Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 354 i Farms and Farm Machinery

TYM has launched its new T194 sub-compact tractor, which the brand says is perfect for hobby farmers looking to upgrade their ride-on mowers. Inlon sales and marketing manager Gary Surman says TYM has seen demand for a tractor like the new T194. “TYM has recognised the demand for a high-spec sub-compact tractor with the horsepower and flexibility to handle a wide range of implements and tasks, including moving soil, digging holes and general landscaping,” he says. “With the heavy build and quality, backed by a three-year warranty plan, the tractor weighs an impressive 650kg excluding attachments,” Surman says. “Most of its weight comes from the cast-iron components rather than die-cast aluminium, delivering weight to the transmission and driveline where you need it most.” Unlike a ride-on mower, the T194 tractor…

Held every two years, Germany’s Agritechnica expo is on every machinery enthusiast’s bucket list as the latest developments in hardware, software and technology are unveiled. There are 23 massive halls, each full to the brim of shiny new tractors, combines, telehandlers and other machinery, for the visitors to admire – but it’s impossible to visit all those halls in one day. With that in mind, Agritechnica ran for seven days in November. Organiser DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, the German Agricultural Society) says over 450,000 visitors attended the show. Over 2800 companies from 53 countries, including the world’s leading manufacturers, showed a full range of tractors, farm machinery, equipment, spare parts and accessories. ‘Digitalisation’, ‘autonomous’, ‘connectivity’ and ‘smart’ were the key buzz words at this year’s Agritechnica as more manufacturers offered their…

A jury of 23 independent journalists voted Valtra’s T254 Versu the Tractor of the Year 2018 at Agritechnica and later also awarded it the Best Design 2018 accolade. ‘Tractor of the Year’ is one of the most prestigious awards within the agricultural machinery industry, recognising innovation, technology and performance. This is a milestone in the brand’s history as it’s the first time Valtra has won the main award of the competition. “Valtra sets a new standard in intuitive operation; the tractor in general offers high level of comfort, performance, efficiency and versatility,” the jury says. “The standard fitted SmartTouch armrest with the 9-inch touch screen, the intelligent multi-use drive lever and the new hydraulic joystick give the best and most straightforward user interface in the industry. “It allows the driver…

A fleet of Crown WP Series power pallet trucks is providing substantial productivity benefits to a major wholesale supplier of bananas, blueberries and other fresh produce in Coffs Harbour. Golden Dawn, which supplies over 12,000 cartons of fruit per week to major supermarket chains including Coles and Woolworths, has been able to save one person in labour costs per shift since it began running the Crown pallet trucks. Its operation – which includes cold storage and fruit ripening in numerous vacuum refrigerators – is running a fleet of six WP Series pallet trucks. Golden Dawn director Paul Gibbins says the speed and muscle of its Crown power pallet trucks has been an important part of the company’s expansion. “Since taking ownership of the company, we’ve gone from 800 to 1000…

Landpower is a massive force in the Australian and New Zealand agricultural machinery market, enjoying brand partnerships spanning more than 40 years with premium European manufacturers such as Claas, Amazone, JCB, Seed Hawk and Grimme, so we didn’t need to think twice when asked if we wanted to be taken around the latest Amazone products. The company delivers integrated machinery solutions including combine, forage and potato harvesters, tractors, hay and forage equipment, spreaders, sprayers and tillage tools, and you would have seen a number of these reviewed in depth in Farms & Farm Machinery over the years. The latest of these is the Claas Arion 440, which I believe features the best visibility from the driver’s seat of any tractor currently on the market. The familiarisation day started with a…

If it’s a big tractor you are after then consider this giant 605hp offering from Versatile costing around 300,000 euros (about A$470,000) in Europe. Still on offer with three models, the power now ranges from 520hp to 605hp from a 15-litre Cummins engine and Cat PowerShift transmission. Versatile marketing director Adam Reid says there were a number of new features on the latest 610DT model. “The engines are now Tier 4 final on this latest 610DT model and they offer 15 per cent more pulling power at the tracks thanks to a changed gear set. “We have also incorporated a new braking system which sees another disc being added at the rear, meaning two rear and one frontal braking system.” Reid says these tractors also boast a new suspended cab…

