In this how-to tutorial video, watch as RDO Equipment Co. expert, Adam Meister, shows how easy it is to connect and disconnect hydraulic lines using the single-point connection.

Source: RDO Equipment

The post RDO Equipment explains how to use Single-Point Hydraulic connection for John Deere 1 Series Tractors appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

To address customer needs for a drone with more payload options, RDO Integrated Controls partnered with Vision Aerial in Bozeman to develop a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) primarily for construction and earthmoving companies. Effective immediately, the new RDR series drones are available on www.rdomarketplace.com and RDO Integrated Controls will support the drones through its Solutions Center and Fleet Shield Services program.

Initially developed with a mapping component, the RDR series UAVs are customizable for companies needing various configurations, including LiDAR, hyperspectral, multispectral, and thermal. Two models are offered: the RDROne drone is a tri-copter design, while the RDRTwo drone, designed for heavier payloads, is a hexacopter.

The drones are ideally suited for companies in the construction and aggregates industries, with custom options available for applications in agriculture, inspection, law enforcement and security, mining, oil and gas inspection, professional photography and cinematography, as well as survey.

Designed and built in the United States, a key feature of the Vision Aerial UAVs is non-Chinese component options. According to Adam Gilbertson, Vice President of RDO Integrated Controls and RDO Equipment Co.’s Midwest Construction – West region,

“UAV use is widely accepted on jobsites, however, because of growing concerns regarding data management security, an increasing number of government jobs, military sites, and security projects do not allow use of drones that are manufactured in China or with Chinese components.”

The new UAVs give companies assurance they are in full compliance with these rules and regulations on every jobsite.

The Vision Aerial drones provide fast and accurate volume and grade measurement, to a 10^th-foot accuracy or better when used with ground control or the additional RTK systems now available. The drones are built to fly in winds up to 35 miles per hour and offer up to 35 minutes of continuous operation in a single flight.

The RDROne and RDRTwo are easy to use, even for first-timers, from set up and flight planning to easy automatic or manual flight. The drones are compatible with any photogrammetry data management software including RDO’s new online product, RDOai, a cloud-based 3D data management system and analytics platform.

Regardless of software choice, both the RDROne and RDRTwo are supported by the RDO Integrated Controls Solutions Center, based in Billings, and customers may choose various levels of support through the company’s Fleet Shield Services program.

Source: RDO Equipment

The post RDO Integrated Controls and Vision Aerial partner on RDR Series Drones appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Would it be surprising to find out this summery city is actually the winter vegetable capital of the world – and that agriculture is its number one industry? The city is Yuma, Arizona; one that most associate with being a dusty, desert landscape is rich and vibrant with agricultural variety and is home to one of the places growers can find RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere tractors.

If it’s hard to believe Yuma is a bountiful agricultural community, just look at Jon Dinsmore’s Instagram account (@thefarmerjon). Yuma is the place where this fourth-generation farmer learned about planting, harvesting, caring for the crops that are now his livelihood.

The Challenge: Year-Round Agriculture Requires Well-Rounded Machines

With 1,200 acres of farmland in Yuma’s diverse and year-round farming area, Dinsmore Farms grows a variety of crops throughout the year.

“We grow a large mix of lettuces and cilantro during ‘produce months’ then alfalfa, Sudan grass, and Durum wheat in the spring and summer,”

Jon said. Along with producing a large variety of crops comes the challenge of finding equipment that can handle the different practices each requires.

“It’s tough to see large tractors parked on the sidelines,”

he explained.

“If they’re not suitable for the crop we’re growing at that time, we can’t use them.”

Jon was always interested in a tractor that could handle a variety of Dinsmore Farms’ practices, particularly its various tillage needs, so it could be productive and working most of the year vs. sitting idle.

The challenge was finding a tractor that could work with the different implements, to go from tilling one season to listing up beds during produce season. If the right equipment was deployed, Jon estimated that it could get them,

“an additional two to three months of work out of the one tractor.”

Smoothing A Rocky Past

As Jon set out to find the right tractor, he had to confront some of his own preconceived opinions. The farm had historically owned and operated a certain brand of equipment, a decision that traces back years before he was ever involved in the business.

“A main reason our farm ran the color and brand we did for so many years is because we were always told John Deere was too expensive,”

Jon said. But he wanted to explore all of his options and set out to find a dealer that could help him get to the bottom of this family folklore and educate him on his options with Deere.

It was then that Jon confronted his second preconceived opinion: dealer reputation. More than two decades ago, the Deere dealer in Yuma wasn’t a great partner to Dinsmore Farms. Jon explained,

“The service aspect just wasn’t there, both my grandfather and father didn’t have positive experiences.”

It’s easy to see how this type of family tradition gets passed down. But Jon says, throughout the years, he noticed the new Deere dealer that entered Yuma in the 1990s, RDO Equipment Co., was different. The way it does business, partners with customers, even its presence in the community have all helped erase the memories of the previous dealership for Jon. That, plus the genuine approach of the team members themselves gave him ample reasons to overcome his long-held convictions. He decided he needed to give RDO the chance to earn business.

