As a newly established dairy farmer near Gram in southern Denmark, Henrik Hansen replaced two worn-out milking robots with two refurbished Lely A2 robots leased from Milcotec. The solution provided predictable costs, full service coverage and significantly improved liquidity.
When Henrik Hansen took over Heinsgaard near Lindetskov in June 2018, the farm operated with two 16-year-old DeLaval milking robots. It quickly became clear that the robots were worn out and too expensive to maintain.
“They were simply becoming too costly to keep running, so I decided they had to be replaced,” says Henrik Hansen.
New robots would have required major investment
Henrik Hansen initially requested quotes for new milking robots from two suppliers.
“No matter which brand I chose, it would have been a major investment,” he explains.
That was when he became aware of Milcotec’s leasing concept for refurbished milking robots.
“I contacted Milcotec, and the result is that I now lease two refurbished Lely A2 milking robots from them,” says Henrik Hansen.
Milcotec handled the entire process, removing the old robots and installing the two Lely A2 units at a fixed, agreed price.
Fixed daily cost with full coverage included
The two milking robots are leased at a fixed daily rate that includes spare parts, consumables and service.
“With the leasing agreement, I have full control of my operating costs. That gives me real financial security, which is especially important as a newly established farmer,” Henrik Hansen explains.
He also points out that leasing places far less strain on liquidity than purchasing new robots.
“It was important to find a solution that didn’t tie up too much capital. Thanks to this setup, I can continue employing a full-time worker. I place great value on not working alone in daily operations,” he adds.
Only minor adjustments were required in the barn to replace the old robots with the two Lely A2 units.
Replacement completed within two days
The replacement of the two milking robots was completed over two days in mid-January, without interrupting milk production.
“On the first day, Milcotec’s technicians arrived at 6 a.m. and began removing the first robot. By the afternoon, we were already milking with the newly installed unit,” Henrik Hansen explains.
The same process was repeated the following day for the second robot.
“This limited the time we were operating with only one robot to just 8–10 hours on each day,” he says.
To minimise production losses, milking was started earlier than usual on the evenings before both replacements.
Stable production and future plans
Average milk yield at the farm’s 135 dairy cows is approximately 10,500 kg ECM per cow per year.
The arable land at Heinsgaard covers 160 hectares, producing forage and cereals, some of which are sold. Henrik Hansen is currently converting buildings on a neighbouring property to establish beef calf production alongside dairy farming.
“Producing beef calves allows me to use all of my own grain and ensures year-round work for my employee,” he concludes.
Looking to replace worn-out milking robots without tying up capital?
Contact Milcotec to learn more about leasing refurbished milking robots with fixed costs and full service included.
🚜 Machines
Gerth Petersen – 📱 +45 20258260 – ✉️ gerth@milcotec.com
🔧 Spare parts
Anne Lang Krogh – 📱 +45 23354095 – ✉️ anne@milcotec.com
