Tullamore Show came as the season, for stock farmers at least, is slowing down while the tillage men are in full swing with the harvest and ground preparation for the following year's crop.

It is time for the machinery industry to take stock of the season so far and try and glean some indication of how sales will fare the following year.

The mood around machinery at this year's event was quiet; sales had not been as bad as some had feared and certainly not as terrible as anyone listening solely to the big three tractor manufacturers might assume.

All the manufacturers and dealers Agriland spoke with at the show carried the same message - things were ticking over, machinery was being sold and life carried on as normal, even if there were no records being broken.

There were also one or two strands of thought permeating the air that might just be straws in the wind or they might turn out to be more substantial.

The first is that the quest for power might be abating. Ever since they were invented, tractors have been getting more powerful as engineering technology allowed greater outputs from smaller machines.

However, this rush might now be slowing, according to voices in the trade, although it is difficult to ascertain from the published figures, which are simply not detailed enough to give any indication of what is really going on.

Yet the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) did note a small decline in tractor size in sales totals for July despite there being enough confidence within Irish agriculture for 55% more tractors to be sold compared to July last year.

This might be due to dairy and stock farmers buying smaller tractors while prices for beef and milk remain healthy rather than tillage upsizing, a factor mentioned by more than one exhibitor.

The other filament of thought is the concern that no matter how big or wonderful a tractor may be, it is nothing if there is nobody available to service it.

Staff recruitment and retention is affecting everybody in the industry and although this is nothing new, the voices are getting louder and all at the show were affected to some degree.

However, these shadows were put aside for another time, as the machinery stands appeared to be remarkably busy with what appeared to be a good deal of enthusiasm being shown by farmers.

By lunchtime, the stands throughout the show were heaving with visitors and sales staff had folk queueing to talk to them - which can only bode well for the industry.

There was little that was new in the way of machinery. Tullamore is not the place for big machinery announcements in Ireland, they will happen at the National Ploughing Championships or, this being an Agritechnica year, we will have to wait until November.

One exception was the new stock trailer from Nugent, which had brought along a model from its new TDC range.

These are fully galvanised heavy duty stock trailers that are available as either 20ft or 24ft models. They mark a new direction for the company, which has so far focused on trailers for cars and light goods vehicles.  

McHale was also showing its F5 550 fixed chamber baler, which has been upgraded with various improvements and was being displayed in public for the first time.

Materials handling has become a strong area of focus over the past few years and showgoers had plenty to choose from.

JCB has revamped the way it does business over here and Kellys Agricultural Machinery of Co. Kilkenny had several models available for inspection, along with the news that they are moving well.

FJS of Co. Kildare is an agent for both Merlo and Kubota, and is also looking after the Multifarmer won by the Guinan family - who happen to live close by to the showground.

That particular machine is being put to good use and Agriland will be visiting it again sometime over the winter feeding season to report on progress.

A newcomer to Tullamore is the German brand Weycor, here being represented by Vaughan & Sons of Co. Cork, which has been selling the machines for around 10 years.

There are 17 models from 2.5t up to 16t, with the smaller machines being powered by either a Yanmar or Kubota engine while the larger have a Deutz at their heart.

Whether a tractor, loader, or harvester, all these vehicles require tyres and Nokian was one of the few tyre manufacturers present.

The company distinguishes itself from the competition with a different approach to tyre design; it is one of orientation towards forestry as well as field conditions, leading to a tougher and longer lasting carcass.

Once again, the Tullamore Show demonstrated its worth as a window into the shape of the Irish machinery market and this year it was reassuring, rather than alarming or extravagant in its claims of heightened sales.