Based just outside Croom in Co Limerick, Pádraig Condron runs a spring-calving dairy herd. Three years ago, Pádraig decided that it was time to buy a compact, handy-sized loader for working around the yard.
He wanted to try to invest in a machine that would minimise the physical workload on the farm. This would mainly be in charge of pushing in silage across his 25 bays of feed passage and cleaning out the calving and calf sheds.
Upon looking to the market place at used machines, he was shocked to see what he would have to fork out to buy himself one of the more perceived premium machines.
He then began to look at the lower-cost Chinese-built machines. He demoed two loaders from his nearest dealership, Adare Hire, and was impressed with what he saw. He then decided to buy a new Adare 810, ahead of the 2023 winter feeding season.
“I made the decision to purchase the Adare 810 solely down to price. I’m making a living off the farm, so I need to financially justify every investment I make on the farm,” he said.
“At the time, I paid €23,500 for the loader. When buying the machine, I was happy to know it had a Kubota engine and Italian hydraulics. After trying a machine with and without a cab, I decided to go with the machine which had the bare canopy.
“Almost all work the machine is used for is indoors, so to keep things simple and improve visibility I went for this option. I got a bucket grab and a wide bucket made for it from Rohan Engineering. The grab is a super job; it allows me to clean out the straw-bedded sheds without having to leave the seat. The loader has cut down on the time I spend cleaning out sheds by at least 70%.”
The Adare 810 is fitted with a 25hp Kubota engine and a hydrostatic transmission with a top forward speed of 12km/h. With an operating weight of 1,750kg, the loader has a 750kg lift capacity.
Verdict on Adare 810
“There isn’t a day on the farm that the loader doesn’t do some kind of work, but I don’t use it for any heavy-duty work, I want to mind it, and keep it long term.
“The loader hasn’t set a foot wrong. Its fit to lift an 8x4x4 bale of straw, a bale of hay or a dry bale of silage, but I don’t even try and lift wet bales with it. In my eyes, the loader is great value for money. I would like the forward speed to be that bit faster”, said Padraig.
Likes
Visibility.Easy to operate.Very agile.Dislikes
Paintwork could be better.
The HaiHong CTX200.
Purchase of a larger loader
Up to 12 months ago, all of the heavy-duty loader work on the farm was carried out with a Massey Ferguson 390T, fitted with a Moffet conversion. This included works such as loading of the diet feeder and loading the dung spreader.
Pádraig explained that the machine was simply worn out, and looked to the market to see what he could purchase. Pádraig asked the lads in Adare Hire about the chance to demo a HaiHong loader. After the demo, he made the decision to purchase the machine.
The Haihong cab.
Verdict on HaiHong CTX200
“The fact that I am based relatively close to Adare Hire, and have seen at first hand the stock of parts they carry for these machines and the service they provide, gives me peace of mind to invest in these machines. There is certainly an element that you pay for what you get, but I feel that they are still value for money.
“The CTX 200 is a simple machine, it’s easy to use, easy to access and works well. There are very little electrics on it, and all main components are easy to access. The only optional extra we fitted was a dump valve to relieve any pressure in the hydraulic line.
“After its first season on the farm, I’m very happy with the machine,” said Padraig.
Likes
Reversing camera.Easy to use.Great backup service.Dislikes
Would like faster hydraulics.Paintwork could be better.Adare Hire
Over the past decade, there has been an influx of Chinese-built loaders and telehandlers distributed into Ireland and across Europe.
With some of these units it’s not unusual to see the same mechanical machine painted in different colours with different stickers. Some brands have disappeared almost as quick as they landed, while others seem to be standing the test of time.
One Limerick company that is solely focusing on Chinese-built loaders is Adare Hire. Having first imported wheel loaders from China in 2017, the firm has since retailed close to 400 machines throughout the country.
The company first started importing Chinese machines in 2017. Initially, they purchased machines through a Polish company named Schmidt.
