You know that a company is doing things the right way when they have been around for over 50 years and are known as the leader in the industry. That certainly describes Kifco Inc., (www.kifco.com) a family-owned manufacturing company located in the river town of Havana, Illinois. During that time, the company has developed its own line of hard-hose traveling irrigation systems, trademarked the Water-Reel® and have helped producers raise quality crops, even in the face of drought conditions. According to Chris Clevenger, owner and CEO, “Crop irrigation has never been so easy.” Kifco has models that meet the irrigation needs of a wide range of applications: field and crop, vegetables and produce, sod, food plots, truck farms and hobby farms. Kifco also has options for slurry and wastewater disposal.

The Water-Reel^®
Although there are several Water-Reel^® options, the Ag-Rain^® Water-Reels^® are the perfect choice for producers that want to irrigate row cropland, alfalfa fields and grazing pastures (www.kifco.com/en/applications/agriculture-a-farming)). The Ag-Rain^® Water-Reels^® work especially well in irregularly shaped fields where a pivot system might not be feasible, and can irrigate up to 11 acres per run, covering a field over a quarter mile long. Ag-Rain Water-Reels are offered in either Turbine Drive or Engine Drive. Engine Drive models are perfect for slurry and waste-water disposal/redistribution and allows growers to apply slurry with up to 3% solids with superior uniformity. The adjustable speed range is great for higher retraction speeds where lower application rates are necessary. With a wide variety of models, producers can determine model choice by area being covered or by matching the right chassis size, tube length and diameter for your application. The largest model (T41x1476) can irrigate fields as large as 80 acres. Yet, the portability of a Water-Reel makes them easy to maneuver and operate with just a single person.

Water-Reels and their benefits are ideal for the following:
• Fields with irregular shape where a pivot system just isn’t feasible.
• Portability that allows producer to cost effectively irrigate multiple locations.
• Flexibility to apply water at various depths based on individual crop requirements.
• Provides insurance against extended periods of dry weather.
• Increases yields on row crops, vegetables and produces by applying water on demand.

Everard Droemer of Giddings, Texas, says, “My brother and I have used Kifco Ag-Rain machines on our farm and ranch properties for years, and can’t say enough about how well they have performed. I use a T 23x720 to irrigate 25 acres of pastures and paddocks for my horses and livestock, and last year I bought a T 30x980 for my hay meadows. My brother Ted pumps water directly from his well to his T 27x980 machine to irrigate his pastures. The great thing about Kifco Water-Reels is that I can irrigate my hay meadows, easily move the machine a few hundred feet, and then irrigate my pastures so that my animals can graze on healthy grass and then move it back to the meadow or wherever else I need water. It’s so simple. After watering my hay I can quickly and easily get them off the field when its time to cut — there are no heavy machines or pipes to move back and forth like there are with other systems.”

Droemer also talks positively about cost effectiveness, “Water-Reels are also very affordable as compared to other systems because I can use it for so many fields and for a variety of purposes. On top of everything else, when you consider how well these machines are made, it makes Kifco Water-Reels the natural choice for my irrigation needs. We are very satisfied Kifco customers.”

Kifco provides a comprehensive dealer support system to help ensure positive customer results. Since 2009, dealers have been able to enroll in Kifco University, a program that offers dealers national, regional, and site-specific sales and service training on Kifco products and programs. Customers also appreciate the warranty and outstanding product support they get from Kifco. Jim Morgan of Plainfield, Wisconsin notes, “When I was having problems with my B140 I called upon the product support team at Kifco. The service I received was second to none. Their customer service deeply impressed me. Because of their efforts, as I buy more land and need additional irrigation, I will always turn to Kifco. They truly are the ‘Most Trusted Traveling Irrigation Systems.’ ”

Aside from the Ag-Rain Series, Kifco’s B-Series Water-Reels are great for smaller acreage and irrigate up to 3 acres per run.Kifco also offers a full line of pump packages specifically designed to match the Water-Reel system requirements.

Expanding in the Ag Market
Meanwhile, in 2014, Kifco expanded into the agriculture market by acquiring Weiss Master Manufacturing located in Brush, Colorado (www.weissmaster.com). Leonard Weiss, a Colorado rancher, experienced firsthand in implement equipment maintenance that there was a need for something more durable that worked as hard as the person using it. Through this experience, he and his wife, Sonia, set forth in the founding of Weiss Master Manufacturing, a company based on durable materials, quality workmanship and innovative products that met the real needs of farmers and ranchers, and true dedication to customer service. Business grew quickly. Most new customers would call after seeing a Weiss Master hay head in use by someone they knew. “Sonia and I have grown Weiss Master Manufacturing as big as we can handle, but in order to meet the demand for our products, we knew it was time to find a company with more manpower,” says Weiss.

In reflecting on his confidence in the future, Weiss notes, “I was happy to see a company like Kifco take over what we started. I have full confidence that the Weiss Master product-line will be just as successful nationally as it has for us regionally in Colorado.”
Chris Clevenger, CEO of Kifco Inc., shares his thoughts on the Weiss Master name. “The Weiss Master product-line is some of the most durable, heavy duty pieces of equipment I’ve come across in that market. It is a perfect fit for Kifco.”

Since the acquisition, all manufacturing has been moved to Kifco’s plant in Havana, IL. High Plains Cattle Supply of Colorado has since become the first Weiss Master by Kifco dealer and occupies the former Weiss Master Mfg. building in Brush, CO. High Plains Cattle has also taken stock in Kifco Water-Reels. Weiss Master hay heads are known across the plains as the durable, efficient tool of choice for moving, stacking and loading hay in all forms and bale sizes.

From 3 pt. mounted bale spears to large heavy duty bale forks and grapples, the Weiss Master by Kifco product line is packed full of models for all types of applications from a small hobby farm to a large feedlot operation. “The Weiss Master product-line is bullet proof,” says Steve Mullican, Southeastern Sales Rep for Kifco, Inc. “I’ve worked with numerous implements over the years and not much compares in strength and durability. You really have to see the Weiss Master difference for yourself.”
In addition to hay heads, Weiss Master by Kifco produces a robust line of pallet forks, cattle guards, loading chutes, fence panels & gates. Kifco is excited to carry on the Weiss Master reputation and has the history and the confidence that the Weiss Master product-line will continue to succeed and grow across the United States and abroad just like the Water-Reel.^®