About five years ago, Brant Palmer, Precision Product Specialist, Joe Twomey, Regional Sales Manager, and Bobby Walker, Account Manager, began working with Jon, trying to build a relationship and offer solutions they believed would further Dinsmore Farms’ success and solve their unique challenges.

“They gave us opportunities to demo smaller tractors to see if John Deere machines would be a good fit for us,”

Jon said.

“We really liked how the Deere tractors ran, they’re strong machines with more power than what we’d been running.”

That initial experience gave Jon the motivation he needed. As a result of the strong personal relationship plus a new conviction in the power of Deere, Dinsmore Farms converted to three Deere machines for hay work, then made a bigger move two years ago with Deere’s 8345 tillage tractors.

Green equipment would continue to find its way into the Dinsmore Farms’ fleet with another opportunity to address one of Jon’s biggest problems, the earlier-mentioned need for a more productive, robust tractor.

The Solution: Machines

In the spring of 2020, Dinsmore Farms’ Account Manager, Bobby had been talking about Deere’s new 8RX tractor and that it might be the versatile workhorse Jon was looking for, one that could handle multiple tillage practices and give the farm the extra two to three months of productivity it needed.

Coincidentally, Jon had been doing his homework on this tractor. All the online reviews he saw were good. He also follows Precision Product Specialist, Brant on Twitter and enjoyed all the photos and experiences in the valley he was sharing of the tractor.

“Plus,”

he said with a laugh,

“it looked like a cool tractor. It kind of draws out the little kid in you when you see it.”

As they had done in the past, the RDO team arranged for Jon to demo the tractor. Jon was interested to see how the tractor would handle the farm’s various implements, how much impact it had on the field, and how it integrated technology and data management.

The Results Are In

When it came to Jon’s goal of less field impact, the 8RX performed as he’d hoped, saying,

“With the 8RX, I was really surprised it could turn as sharp without leaving as much of a trace. Our experience with two-track tractors was they’d leave a mound of dirt after pivoting at the end of each row.”

In addition to fields looking more aesthetically appealing, the performance cut down on added clean-up work of the mounds.

Jon was pleased with the tractor’s performance, both in terms of having the power to handle implements, as well as the added bonus of comfort.

“It’s a good, stable tractor in the field,”

he said.

“It really grabs the ground and distributes that power.”

Jon continued, pointing out the 8RX could handle a variety of implements, while being fuel-efficient and providing a smooth, comfortable ride.

The technology aspect also impressed him, saying,

“We had no GPS issues. When trying to get an A/B line, the tractor didn’t waver off point, which is a big deal, because with other systems, we’ve experienced down moments when they drop the satellite signal.”

Jon further commented on this key aspect, noting the ease of data sharing from the machines to their devices.

“I can pull up everything right on my phone, be able to monitor hours, keep track of where the machine is, watch all the data easily. RDO also has access so Brant can send us breakdowns and make it easier to understand the usage reports. It takes the pressure off us because, we all know that when work gets busy, you can get complacent. But the reports make it easy to understand the data and get us to best usage.”

Speaking of usage, the real benefit xperienced from the 8RX demo was the one that he’d hoped for and directly affected the bottom line.

“Using the 8RX, we realized we can downsize from running two competitive-brand tractors because it does everything we need,” he said. Jon also recalled his earlier comment, his father’s and grandfather’s previous concern with Deere equipment being too expensive.

“There’s a lot of available technology that gives us more opportunities. That’s on top of the savings that come from getting more production out of a single machine. Overall, it saves us money.”

While not a drawback of the machine, Jon acknowledged one adjustment they’ll have to make with the 8RX is monitoring hours and maintenance due to the tractor running more hours than they’re used to.

“With two tractors we’d normally share the workload, so with the increased hours per machine, we’re cautious not to over use it.”

The demo period went so well that Jon decided to move ahead with a purchase of the 8RX tractor. He’s eager to have it as a permanent fixture in the fleet so he can keep doing what he loves – farming.

The Future of Farming

Jon’s long family farming history is certainly a point of pride but he’s glad he further investigated the family’s folklore on Deere and the local dealer. In selecting his Deere equipment, Jon is starting new family traditions and using those machines to power them forward.

“It wasn’t until I got a little older I really started to grasp and understand what a blessing of an opportunity it was to grow up on the farm,”

he said.

“I always wanted to follow my grandpa and dad, and now I get to provide that same opportunity for my kids.”

Jon says that, even if they don’t share his same passion and follow in the family’s farming footsteps, the lessons learned on the farm will serve them well, no matter the path they take.

“I don’t know if any of them have it in their heart but I hope they find whatever it is that lights the fire like farming does for me,”

he said.

