Case Study
Sumo Machinery at Birch Farm: Performance Without Premium Power
Farm Profile
Customer:
Richard Wainwright
Location:
North Yorkshire
About:
1200 acres of combinable crops, and with soils ranging from silty loams to heavy clays
The Challenge
At Birch Farm, Richard Wainwright manages 1,200 acres of arable land, where soil conditions shift from silty loams to heavy clays—often within the same field. Achieving the perfect seedbed across such variable terrain was critical. Richard was keen to simplify operations, optimise labor, and ensure consistently high-quality seedbed preparation despite limited tractor capacity.
Our Solution
Richard explains,
“I was completely blown away when I saw a neighbouring farmer using a Sumo machine,” leading him to purchase a Sumo Trio back in 2007. He highlights that it was “so strongly made” yet could be pulled by a “just” 185 hp tractor—dramatically reducing power requirements and enhancing versatility for farms without access to top-tier tractors.
The Trio’s design allowed Richard to tackle both primary and secondary cultivations using a single machine, even amid changing soil types—from loams to clay—within the same operation.
Machine Specifications
Key benefits include:
Results
Richard saw immediate gains: improved labor allocation, smoother operations, and exceptional yields.
“Its flexibility also meant that our labour was better utilised,” he says—while one employee could drill OSR, another could manage combining, straw leading, or manure spreading. The results were striking: “The Trio has produced a very even and reliable establishment with healthier OSR plants and massive root structures,”
Leading to yields of up to 6 tonnes per hectare. On top of that, the Sumo’s build quality and support impressed him: “The back-up service for Sumo also has to have a mention. It has been faultless… No problem is too small”.
The ease of maintenance and part replacement also stood out—genuine Sumo parts fit right first time and have long service life, with innovations like tungsten wear plates demonstrating ongoing development. Ultimately, Richard says, “Ultimately machines have to excel in the field. This is the Sumo Trio’s ace card!” Today, Birch Farm is using its third Trio, as well as a Sumo Subsoiler and GLS model—testaments to the machine’s enduring value.
Why Sumo?
Interested in Achieving Results Like These?
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Product Guide
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See Sumo In Action
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