
“I can’t say a bad word about McHale, as I have had no bad experiences. They are Irish-built for Irish conditions, which makes them very reliable, allowing me to get on and do my day’s work. As long as they keep their standards as high as they are, I have no reason to look elsewhere.”
The latest Fusion 3 offers Patrick the highest output of all the versions thus far, with bale outputs regularly of 60 per hour in ideal conditions. This is largely down to the machine’s reliability of transfer from the bale chamber to the wrapping table.
“I work on normally level ground here in Dublin, so hills are never an issue with me. The bale falls out on to the wrapping table and simply cannot go anywhere. I have never in 13 years had a problem with bale transfer.”
Also helping Patrick get maximum output out of his Fusion 3 is the fully automatic operation feature.
“The full auto mode allows me to concentrate on the job at hand without the need to press buttons or worry about anything on the baler, it simply looks after itself, all I have to do is press the clutch when the alarm sounds.”
Pat does not operate the auto drop function as he personally doesn’t like leaving the bales in groups of two, but the option is available to him.
“The larger monitor is definitely an improvement over the older machines. It is clear and easy to follow what is happening in the machine. This has made my working day less stressful and I am noticeably less tired after a long day.”
Patrick uses his Fusion 3 not only for silage, but also bales a large quantity of straw and hay for his customers in the area.
“The area where I am based is largely tillage and during the harvest, I cover a large area baling straw, mostly in 20ft to 25ft swathes, which the Fusion handles without any problem.”
The drop floor allows Pat the option to have the knives in place during silage baling and with the press of a button on the control panel, he can lower the knives out of the way and bale straw immediately.
Resale value
Commenting on the resale value on the McHale Fusions, Pat said: “This year I will be running my fifth Fusion and I am very pleased with the value I get out of the machine, both work-wise and when trading.
“As long as the machine is well maintained and has a reasonable bale count, then it commands a high resale value. Due to their popularity, the dealer has no problem getting a good price for second-hand Fusions and therefore can allow me an attractive cost to change, which is a win-win for everyone.”
Patrick carries out all servicing on his Fusion each winter at a cost of between €800 to €2,000, depending on the bale count and amount of parts needed to be replaced.
Clarkes Machinery are the dealer of choice for Patrick. “I have bought all my McHale Fusions off Clarkes and really cannot fault them in any way. They offer a truly 24/7 back-up service and will never see you stuck.
“What I like in particular is that they have all the parts in stock on the shelf or, if for whatever reason they don’t, they will have it within a few hours. That is the benefit of buying an Irish-built machine, the parts are never far away.
“I will never be left stuck with Clarkes. I have personally collected parts at 11 o’clock on a Sunday night without any problem. That type of service is invaluable to my business.”
Patrick has a great relationship built up over the years with both Clarkes and McHale’s.
“I find the guys in McHale’s very easy to get along with. I can always get someone at the end of the phone that is willing to help me and if needs be, a technician will call to the field to help me get the most out of my Fusion. It’s that level of customer service as well as the build quality, output and reliability of the machine that keeps me coming back to McHale year after year.”
Read more
Full coverage: Ploughing 2016
SHARING OPTIONS