At Sunshine Quality Solutions, we’re proud to have a reputation for providing high-quality John Deere equipment to users for everything from agricultural to residential use.
As a Louisiana business, one of the things we get most excited about each year is watching John Deere green and yellow hit the streets as one of our commercial clients, Kern Studios, utilizes tractors from Sunshine to pull floats in Mardi Gras parades all over New Orleans.
Barry Kern is president and CEO of Kern Studios, aka Mardi Gras World. His company specializes in producing excellent custom fabrication for parades, outdoor advertising and more. We’re honored that Barry partners with the Sunshine Quality Solutions team to source the equipment necessary to pull his crew's fanciful Mardi Gras creations each year.
Kern Studios is located within Mardi Gras World, an iconic Louisiana business and attraction. Over-the-top floats for Mardi Gras and other celebrations have been crafted within the walls of this 300,000-square-foot workshop since 1947.
Entering Kern Studios overwhelms the senses in the best of ways. It’s impossible to visit this space and not be overcome by the colors, imagination and creativity present within.
What the average visitor may not notice is one of our very favorite sections of the space: the fleet of John Deere tractors Barry and his team rely on to pull their masterpieces each year.
The John Deere 6 Series is a favorite among the Mardi Gras World team. So, what makes this line such a great fit to help bring one of the world’s largest celebrations to life?
The Horsepower You Need
From start to finish, Kern Studios will pull roughly 1,000 floats from the workshop floor and into the streets for all to behold during Mardi Gras. The proper equipment is necessary to make sure this happens without error. That’s where Sunshine and John Deere come in.
As various floats are linked together to form one stunning display, the total weight of the unit increases. Each chassis has a capacity of 30 tons. This means about 100 tons may be pulled at any given time.
Tractors within the John Deere 6 Series family are available with a variety of horsepower options, from the 6R line, starting out at 105 hp, to the 6E Series, offering up to 135 hp.
The 6105E (105 engine hp rated, 106 engine hp max) and the 6110M (110 engine hp rated, 122 engine hp max) get plenty of use by the Kern Studios team each Mardi Gras season.
The Quality You Can Trust
Whether you’re operating a tractor at one of the world’s largest carnivals or out on the farm, ease of use is key.
In the case of Kern Studios, a large team is necessary to pull off each and every parade. In fact, up to 120 drivers may be operating these John Deere tractors at any given time. A group this size likely means varying levels of driving experience. Fortunately, the John Deere 6 Series is so user-friendly that most drivers can pick up their operation with a few simple instructions.
While John Deere products are incredibly intuitive in terms of setup for the users, the Sunshine Quality Solutions team also prides ourselves on ensuring each customer gets the detailed attention they deserve when purchasing a new piece of equipment. Whether you’re buying a utility tractor, as mentioned here, or any other variety of John Deere machinery, our team is here to support you as you learn everything you need to know about your new piece of equipment.
In addition to quality features and service, quality manufacturing is pivotal to ensuring that the 6 Series line is capable of handling even the toughest jobs. For Barry Kern’s team and our farmers alike, avoiding breakdowns or downtime is absolutely necessary to keep things rolling smoothly and safely.
There you have it! The John Deere 6 Series line is a great fit for all needs, from pulling parade floats to helping agricultural users do jobs on the farm, like hay production. Is it time for you to add one of these versatile machines to your fleet?
Sunshine Quality Solutions has proudly provided Mardi Gras World with John Deere equipment since 1990, and we’re here to help you too. Find the dealer nearest you here and let the good times roll!