SaMASZ has spoken: NZ in top 5

FarmShop has set an ambitious goal to become New Zealand’s market leader for hay mowers by 2027 — and to achieve this, they’ve teamed up with global frontrunners in the industry: SaMASZ.

SaMASZ and FarmShop’s hands-on collaboration with Kiwi farmers is driving mower innovation tailored to New Zealand’s toughest conditions.

Based in Poland, SaMASZ operates in over 70 countries and has manufactured more than 160,000 mowers since its inception in 1984. This year, key personnel from the company, Jake Korczowski and Łukasz Łapiński, visited New Zealand to connect with the owners of its mowers.

The company’s regular visits to New Zealand reflect its commitment to staying in touch with its customers. By putting themselves in the shoes of the end users, the team gains invaluable insight into what is needed to build the ultimate mower.

Listening to customers is a core strength of the manufacturer — a value equally shared by FarmShop. This most recent trip was a clear example of how the large European company is truly engaged with its market.

The R&D road trip took them across several regions, including Hinds, Waimate, Otago, Tapanui, Omarama, Wanaka and Waikato. Special thanks go to the farmers and contractors who generously welcomed them to their farms and shared their experiences.

During the trip, they had the opportunity to interview Jake, who is part of the UK business development and marketing team. He also asked Łukasz, the regional export director, about New Zealand’s significance as a market and what he enjoys about working with FarmShop, New Zealand’s top dealer.

Jake highlighted that one of the most significant innovations for the New Zealand market has been in the design of the mower conditioner tines. In the harsh New Zealand conditions, premature wear and tear was a recurring issue. The company responded by redesigning the conditioner tines, making them more aggressive — a change they’ve dubbed the “Bear Claw” tine.

This was especially beneficial for the South Island’s irrigated grass and heavy crops, which were struggling with the previous design. Additionally, the stony ground in the South Island led to modifications in the blade holders and pressure plates. The original design had issues with blades detaching when hitting foreign objects, so changes were made that included an off-centre hook on the tine holder to ensure blades stay firmly in place.

“The standout would have to be modifying the shape and mount of the conditioner tines. The harsh NZ conditions meant we were getting premature wear and tear, so we made the conditioners more aggressive — we call them our ‘Bear Claw’ tine,” said Jake.

“Again with the South Island’s stony ground we redesigned the blade holders and the pressure plates. Originally we had issues with the blades coming off the holder when colliding with foreign objects. So we changed the design about two years ago. There is now an off-centre hook on the tine holder, so if it does hit an object the blade stays firmly in place. We’re excellent at adapting things quickly — I think this process took just four weeks.”

Another valuable insight came from a conversation with Harry Murdoch about the new ISOBUS mowers. Harry brought up an issue regarding the grease cartridges used in New Zealand, where the standard is a 450cc cartridge — slightly larger than the 400cc cartridges commonly used in Europe. This small detail was addressed promptly by the manufacturer, who arranged to adjust their New Zealand orders to accommodate the larger cartridges.

“Another very good observation from our last trip was a conversation we had with Harry Murdoch about the new ISOBUS mowers. We pointed out the semi-automatic grease system, and his first question was ‘What sort of cartridges do you run?’ — something we didn’t think about because in Europe everything is standardised to run 400cc cartridges, whereas in NZ you run slightly bigger 450cc cartridges. All the big European brands run 400cc, but that’s inconvenient because the farmer then has to import the grease cartridges.

“Straight off the back of that, I rang the SaMASZ guys to arrange a change for NZ orders to include this different spec. This issue may have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for the catch-up. It’s just a little thing, but they all add up to make an investment more satisfying for customers. It proves having conversations with end-users can make a big difference,” continued Jake.

Jake also shared his admiration for the New Zealand market, noting that it is one of the most demanding markets in the world. In New Zealand, contractors often cover much more ground per season than their counterparts in other countries.

A good example was David O’Neil in the South Island, who covers 5,000 hectares using just a set of Triples. In the UK, a contractor might need two or three sets of Triples to cover the same area. The challenging terrain in New Zealand, with its rocky ground and diverse conditions, further emphasises the demands placed on equipment.

“NZ is a demanding market! In regard to hectares, NZ contractors achieve a lot more per season than most around the world. A good example was going to David O’Neil in the South Island — he’s covering 5,000 hectares with just a set of Triples. Whereas in the UK, one contractor might cover the same amount of grass with two to three sets of Triples. It’s impressive how many hectares are covered, especially when you consider the number of stones and mixed terrain NZ deals with,” Jake explained.

New Zealand farmers, Jake added, are known for their openness and willingness to give honest feedback — something the company values greatly. Unlike in other markets where feedback is often filtered through multiple channels, farmers in New Zealand are direct and clear in their communication. This straightforwardness allows for continuous product improvement.

“Everyone in NZ is very open and welcoming. They’re happy to chat and voice their opinion, which is unique to other countries where feedback is often different to what they might voice to a mate. By knowing about the little niggles, we can improve. Kiwis will give it to us straight — and that’s what we thrive on. The more feedback we get, the more we can test and adapt,” Jake noted.

Jake went on to explain that the manufacturer stands out from its competitors due to its family-owned nature. While the company is one of the top five producers of grass equipment worldwide, it retains a “roll up your sleeves” mentality rather than a corporate hierarchical approach.

This allows the team to maintain direct communication with the engineers and designers behind the products. Jake himself, for example, is able to FaceTime the engineers who design the parts when there’s an issue in the field — bypassing the usual channels through dealers. This level of direct communication ensures quick, tailored solutions and minimal downtime for customers.

“We’re a big company, selling globally and in the top five producers of grass equipment — but our point of difference is that we’re still family owned and operated. We don’t have a corporate hierarchical mentality — ours is more a ‘roll your sleeves up’ mentality. I think that culturally fits and resonates with NZ’s agricultural community,” he said.

A big selling point for New Zealand farmers has been the affordability of the mowers. Jake shared that many customers have been surprised by how much more cost-effective their machines are compared to the competition — particularly when it comes to parts and warranty.

“Well, it’s worth pointing out here that everyone was impressed with FarmShop and how it’s run. As for our mowers, we’ve had very good feedback on the cost of our mowers. The two-year warranty was also appreciated. It surprised us that two years is not standard in NZ. It doesn’t scare us because we’ve got nothing to hide.

“They told us the cost of parts were very fair too. The price discrepancy between us and other leading brands was a shock to me. A good example is the cutting units where a leading competitor is nearly double the price of ours.”

“Feedback was always good about the build quality and paint system. While they are heavier than some of the competition, we had plenty of comments from customers who really put their mower through its paces. Things like, ‘I drove into a trough, wiped the trough out and all I had to do was change four blades and a cutting unit and went on my merry way.’

“And a good one from Harry Murdoch who said, ‘The first day out on the new kit, Emma pulled a truck tyre in through the front mower — all they needed were two new blades to get going again,’” Jake added.

As for Łukasz, the regional export director, he expressed his admiration for the growth and ambition of FarmShop. He was particularly impressed by FarmShop’s goal of becoming the number one dealer in New Zealand — and after this visit, he is confident they will achieve it.

“He is very impressed with the development and business plan of FarmShop, especially the goal of being the #1 NZ dealer. Everyone is inspired by this goal — and after this trip we really believe in it,” said Łukasz.