30 Nov Almond orchard sees Peerless benefits
Air compressors have been used on farms for decades, but as the air compressor manufacturing technologies and their energy efficiencies improve, more agricultural businesses are realising the full scope of benefits that can be derived from adopting air compressors across their operations, for crop production, transport or general farm maintenance.
One such business is a major almond grower in north-west Victoria. With the business operating multiple almond farms extending over thousands of hectares of land, the farm managers have adopted Peerless air compressors in their workshops and farms to maximise their operational efficiencies.
Bryden Coote, BSC’s Swan Hill Branch Manager, is the BSC specialist who first suggested the Peerless compressors to this BSC client.
“Our branch has been supporting this large almond business for over ten years. Our sales representatives regularly check on the customer and supply them with a wide range of bearings and consumables, as well as other industrial products or services they require,” says Bryden.
“When the farm’s managers were looking to buy compressors to run the pneumatic tools in their workshops and compressors to install on the back of their pick-up trucks, we recommended the Peerless PHP52 three-phase compressor for their workshop and the Peerless P17 portable compressors for the trucks.”
The farms have since implemented the Peerless products successfully, with BSC providing additional after sale support as an authorised distributor for the Australian-made Peerless compressors.
Troy Jamieson, National Sales & Marketing Manager at Peerless, says the Peerless P17 single phase compressors are the largest selling model in the Peerless family of products.
“The P17 Portable is one of the biggest machines on a 15 AMP plug producing 320 litres per minute of air at 100PSI. You can use them in your workshop to run all of your air tools or you can mount them on the back of your pick-up trucks and with the right attachments, you can use them as a spraying device to spray your orchard.
“Having one of the largest warranties on the market, five-year pump and one-year motor warranty, the P17 model is also one of the most reliable compressors within its range. We are also the only manufacturer that offers an air flow chart with all our air compressors.”
The PHP52 is another popular model in the Peerless range, Troy adds.
“The PHP52 model is one of the biggest two stage compressors in the market, delivering 990 litres at 150 psi. You can use this compressor to run your harvesting equipment or pneumatic machinery on large workshops, with great reliability.
“As with all of our products, we have used the highest quality componentry on this model as well. All of our PHP52 petrol compressor machines are fitted with 13 HP (horsepower) Honda engines, which come with standard key start ignition. We also run a conrader valve on all of our petrol units, which increases reliability when the engine is idling up or idling back down.”
While both the PHP52 three phase and the P17 single phase compressors are tried and tested models with proven results in the market, Troy says Peerless is also regularly introducing design upgrades to match customer requirements.
“Over time, we have changed the pneumatic wheels into solid rubber wheels, making them puncture proof and more durable, especially when moving the compressors around the workshops. We have also replaced wire belt guards with solid belt guards to protect the pulleys from any physical damage. Where we previously used copper pipes in the compressors, we now use braided air hose for extra flexibility and durability. We also only use stainless steel pressure gauges on our petrol air compressors, rather than using plastic gauges,” says Troy.
“There are also optional upgrades that the customers can opt for. For example, we have the option to add either an electronic or a pneumatic auto drain to help release moisture from the pressure vessel, which eliminates the need to manually drain the pressure tank,” he adds.
Troy says Peerless also has new models in the pipeline that would benefit the customers in the agricultural sector.
“We are planning to launch some exciting new products soon, including a new diesel rotary screw compressor that can be either skid-mounted or trailer-mounted. Most farmers in the rural sector get a diesel rebate, so we are moving further into the diesel section of our rotary screw compressors.”
The biggest strength of Peerless brand, according to Troy, is its after-sale and customer service.
“Aftermarket support is very important for us. As the end user, you can either contact Peerless directly for technical advice or you can go to your local BSC branch for any support. The important thing is that if you buy Peerless, you are going to get looked after,” Troy concludes.
“One of the ways by which we support our customers is by holding a large inventory of spare parts and consumables for our compressors. Even if you bought a Peerless compressor 15 or 20 years ago, we would still have most of the spare parts and consumables available on our website or through BSC branches.”
