Purchasing a pivot is typically a large investment for farmers. They require a significant investment and play an important role in ensuring proper irrigation in their fields. We spoke with a farmer in Taaiboschpoort who still uses a 43-year-old Zimmatic pivot purchased by his father-in-law in 1978.
Fanie Botha farms in Taaiboschpoort, which is located just outside of Petrusville. When asked what he farms with, he joyously offered, “I farm with a little bit of everything. We make food for the nation here”. His crops include corn, wheat, peas, sunflowers and lucerne.
We decided to visit Fanie because to this day, he has a 43-year-old Zimmatic pivot irrigating one of his fields. The pivot was bought by his father-in-law in 1978 and it was the second Zimmatic pivot sold in the country. Back then, Zimmatic was new in the market and had to work hard to convince farmers to buy their products. Fanie says his father-in-law bought it all those years ago because it promised to offer unparalleled durability and strength.
“Besides that, Zimmatic pivots were also lightyears ahead of all other pivots back in 978. They had more features and capabilities than most other brands,” Fanie added. The salesperson promised Fanie’s father-in-law that the Zimmatic pivot would last at least 15 years. Little did he know that to this very day, that same pivot would still be operational.
“They really are tough. Look, we still need to do basic maintenance, as you should be doing on any pivot, old or new, but the fact that this one is still working without major issues is just astounding,” Fanie explained.
The pivot has recently been adapted to work with Lindsay’s FieldNET solution so that Fanie and his team can control the pivot remotely. This adaptability is something that Fanie admires about Zimmatic’s products too.
Fanie says he has added several Zimmatic pivots to his farm in recent years. When asked what challenges they help him overcome, he said that for him, he wants to know his money is being put to good use.
“Every time I buy a Zimmatic pivot, I know it will last for many years and eventually become my son’s equipment to farm our land with. And that’s what convinced me to make Zimmatic our preferred irrigation system,” he said.
If his friends are to ask him for advice on which pivot to buy, Fanie has a standard answer at the ready.
“I tell people to go and buy any other brand of the pivot. Then you look at how long it takes before that pivot starts to give you issues. When buying Zimmatic, you know what kind of quality you are getting and the chances that you will encounter issues are virtually zero,” he stated.
