Fieldays 2023: Magnum Equipment
Deals on Wheels checked in with Magnum Equipment, the NZ distributor of Morooka and Hidromek brands, to get insights into their experience at Fieldays
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Fieldays 2023 was a success for Magnum Equipment
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Over from the headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, Hidromek had their export product manager Bahadir Yilmaz on-site and likewise, Morooka sent their product specialist Yukura Sakimoto to gather feedback and answer any questions the locals had about their machinery.
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Hidromek supplies two models of drum compactor
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"It’s a costly exercise to move all the equipment to the show, and we like to do it right by putting on appropriate facilities for customers and visitors, so we need to ensure everything is well-coordinated right down to the plates and cutlery," says Magnum Equipment founder and director Liam Field.
A step away from the corporates
Fieldays is a big event for the Magnum team, who say they prefer to offer service and hospitality that’s a step away from the corporate culture that’s becoming more prevalent at events.
"We’re not shy to say we’re one of the few exhibitors to have a liquor license at Fieldays these days, which, of course, we run responsibly.
It kind of disturbs me that the whole social side of our type of business is being pushed aside in favour of doing a deal over a cold cup of coffee," says Liam. "We try our best to be the type of business that buyers used to like working with."
Hospitality and customer service aside, Magnum reports that interest was high throughout the Fieldays event, with the best days being Thursday and Friday, with sunny skies following the usual cold morning starts.
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Custom stairways provide safe access for children and adults
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"Saturday is when a lot of families turn up, so our area looked a bit like a children’s playground at times, even with the rain that turned up, but those kids will be the ones buying machinery in the not-too-distant future, so it pays to have plenty of brochures with machine pictures on hand, and we ensure that access to the most popular machines
is as safe as possible by using our custom-made stairways," says Liam.
Morooka tracked dumpers
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The latest Morookas feature hand control travel levers
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For the bigger kids — or adults, to use the correct terminology — of the more popular machines on display this year was the latest model Morooka tracked dumper, which comes fitted with hand controls, as opposed to travel levers (similar to excavators).
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The popular Morooka MST1500VDR tracked dumper
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By moving the travel controls from the floor, Morooka has done away with foot coordination, enabling a smoother ride and more precise manoeuvring on confined work sites.
It also provides more legroom for the operator and is one less thing to think about when changing position in the cab. "Morooka must have gone away happy, as they had a lot of good feedback and a few suggestions from users of their machinery," says Liam.
"Our weather conditions here in New Zealand have been ideal for their use over the past few months, especially when the North Island didn’t really experience a summer."
Liam explains that the appetite for the versatile tracked dumpers has been high this year, thanks to their ability to keep job sites active, especially during or just after wet weather.
"There’s quite a number of these operating around the place now. One job I can think of in Northland has got these ploughing through mud, which comes up over the rubber tracks in places and it just doesn’t stop them. It’s amazing what the Morookas are capable of," he says.
Hidromek — a symbol of success
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Hidromek tractors are versatile performers
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Likewise, Bahadir from Hidromek must have returned home from Fieldays with good things to say about the influence his brand is having on the South Pacific market.
Similar to Australia, where the brand is finding favour in a competitive market, Liam says Magnum Equipment has found a niche of modern buyers who are looking for quality, well-built machines that perform in tough conditions.
"When I compare our machines to top European car brands, I’m not really joking," says Liam. "What we find is that people who buy Hidromek want something nice that they can operate themselves, give to their top performers, or use to entice top operators to come across to them.
People know they’re buying a top-tier machine. Hidromeks especially are being looked upon as a symbol of success."
Another year wrapped
Fieldays ticked off a number of boxes for Magnum Equipment this year, with mostly good weather, suppliers returning home with good feedback, and a host of leads to follow up on over the next few weeks.
"It’s good that our suppliers come along, talk to the people who use their machinery and understand what companies are up against out there," says Liam.
"It’s even better when they go back to their design teams and that ground floor information is used to continue to advance their products and give us the quality equipment we’ve become accustomed to with the Morooka and Hidromek brands."
For more information, visit magnumequipment.co.nz.
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