Posted on 6 February2023
At Brüder, our team has over 25 years of experience in dealing with compressed air equipment, which includes reselling new and used air compressors to the agricultural market. Our experience (plus feedback gathered from our farming customers) has ideally placed us in the market and led to the development of a machine, custom built to survive the toughest of Australian harvest conditions. We know the strong points and weakness of many different brands of compressor, because – we’ve sold them, and we actively collect data from people who use these machines.
Rebranded, sometimes low priced alternative machines are being imported to Australia and marketed as suitable for agricultural purposes. These machines in most cases have no difference to those built for civil, government, mining, and other industries. There are some red flags to be aware of when looking at such a machine;
– Higher power ratings on the engine output, vs comparable air flow: often means the air-end is built in such a way that getting it to produce the desired air flow requires extra power. European R&D, technology, and manufacturing has enabled more efficient use of power, therefore saving fuel costs and extending run time.
– Inadequate running gear: Typical European running gear includes a goose-neck system (sometimes adjustable) which connects to a t-bar axle holder. These are, in most cases suited for road use, but fall short in anything rough, such as farm tracks. Some Asian copies are worse, despite having high-performance looking road wheels and rims. For those trailers with a proper A-frame; are the wheels, springs and axles up to the job?
– Price: You get what you pay for.
– Bottom exit exhaust: For obvious reasons the exhaust on an agricultural machine should be exiting, and facing, away from the flammable crop that it will be running in. Brüder AG machines all have a top exit exhaust, and on machines that are not turbo-charged, a spark arrester is fitted as an additional safeguard.
– Unbranded engine: The Brüder AG range uses exclusively genuine Kubota, genuine Perkins, and genuine Honda power units (depending on the compressor model). Unbranded or knock-off engines do not typically have the support in (especially regional) Australia that is required. If your compressor breaks down 2 days into harvest, will your local machinery dealer have parts off the shelf to get you running again?
– Warranty: It’s often hard to get a machine salesperson to give you a straight answer on this one. Some say 2 years, others 5 – be aware that sometimes they are talking about the air-end or a specific component only, and the power unit may not be included in the warranty. If warranty is offered which exceeds the manufacturer’s warranty, buyer beware. For the extremes of conditions that agricultural machines work in, the warranty needs to stand.
– Side mounted controls: While not a huge issue for civil machines, farm use is more likely to have one operator using the compressor while another might be using other equipment. Side mounted controls allows easier viewing of the compressor operator in the rear vision of the towing vehicle. If the compressor operator cannot be seen, side mounted controls allow the operator to take one step back and be clear of any moving vehicles. Front mounted controls could have you jammed between compressor and towing vehicle, and rear mounted controls assume the risk of being reversed over.
– Country of Origin: If a salesperson is not up-front about where the products are made, they have something to hide. Our research indicates that some other companies’ salespeople are giving false or misleading information, due to the machines being imported from countries with typically high-volume, low quality goods production.
– Fit and finish: Poor fitting parts, loose components, contact between moving/rotating parts, will add to the frustration of buying a lower-quality machine. Your team will be frequently replacing parts, re-spraying exposed bare metal for rust prevention and checking fastener tensions regularly to keep the machine in a somewhat serviceable condition.
– Availability of spares: A good company dealing with the time-sensitive and demanding agricultural – and especially, harvest – industry will know the importance of having spares available, off the shelf. Some companies only stock machines, others have a comprehensive list of spares in stock, and the personnel to help out if parts are needed urgently. Waiting for parts to come from overseas while harvest is underway is not going to be conducive to an efficient harvest operation.
– Electronic engine management: In other industries, for example mining and civil, the engine can be controlled manually with a series of buttons, switches and valves, because they have set systems and procedures to make improper operation unlikely. In our industry, you could have any number of people operating the machine through it’s life. Not all of them will have training on how long to hold the glow button, when to turn the key etc. The Brüder AG machines are controlled with an electronic engine management system which does all this for you; from ignition, to idle, to running, all on a timer. Then after use, another lot of automation to cool down, then shut off the engine gently to protect it and cater to a long lasting, reliable compressor.
– Heat management: Many approaches have been made towards the issue of heat management. Frequently in an agricultural setting, you will see farmers running compressors with the canopy/lids all open to increase cooler air flow over the engine. With the Brüder AG machines, all our research and development have lead to the design we now have which optimises airflow through the (closed) cabinet and allows continuous running at full capacity in dry and dusty conditions of 50˚C.
– Security: With theft on farm property on the rise, it’s important to have options in relation to security of your assets. Is the cabinet lockable? Access to the diesel tank secure? Ignition by a removable key? Lockable tow hitch and/or wheel nuts?
– Cross compatibility: If the compressor should have a flat tyre when it is needed, a spare should be available. It’s important for farmers that the machine is ready to go on the day that harvest is ready. Brüder AG compressor trailers are available with either Ford or Landcruiser style stud patterns and the Deluxe trailers have a spare included as standard.
– Support: When you ring up the office, is the person you’re talking to helpful, polite, knowledgeable? And are they able to help you out with your enquiry, or point you in the right direction?
Try Brüder out for yourself today. Find out how we’re truly delivering difference. We are the market leader in air compressors for agriculture. Our products have been tried, tested and are known to perform – which is one of the expectations that Australian farmers rightly have of products and services provided by Australian companies.