Convinced after first test of prototype
Convinced after first test of prototype
One of seven Fastracs operated by Suffolk contractor John Orford (inset).
THE Fastrac was still a closely guarded secret when John Orford heard a rumour about a new high-speed tractor from JCB, and his initial inquiries were greeted with a polite but firm "no comment".
The response was not as negative as it sounded, as it was later followed by an invitation to join a small group of farmers and contractors who were field testing the prototype Fastracs, and Mr Orford used one in his farming and contracting business at Hill Farm, Fersfield, Diss, Norfolk.
In spite of some concerns about reliability, the basic concept of the Fastrac was ideal, he decided. When production started in 1991 Mr Orford already had two Fastracs on order, and there are seven of them in the eight-tractor fleet he currently operates.
When his first two Fastracs, a 125 and a 145, arrived in October 1991 it was soon evident that there were still some teething troubles to be sorted out, but it was also an opportunity to test the back-up available from JCB Landpower, and John Orford was impressed.
"I had previously used Mercedes-Benz MB-tracs and I was looking for a replacement," says Mr Orford. "The Fastrac was not just a replacement for the MB-trac, it was much more advanced with completely new technical features, and it is hardly surprising that they didnt get everything quite right when production started.
"What impressed me was that the Fastrac concept offered more than any other tractor, and the back-up from JCB was excellent. Fortunately the dealer who now looks after our tractors is equally efficient.
"We have been relying on Fastracs for virtually all our tractor work for several years now, and as far as I am concerned they are as reliable as any other tractor, they do much more and are far more comfortable."
Mr Orfords farming business has recently expanded to 200ha (500 acres) of combinable crops and sugar beet, and his GJ Orford & Partners contracting business also covers a wide range of arable operations and includes whole-farm contracting and share farming. Apart from one ordinary tractor used mainly for loader work, Fastracs look after all the field work and they also haul the sugar beet from Mr Orfords 40ha (100-acre) crop to the nearest factory – a 40-mile round trip.
"I certainly wouldnt transport the beet with an ordinary tractor, and the faster speed helps in other ways as well," he says.
"Drivers on contract work spend less time travelling and more time working, and as they can always bring the tractor home at night we never have to arrange a van to collect them in the evening or take fuel out to the tractors. But they are not simply road tractors – in my experience they are a match for any other tractor for field work."
Mr Orfords Fastrac fleet includes a Cummins powered 170hp 3185 model which does the ploughing and combi drilling, and one of his two 3155 tractors spends six months of the year working with a Knight demountable sprayer. He also has a 135-65, two 1135s and a 2135, and the oldest tractor in the fleet has an M registration number.
The most important development during the last 11 years, according to John Orford, is improved reliability and the increase in wheel size. *