The first loaders were acquired for its hire fleet, but it said that based on customer feedback, they seen a market in Ireland to retail these machines, mainly for work such as feeding livestock.
Today, they still deal with Schmidt, but also required larger loaders. They began to deal with Haihong in China in 2019.
In 2021, they explained they began dealing with the Chinese company which produce all the mini loaders, which they previously retailed as the Schmidt brand and are now sold under the Adare brand in Ireland.
Are they reliable? Are there parts available?
When it comes to Chinese loaders, people generally ask about three things: parts, resale value and reliability. We put these same questions to Adare Hire. They explained that they carry a comprehensive range of spare parts and to date have never run into difficulty, but have the option of flying in parts directly from the factory in China, if need be.
In terms of reliability, Adare Hire says that it carries out a comprehensive pre-delivery inspection and modification regime on all loaders. It says this includes alterations which improve the operation of the machines.
With most machines out on farms feeding livestock, Adare Hire says its farmer clients are putting up 350 to 500 hours per year. It says its highest hours’ loader has just over 3,500 hours on the clock.
The range
The Adare range is made up of six models. It starts at 37hp and tops out at 50hp. Lift capacities range from 480kg to 1,500kg. It uses all Kubota engines and hydrostatic transmissions.
The HaiHong range is larger and comprises of five models. The range starts at 60hp and goes up to 135hp. It uses all stage V certified Chinese engines. Lift capacities with this range start at 1,500kg and go up to 3,000kg.
A new HaiHong CTX 200 would retail at €36,500 plus VAT, while Adare Hire says a typical engine service kit (engine, oil and air filters) costs €86.46 plus VAT.
Specs
Make: HaiHong. Model: CTX 200 Hi Reach model.Engine: Xinchai Stage V.Horsepower: 80hp.Loading height: 13.5-foot. Tyres: BKT 440/65-24 tubeless. Road speed: 35km/h road speed. Warranty: 12 months.Price: €36,500 plus VAT.
Based just outside Croom in Co Limerick, Pádraig Condron runs a spring-calving dairy herd. Three years ago, Pádraig decided that it was time to buy a compact, handy-sized loader for working around the yard.
He wanted to try to invest in a machine that would minimise the physical workload on the farm. This would mainly be in charge of pushing in silage across his 25 bays of feed passage and cleaning out the calving and calf sheds.
Upon looking to the market place at used machines, he was shocked to see what he would have to fork out to buy himself one of the more perceived premium machines.
He then began to look at the lower-cost Chinese-built machines. He demoed two loaders from his nearest dealership, Adare Hire, and was impressed with what he saw. He then decided to buy a new Adare 810, ahead of the 2023 winter feeding season.
“I made the decision to purchase the Adare 810 solely down to price. I’m making a living off the farm, so I need to financially justify every investment I make on the farm,” he said.
“At the time, I paid €23,500 for the loader. When buying the machine, I was happy to know it had a Kubota engine and Italian hydraulics. After trying a machine with and without a cab, I decided to go with the machine which had the bare canopy.
“Almost all work the machine is used for is indoors, so to keep things simple and improve visibility I went for this option. I got a bucket grab and a wide bucket made for it from Rohan Engineering. The grab is a super job; it allows me to clean out the straw-bedded sheds without having to leave the seat. The loader has cut down on the time I spend cleaning out sheds by at least 70%.”
The Adare 810 is fitted with a 25hp Kubota engine and a hydrostatic transmission with a top forward speed of 12km/h. With an operating weight of 1,750kg, the loader has a 750kg lift capacity.
Verdict on Adare 810
“There isn’t a day on the farm that the loader doesn’t do some kind of work, but I don’t use it for any heavy-duty work, I want to mind it, and keep it long term.
“The loader hasn’t set a foot wrong. Its fit to lift an 8x4x4 bale of straw, a bale of hay or a dry bale of silage, but I don’t even try and lift wet bales with it. In my eyes, the loader is great value for money. I would like the forward speed to be that bit faster”, said Padraig.