SIDEBAR – Making Farming Social

With more than 5,000 followers and dozens of photos and videos shared every month, Jon has done something many farmers haven’t – in fact, something many Instagram users haven’t: created an engaged fan base that gets a behind-the-scenes look at the hard work and beauty that is farming. And for Jon, the value of social media has nothing to do with how many likes and comments he gets.

“I love to connect with other farmers on Instagram, from everywhere,”

he said.

“It’s especially fun when people tell me my photos remind them of their farm where they grew up, even if they’re not still in the business.”

As a professional farmer, part of the Dinsmore Farms family, Jon also appreciates the business aspect that comes with the connections he has built, opportunities to share ideas and best practices, and see new equipment.

“There’s real business that happens on social media,”

he added.

In addition to Instagram, Jon is also on Twitter (@thefarmerjon).

Source: RDO Equipment Co.

The post RDO Equipment Co. and John Deere Tractors Team Up for a Yuma Farmer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Just in time for the busy summer construction season, RDO Equipment Co.’s new, full-service store in Dayton is open. The Dayton store is the result of an integration between two previously separate stores in the area and is designed to better meet the equipment and technology needs of customers in the north metro area. The new 45,000-square-foot store combines the parts support of RDO’s former Brooklyn Park location and the Topcon technology focus of its former store in Bloomington.

“This new store came about as a result of listening to our customer needs and responding to the market conditions. Our customers wanted the efficiency of a total solutions experience in one location. The Dayton store is built to do just that.”

John Weber, General Manager said.

Serving customers in the construction, environmental, roadbuilding, surveying, and underground industries, the Dayton store has the space and breadth to service customer needs for John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon equipment. Features of the new store include:

• Large showroom with dedicated space for Deere and Vermeer equipment
• $2M in parts inventory
• 16,000-square-foot service shop to accommodate all makes and models of equipment
• Separate 1,100-square-foot service area devoted to Topcon technology

In addition to expanding RDO’s footprint to support the John Deere and Topcon customers in the area, Steve Rosenow, Midwest Regional Vermeer General Manager says that the new store is a testament to the increase in RDO’s Vermeer business, as well as Vermeer’s continued growth and expansion of its product line. He added, “The addition of the Dayton store allows us to be closer to our customers and better support them with equipment, parts, and service.”

According to the region’s Vice President, Kelly Gress, the team is eager to serve customers’ full equipment, parts, and service needs, while remaining committed to following the state’s guidance for health and safety. As with all RDO locations, he says the Dayton store is in compliance with safe social distancing and hygiene practices recommended by the CDC, including 6-ft distance barriers at the parts counter and curbside parts pickup, limited points of entry, and thorough daily cleaning.

In addition to creating new opportunities for customers, the RDO Dayton store brings approximately 50 jobs to the area including parts, sales, service, and administration. There are still a few critical positions open; those interested in joining the RDO team may visit the RDO Careers website.
The Dayton store is conveniently located at 11030 Holly Lane, directly adjacent to Interstate 94 and the 610 interchange. Completing RDO’s footprint of full service for customers on both the north and south ends of the metro, there are also two existing RDO stores in neighboring Burnsville. One is dedicated to Vermeer industrial and tree care equipment, parts, and service. The other features John Deere equipment, parts, and service, and now further integrates Topcon technology and support.

Source: RDO Equipment

The post RDO Equipment to open a full service store in Dayton appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Sonnier will be responsible for providing support and assistance to Kobelco dealers located in the Southwest region of the United States. He will ensure dealers are supported with the necessary tools to market Kobelco excavators and train dealer personnel on the unique features and benefits of Kobelco products. Sonnier will assist dealers in the development and execution of annual business plans, maintaining inventory control, and creating sales strategies to serve their customers in his territory. He will also be responsible for continuing to expand Kobelco’s distribution locations through dealer recruitment and development.

Sonnier first joined the Kobelco USA team as a District Business Manager in 2019. He recently completed Kobelco’s extensive 1-year marketing, sales, management, and operations training program which has prepared him to succeed in his assigned territory. Sonnier also has previous sales management experience and knowledge of the construction equipment industry. Prior to joining Kobelco, Sonnier began his career in sales at RDO Equipment after graduating from Louisiana State University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance.

Jack Fendrick, COO and Vice President of Kobelco USA, says:

“Jordan’s results-driven mindset and unwavering perseverance is a great asset to Kobelco. He displays motivation and passion for the industry which are vital characteristics for assisting dealers and customers to select the right excavator for their needs. We are delighted to have him take over the role of Southwest District Business Manager and look forward to his success.”

Kobelco Construction Machinery USA offers industry-leading crawler excavators in the 3,000 lb. to 185,000 lb. classes including zero tail swing, compact, standard, long reach, high and wide undercarriages, mass excavation, auto recycling, and demolition models. Well-known as the excavator authority, Kobelco is committed to producing quality machines with advanced productivity-boosting features and innovative technologies. With premier capabilities such as no time limit power boost and exclusive independent travel, Kobelco machines ensure superior performance and efficiency for the toughest worksite challenges.

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