A 1964 Ford 2000 that has never missed a beat now shares shed space with New Holland T5 and T6 tractors on the Fitzsimmons family dairy, capturing more than half a century of tractor development from rugged open‑cab workhorses to modern, fuel efficient all‑rounders.
Fourth‑generation dairy farmer Jason Fitzsimmons runs a family dairy with his brother Sam and father Kevin at Merrigum, milking around 330 cows at peak and managing about 1,000 acres of owned, leased and agisted country.
The farm’s roots go back to Jason’s great‑grandfather, who moved the family from Charlton to Victoria’s Goulburn Valley and established the dairy.
As the herd and workload grew, Jason’s grandfather Bernard stepped up the horsepower by ordering a 1964 Ford 2000 Offset to give the farm a bigger, more capable tractor.
For decades the Ford was the family’s main machine and, although it is no longer the primary workhorse, it still earns its keep on the Fitzsimmons dairy.
New Holland’s modern tractors carry the engineering DNA of Jason’s old Ford. Ford’s tractor business joined New Holland in 1991 and the branding transitioned through the 1990s, but the Ford lineage continues to run through New Holland’s tractor range, including the T5 and T6 that now work beside the Fitzsimmons family’s 1964 Ford 2000.
“The Ford 2000 Offset was the first blue tractor that our family bought. We’ve had a heap of old Ford 4000s and 5000s with loaders over the years, but for some reason we kept the sentimental one, the first one that we bought,” Jason said. “I suppose it’s so we can see where we’ve come from.”
While the Ford 2000 still plays a role, the heavy day‑to‑day work is now done by New Holland T5.105 Dual Command and T6.180 Dynamic Command tractors, supplied and supported by Rural Group – Shepparton, part of the AEH Group.
The T5.105, bought in October last year as a feeding tractor, has quickly become a key all-rounder on the Fitzsimmons dairy.
“The T5 is a lot smoother and a lot quieter, and the transmission being a wet clutch makes it a lot easier when you spend a lot of hours in it,” Jason said.
“We’ve used it for overseeding millet, carting hay at the end of hay season and feeding out cows,”
“It is also on the fencing post driver and we use it to load 800 kilo bulk bags into the seeder. Our previous tractor was fit for purpose, but this one will do a lot more.” he said.
The T6.180 took over from a tractor that was right on the edge of its power and weight for modern hay and tillage work.
“When we jumped in the T6, we could not believe how smooth the transmission was and how quiet it was,” Jason said.
“That tractor does everything; it does our hay baling and mowing. It will feed out the cows and do our sowing. We use it for multi discs and offset discing, and for moving dirt with a tipper trailer. We also use it for deep ripping.”
The Fitzsimmons aim to be as self-sufficient as possible, doing all their own hay and silage work, making running costs a key factor.
“The New Holland tractors are more cost‑effective, and they use less fuel. With the old tractor you would go through a tank a day in the paddock; with the T6, you might only use a third of the litres,” Jason said.
“Fuel efficiency has always been important, but now more than ever.”
Those in the market for a new tractor can take advantage of New Holland’s End of Financial Year offers which include an upgraded 4‑in‑1 bucket for $1 and finance from 1.99% p.a. on selected small and mid-size tractors. For full offer details and terms and conditions, speak to your local New Holland dealer or visit the New Holland website.