Landini users in south-east Scotland have a new source of tractors, replacement parts, workshop repairs and on-farm servicing now that David Walkinshaw’s DHW Tractors operation at Carnwath in Lanarkshire has been appointed to the dealer network.
The company is handling Landini sales and service across the region from the same premises as an associate company, Hamilton Tractors (Carnwath) Ltd, which was appointed McCormick dealer for the much the same area in 2009.
"In most parts of the country we have quite separate dealers for our Landini and McCormick product lines," points out Ray Spinks, general manager and sales director at distributor AgriArgo UK. "But because of his proven track record with the McCormick franchise, we concluded that David Walkinshaw was well placed to also handle the Landini range."
A team of three workshop technicians with fully-equipped service vans will help cover the Landini territory, which extends into the south-east from Falkirk.
"It’s a big area," Mr Walkinshaw agrees. "But we’re not about to compromise the strong emphasis we put on customer service. I’ll put on another service technician as soon as possible and, longer term, I’ll be looking to take on a salesman as the business develops."
For the time being, Mr Walkinshaw will put his 30 years’ experience in sales to good use handling enquiries for both Landini and McCormick products.
"I started my career in the workshop and in the mid-1970s was reluctantly persuaded to have a go at sales," he recalls. "Getting three orders on my first day came as a big surprise; but it gave me a real buzz and tractors have been my life ever since!"
Moving into export sales broadened Mr Walkinshaw’s experience and after moving to develop this trade at Hamilton Tractors, he set out on his own, establishing DHW Tractors International as a supplier of used tractors to overseas buyers.
In 2008, the opportunity to purchase the Hamilton group’s Carnwath business and premises provided ideal workshop, stores and retail facilities, which were put to good use the following year by taking on the McCormick franchise.
"We were doing a lot of service work on Case IH machines, despite choosing not to continue with this franchise when we bought the Hamilton premises," Mr Walkinshaw recalls. "Representing McCormick not only gave us a range of tractors I felt was more suited to our area but also access to parts and technical back-up for the Doncaster products."
Adding the Landini franchise through DHW Tractors brings a significant potential customer base and tractor population that David Walkinshaw says he is determined to look after.
It also brings additional products, such as the Landini Landpower spanning 117-157hp, which he sees as an attractive machine for farmers and contractors wanting a straight-forward six-cylinder tractor.
"With its strong 6.7-litre six-cylinder engine and, on the Techno version, a simple all-mechanical six-speed, three-range gearbox, the Landpower is a cracking tractor," he says. "You can have powershift speeds and a power shuttle with the higher-spec Top model but for a simple tractor that pulls really well with good traction, the Techno is brilliant."
Elsewhere in the range, David Walkinshaw also rates the 70-110hp 5-H Series general purpose tractors introduced last year and the Powermondial range, which starts at 100hp and now goes to 121hp for pto/transport work.
"Both tractors have a new transmission with three-step powershift and power shuttle," Mr Walkinshaw notes. "But you can have a synchro shuttle on the 5-H, which also comes with manual rather than electronic lift controls."
Martin Ingram, AgriArgo’s area sales manager for Scotland, believes the new arrangements for Landini sales and service in the area will find favour with new and existing users alike: "I’ve every confidence that David Walkinshaw and his team will support the Landini range every bit as well as they have our other products."