Likes
Visibility.Easy to operate.Very agile.Dislikes
Paintwork could be better.
The HaiHong CTX200.
Purchase of a larger loader
Up to 12 months ago, all of the heavy-duty loader work on the farm was carried out with a Massey Ferguson 390T, fitted with a Moffet conversion. This included works such as loading of the diet feeder and loading the dung spreader.
Pádraig explained that the machine was simply worn out, and looked to the market to see what he could purchase. Pádraig asked the lads in Adare Hire about the chance to demo a HaiHong loader. After the demo, he made the decision to purchase the machine.
The Haihong cab.
Verdict on HaiHong CTX200
“The fact that I am based relatively close to Adare Hire, and have seen at first hand the stock of parts they carry for these machines and the service they provide, gives me peace of mind to invest in these machines. There is certainly an element that you pay for what you get, but I feel that they are still value for money.
“The CTX 200 is a simple machine, it’s easy to use, easy to access and works well. There are very little electrics on it, and all main components are easy to access. The only optional extra we fitted was a dump valve to relieve any pressure in the hydraulic line.
“After its first season on the farm, I’m very happy with the machine,” said Padraig.
Likes
Reversing camera.Easy to use.Great backup service.Dislikes
Would like faster hydraulics.Paintwork could be better.Adare Hire
Over the past decade, there has been an influx of Chinese-built loaders and telehandlers distributed into Ireland and across Europe.
With some of these units it’s not unusual to see the same mechanical machine painted in different colours with different stickers. Some brands have disappeared almost as quick as they landed, while others seem to be standing the test of time.
One Limerick company that is solely focusing on Chinese-built loaders is Adare Hire. Having first imported wheel loaders from China in 2017, the firm has since retailed close to 400 machines throughout the country.
The company first started importing Chinese machines in 2017. Initially, they purchased machines through a Polish company named Schmidt.
The first loaders were acquired for its hire fleet, but it said that based on customer feedback, they seen a market in Ireland to retail these machines, mainly for work such as feeding livestock.
Today, they still deal with Schmidt, but also required larger loaders. They began to deal with Haihong in China in 2019.
In 2021, they explained they began dealing with the Chinese company which produce all the mini loaders, which they previously retailed as the Schmidt brand and are now sold under the Adare brand in Ireland.
Are they reliable? Are there parts available?
When it comes to Chinese loaders, people generally ask about three things: parts, resale value and reliability. We put these same questions to Adare Hire. They explained that they carry a comprehensive range of spare parts and to date have never run into difficulty, but have the option of flying in parts directly from the factory in China, if need be.
In terms of reliability, Adare Hire says that it carries out a comprehensive pre-delivery inspection and modification regime on all loaders. It says this includes alterations which improve the operation of the machines.
With most machines out on farms feeding livestock, Adare Hire says its farmer clients are putting up 350 to 500 hours per year. It says its highest hours’ loader has just over 3,500 hours on the clock.
The range
The Adare range is made up of six models. It starts at 37hp and tops out at 50hp. Lift capacities range from 480kg to 1,500kg. It uses all Kubota engines and hydrostatic transmissions.
The HaiHong range is larger and comprises of five models. The range starts at 60hp and goes up to 135hp. It uses all stage V certified Chinese engines. Lift capacities with this range start at 1,500kg and go up to 3,000kg.
A new HaiHong CTX 200 would retail at €36,500 plus VAT, while Adare Hire says a typical engine service kit (engine, oil and air filters) costs €86.46 plus VAT.
Specs
Make: HaiHong. Model: CTX 200 Hi Reach model.Engine: Xinchai Stage V.Horsepower: 80hp.Loading height: 13.5-foot. Tyres: BKT 440/65-24 tubeless. Road speed: 35km/h road speed. Warranty: 12 months.Price: €36,500 plus VAT. 
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