On day one South Australian company Schinckel Hayrakes earned the title of machine of the year for its Next F Series V-Rake.

Machine of the year draws on the expertise of five judges and attracts some of the finest designs in what is always considered a tightly contested competition.

Manufacturer Simon Schinckel couldn’t have been happier with the recognition and he was quick to pass the praise back to his team of designers and workers in South Australia.

Mr Schinckel said the aim was to put a hay rake on the market that was effective and competitive in terms of price. 

The rake features a self-opening wings to reduce heavy lifting by the operator. It also has capacity to lift 15kg to 20kg telescopic arms into place for V raking. 

The rake has nine different pre-set raking positions, ranging from 4.2 to 9.1 metres.

Judge Andrew Alexander of Lockhart said the award was open to all machines on site that had been released into the Australian market in the year before the field days. 

He said a lot of thought had gone into the winning hay rake. 

“It is designed for simplicity, ease of operation and price competitive,” he said. 

Fellow judge Mark Boyer said the V-rake was user friendly and more affordable for farmers.

“This company has been making hay rakes for a long time and most of the components are Australian sourced,” he said. 

Meanwhile, a post straightener developed by Daryl Irving and Dan Robinson of Mudgee was highly commended in the machine of the year. 

In all 24 machines were entered in the machine of the year competition. 

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