These are exciting times for Hunter Kane & Son who recently added SlurryQuip, Indespension and Carter to their impressive stable of product lines, and received an award in November 2021 for being the largest Pottinger silage wagon dealer in the UK and Ireland, and fifth largest in the world.
Based in Ballintoy, just outside Ballycastle in Co. Antrim, Hunter Kane & Son has been a leading importer and exporter of tractors and farm machinery for over 60 years. The third-generation family business was founded by Hunter Kane, who is now retired, and is run by his son Uel (short for Samuel), daughter Heather Henderson and grandson Joshua with the help of 13 highly-skilled staff.
Hunter Kane & Son are main dealers for some of the biggest tractor and farm machinery brands, including Pottinger, Deutz-Fahr and SAME. They are also main dealers for HiSpec slurry equipment, Bunning manure spreaders, NC Engineering farm machinery, Kawasaki and Suzuki quads, and Wessex quad attachments, which are now complemented by SlurryQuip slurry equipment, Indespension livestock trailers and Carter diggers, who they are sole importers for Northern Ireland.
In addition, Hunter Kane & Son stocks a wide range of quality used tractors and machinery which allows them to cater for everyone’s budget, while their aftersales service is second to none.
“We pride ourselves on the excellent quality of our machinery, both new and used, and the exceptional service we offer customers. Our product knowledge is unrivalled,” says Joshua Kane, who is Uel’s son.
“We can source any machine to suit all pockets. We also have a comprehensive parts department and have a satellite workshop in Crumlin, just outside Belfast, which is owned and run by Heather’s husband David. We provide a first-class maintenance and repair service to keep your wheels moving.”
He adds: “2022 was a very good year sales-wise. The Covid-19 pandemic didn’t do us any harm. If anything, it made the public more appreciative of farming. While the war in Ukraine drove up machinery costs, it also resulted in farmers getting good prices for their products. We’re located in a strong dairy area where farmers are getting record prices for their milk. It has had a positive spin-off for us.”
Supply issues around new Deutz-Fahr and SAME tractors in the first half of 2022 were offset by another exceptional year for new Pottinger grass machinery sales. Hunter Kane & Son has been synonymous with the renowned Austrian brand for many years and was the largest Pottinger silage wagon dealer in the UK and Ireland, and fifth largest in the world in 2021.
“It was another tremendous year for Pottinger wagon sales,” Joshua enthuses.
“We sold a lot of Torro and Europrofi units. The Torro is popular with large farmers and agri contractors, while the Europrofi is a proven rotor-type loader wagon more suited to medium-size farmers. We also sold one of the first Pottinger Jumbo 7000 series loader wagons in the UK and Ireland. The flagship wagon was only launched last year and we couldn’t keep up with the demand. The Jumbo is two steps ahead of the competition thanks to its high efficiency and outstanding work quality.
“Pottinger is equally well-known for their high-quality mowers and tedders, for which we also stock the full range.
“We couldn’t get our hands on any new Deutz-Fahr or SAME tractors between January and July because of the impact the Ukrainian war had on supplies. But we were so busy with the Pottinger wagons that we hardly noticed. We sold a good few 125hp tractors and loaders in the latter part of the year. We sold more SAME than Deutz-Fahr, but these things go in cycles. We’ve been SAME dealers since 1986 and Deutz-Fahr since 2007. They’re both part of the SDF Group. Needless to say, we’re hoping there won’t be any further supply issues with new tractors in the year ahead.”
Kawasaki and Suzuki quad bike sales have surpassed all expectations since Hunter Kane & Son took on the Japanese franchises in 2019.
“Kawasaki, in particular, has been a runaway success for us. They have really taken off and have become a big part of our business. We’ve sold well over 100 new Kawasaki units. Quads suit the landscape here in the Glens of Antrim and that has a lot to do with their success,” Joshua explains.
Hunter Kane & Son’s main catchment area is Antrim, Down and Londonderry / Derry. However, they have customers from right across Ireland and beyond.
“We have many repeat customers and many new ones as well. Most of the new machinery is sold in Antrim and surrounding counties, but our second-hand stock can go anywhere in the country. We’re promoting the business more on social media and that’s helping to drive sales.”
As it continues to go from strength to strength, the long-established family dealership would like to take this opportunity to thank its clients and suppliers for their continued support as well as its top-class team of mechanics, sales, parts and administration personnel for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Hunter Kane & Son
31 Lagavara Road,
Ballintoy,
Ballycastle,
Co. Antrim,
BT54 6NG.
Telephone: 028 2076 2613
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 11 No 3, May/June 2023
