Page 16 - OPE July 2019

MARKETPLACE
Generators & Pressure Cleaners
were to farmers who came saying ‘we need to be prepared’.”
Interesting to note here that these enquiries were for portable generators, rather than the fixed models that many agri end users would possibly already have in place, outside the milking shed etc.
“A lot of farmers buy big generators and have them sitting there, ready to fire up automatically. But there is a market segment that wants the power of a big cabinet machine as well as wanting to be able to use it around the farm ... and also to back up their house, which is probably not anywhere near the milking shed.”
It’s about “being prepared and being portable” says John Lahman.
Yamaha motoring on
Re-launched at Fieldays last year, for the last 12 months Yamaha generators and pressure washers have been distributed directly by Yamaha through its registered dealers.
How is it going, a year on? Chris Eeles, Yamaha Power Products Business Manager, reports that sales are growing with Yamaha dealers now showing generators in-store and that the brand has also launched direct- to-end-user sales through the Yamaha website.
Although end users can go online and buy Yamaha generators with secure credit card payment and the prospect of direct delivery, there’s also something it for their nominated servicing dealers, he says.
“Online was always part of the plan,”
he says, adding: “People have received the product really well. It’s good to have another quality product out there ... and feedback has been really good.”
In terms of top sellers, the EF2000iS and EF2400iS are Yamaha’s mainstay products.
“They’re really good sellers,” says Chris Eeles, adding that the EF2000iS has “just walked out the door” at camping shows. “It’s been really popular,” he says.
The power solutions business has been leveraged by Yamaha’s presence at a wide range of shows since Fieldays 2018. Has the first year been as expected?
Although part of the Yamaha power products launch plan was to show that “quality product can also be competitively priced”, asked about some of the ultra-cheap, often unbranded products that can be found online, Chris Eeles retorts: “You have to ask yourself, is it going to start first time?
“Is it going to be reliable? And what’s the noise like? We believe people are looking for quality and reliability...”
While it would be churlish to disagree with this outlook, what price quality in
the broader, non-specialist marketplace
that seems fatally attracted to sub-$300 2000W inverter generators “on special” at non-specialist, non-outdoor power retailers, let alone the odd sub-$150, 1000W inverter generator seen recently on Trade Me?
The other way of looking at the people who buy these products is that in 12 months’ time they may well end up as
a better informed and quality- rather than cost-conscious end user who’s more than ready to buy a known brand from a specialist outdoor power dealer...
Keeping the pressure on
Moving from power generation to power cleaning, John Lahman at BE Pressure suggests that interest in pressure washers at this year’s Fieldays was down on last year.
Although this year’s event lacked something of the spark it showed last year, John says the farming market has taken to the company’s big three-phase products.
In terms of the broader domestic
and light commercial markets, the announcement earlier this year that Nilfisk was exiting the NZ consumer market is sure to drive an upsurge in the options and
brands in pressure washers and floor care (see above for more details).
As you’d expect, the remaining players will see this as an opportunity.
Take Steelfort with its initial three- model range of pressure cleaners bearing the trusted LawnMaster brand that will be familiar to servicing dealers in the outdoor power marketplace.
Following a soft launch in January the first trio of LawnMaster pressure cleaners range from the versatile, lightweight LM2120; through the hero LM6160 wheeled domestic/commercial model to the LM6210P semi-commercial model.
Mel Treweek, Steelfort’s Marketing Manager, says: “LawnMaster is a hugely trusted brand in NZ and already trusted by consumers,” adding that the new pressure washer products will also work well for outdoor power dealers as add-on products, especially if they already have a relationship with Steelfort and its LawnMaster products.
We understand this first release will be followed by three more products in the coming season which will further extend the range, probably upwards.
We’ll bring you more on the latest from LawnMaster and others in a following issue of NZOPE magazine. n
016 NZOUTDOORPOWEREQUIPMENT JULY2019
moreat facebook.com/NZOPEmagazine
NILFISK TO EXIT CONSUMER BUSINESS IN NZ
NILFISK ANNOUNCED IN May
that it will be exiting its Pacific region consumer business following a global strategic review of its consumer business.
One of the outcomes of this review is that the long-time player in New Zealand floor care (sold here under the Tellus brand for many years) and pressure cleaners will be quitting the New Zealand consumer market.
The timing of Nilfisk’s exit from the New
Zealand market is unknown at this stage and, until this time, the local company says it’s “business as usual – meaning that we will continue to deliver on all existing orders and new orders” and that the decision will have no impact on current service and spare part agreements.
Nilfisk’s decision to exit the consumer business here will not affect the Pacific region professional cleaning solutions operations.
https://consumer.nilfisk.co.nz
Talking about BEP’s generation
BE PRESSURE REPORTS interest
at Fieldays 2019 revolved around two key generation products.
The 11 kVa G11000-SELT EFI with its 32 Amp socket for high start-up draw, suits use as a home standby with its Low Nox function that cuts out when fumes build up. Key specs include 8500W Max (Max 8000W continuous), low THD for clean power, 12V 8A DC output, Automatic Voltage Regulator, 13+ hour operating span (at 50% capacity) and a Trade panel with RCD safety pack, suitable for work
sites.
Also new at Fieldays and just viewable
in the background of this photo was
the G3500i-REBE Hush Series Inverter Generator. As with BE Pressure’s others models in this series, G3500i features an upgraded 32-bit core for longer life (500 hours), and a quieter noise range at only 50-58dBa, this powerful wheeled unit is ideal for RV camping, cabins, or home use, with up to five hours of use at full load!
www.bep.kiwi