Argo Tractors Ireland was formed two years ago to distribute McCormick and Landini tractors throughout Ireland.
It is now headed by Kevin Phelan, who is getting to grips with bolstering the market presence of the brands and bringing them closer to the customer.
In this, he is starting to enjoy some small success with sales actually showing a minor increase in a depressed market.
However, Phelan notes that the company is playing a long-term game and while extra sales are always welcome, he sees putting a sound and expanded dealership base in place as his main priority.
The modern tractor can be a complex machine and after sales service demands an ever greater level of expertise.
It is therefore essential that dealers are not only equipped to provide this but can also rely on the manufacturer to support them at all times.
Dedicated support
That support should also extend to providing sales and marketing back-up, and to do this, the manufacture needs to bring itself to farm level.
It is through the young company that Argo Tractors intend doing so.
This philosophy attunes itself well with the standard marketing approach we see daily, but it needs to be backed up with a solid product if anything is to be achieved.
McCormick recently addressed this facet directly with the launch of its new Clever Cab here in Ireland at Gurteen College.
This latest design is intended for the larger tractors in the range and has been dubbed the Clever Cab, not so much to reinforce its digital credentials but to underline the thought that has gone into its creation.
Bright and open
Billed as being 14% larger than its predecessor, the new cab does give an impression of light and space, thanks to its four pillar design and a door that therefore opens up one whole side of the cab.
This is a feature normally found in smaller tractors, so to find it at this level comes as a pleasant surprise and helps retain the connection with the outside environment as it dispels the feeling of being cocooned.
A bigger cab will entail a larger area of glass and greater potential for the cab to overheat, or at least place more stress on the air conditioning on sunnier days.
Yet McCormick have thought of this as well and have fitted a semi-reflective glass that is claimed to reduce the internal temperature by 6℃ whilst retaining perfect vision through the windscreen and windows.
That vision is greatly enhanced by the lack of side pillars and the slimline corner posts – it is not quite the same as sitting in an open operators’ station, but that is its effect.
Twin screens coming
In the present model year, the dashboard retains an analogue display, but for 2026 it will become a screen that is complimentary to the ISOBUS screen that sits on the seat-mounted console.
The two screens will be connected with whatever information is required to be displayed being visible on either, or both, as the operator desires.
McCormick has made a conscious decision not to place the tractor data display on the forward lefthand pillar, which would not only distract from the feeling of space but remove it from an operator’s line of sight when driving on the road.
Comfort within the cab is provided for by a climate control system feeding six overhead vents, while the seat can be swung slightly to the right to ease the strain on the back while operating implements mounted to the side or rear.
This action is further enhanced by a headrest that can also move to the left, helping to increase vision to the rear.
Top-end McCormick
The Clever Cab is a marked step forward in cab design and when mounted on the company’s flagship model, the X8.631, it puts a fine finish to what is an imposing tractor from a company that does not shy away from the challenges of competing in what has become a technology-orientated market, certainly within the high horsepower sector.
Yet the question arises as to just where does the marque fit into the present market, especially at the top end where fewer units are sold overall and all major companies have plenty to offer.
Kevin Phelan has an unwavering answer to this, as he points to the massive investment the parent company has made in developing the tractors over the past few years.
They are, he points out, European designed and built for a sophisticated market and are therefore not going to be sold at bargain basement prices.
There is no such thing as a middle of the market segment nowadays – tractors are either hugely competent machines which attract a higher price or they are cheap imports.
Both have a place, but there is very little in between. Phelan believes.
Maher Tractor Sales
This sentiment is echoed by Derek Maher, who now heads up Maher Tractor Sales Ltd of Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, a dual franchise dealer selling both the Landini and McCormick brands.
Having a quality product to sell requires a solid back-up from the manufacturer, and with this latest arrangement Maher feels that he is dealing with a company that can be relied upon all the way through from development to supporting the tractor in the field, and that, unfortunately, does not come with a tractor that is sold on price alone.
As with the rest of the industry, Maher has concerns about the lack of youngsters entering the business, both on farms and in the supply trade.
His son, Evan, is following the family tradition and is hands-on learning the trade at the company’s base, but getting hold of people who will stay with the job is a challenge Maher shares with many others.
However, those that do get into farming are picking up on the digital technology side of tractors quicker than may be thought Maher believes.
Their knowledge of how all the systems work on a particular model can very soon outmatch those of the dealers, but then there is an awful lot to absorb and intricacies to explore, so this is only to be expected.
