After being left hugely impressed with the on-farm capabilities of an excavator, a Victorian farmer is advocating for greater use of these machines on rural properties
While excavators are more commonly seen on construction sites, their potential to be used in farming and agricultural applications is largely untapped.
Given their attachment capabilities, there are endless possibilities for these machines to be used on-farm, and it’s for this reason that Victorian farmer Freddie Haintz has decided to invest in one.
Based in Ballarat, Haintz procured a nine-tonne excavator for general on-farm maintenance, including tidying up dams, cleaning trees, and building fence lines.
It’s safe to say he’s been thrilled with the results.
“I’ve been absolutely over the moon with the machine. It’s amazing what you can do with a little excavator,” he says.
“There are not many farmers that wouldn’t benefit from an excavator.”
With a large variety of attachments available for excavators – from hydraulic grabs and tilting buckets that rotate 360 degrees, to saws for tree trimming and augers for digging post holes – Haintz says it’s incredible what can be achieved with the one machine.
“Looking back 30 years ago, the only thing that came with an excavator was a bucket, and you couldn’t do a whole lot with a bucket that just digs in a straight line,” he says.
“But now, with all these different attachments, these machines are amazing for all types of maintenance jobs and things like levelling.”