2016 POLARIS RANGER Diesel 1000 HD EPS Utility vehicle c/w Tipping Tray, Tow Bar, Pro-Fit Sports Roof. Only done a genuine 127 hours. Excellent Condition. QLD 07 3073 8163 $15,500 LANDBOSS 800D LE New Landboss 800D UTV’s are powered by Japanese built Perkins diesel engines with efficient reliable power along with safety features of ROPS certified roll frames and seatbelts, reversing beepers, perfect choice for mining and construction. QLD 07 3073 8162 $17,990 2012 KUBOTA RTV 500 42 hours, 1 owner, electronic fuel injection, petrol, roof, tow bar, front brush guard, 4wd, bench seat. VIC 03 8373 7134 $12,650 BOBCAT 2200 UTILITY VEHICLE low hours only 230, Honda petrol engine, 4WD, electric lift, turf tyres, disc brakes, ladder rack, ex rental machine. VIC 03 8373 7149 $13,500 JOHN DEERE GATOR…

2004 NEW HOLLAND LB90B B 4WD Backhoe, air conditioned/heated cabin, Extender hoe, mechanical hitch, three buckets, 4 in 1 loader bucket, only 4,000 hours. NSW 02 6171 3168 $39,990 2004 CASE 580SR-4PT 5,253hrs, 4 in 1, FWA, a/c, new tyres, comes with 300mm, 450mm trench and batter bucket. NSW 0428 699 249 $47,500 JCB 3CX BACKHOE 4700 hours, air ROPS cabin, 4 in 1 bucket with forks, side shift Extenda hoe, piped, ride control. In Good Working Condition! NSW 0407 459 075 $49,500 2012 TEREX TLB 840 4WD sideshift Extenda hoe, air cabin, pilot controls, powershift trans, tilting hitch, 4x buckets, grab front loader, 4 in 1 with forks. Excellent spec Perkins motor. NSW 02 6171 3260 $67,000 2015 CATERPILLAR 432F BACKHOE 650hrs, Premier Deluxe ROPS cabin, aircon cabin, 4…

A humane way to control pest animals and help save Australian farmers’ crops and livelihoods is on the way thanks to CSIRO scientists. After successfully scaring away elephants from farms and crops in Africa, scientists are trialling the Vertebrate Pest Detect-and-Deter (VPDaD) technology in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley against pests such as ducks, cockatoos, rabbits and wild dogs, which cost the Australian economy up to $1 billion a year. “Ultimately we want to scale-up the technology and roll it out across Australia,” CSIRO scientist Dr Ash Tews says. “The idea here is that we can adapt as necessary.” TheVPDaD works by detecting and identifying animals as they come close to farms or crops. By emitting a series of sounds and lights, the technology is able to humanely scare them away before…

Fresh out of John Deere’s green and yellow stable at Agritechnica was one of the company’s most expensive machines, the CP690 self-propelled cotton picker with precision cotton-harvesting technology. This unique technology consists of onboard round module moisture sensing, round module weighing, Harvest Identification, Cotton Pro and the John Deere Operations Centre Field Analyser app, which enables a cotton producer to protect seed cotton quality while increasing harvest productivity and minimising the cost of harvest. The CP690 cotton picker and CS690 cotton stripper carry on the legacy established by the 7760 in non-stop cotton harvesting with the onboard round module builder. This technology has increased harvest productivity and lowered the cost of harvest through non-stop harvesting, requiring one operator and one machine while protecting cotton quality with the patented round module…

The new Miller Nitro 6365 sprayer’s 40 per cent fuel savings has left SA grain-grower Steven Bull one happy farmer. Bull continuously crops wheat, barley and lentils on the 7000ha ‘Anidak Farms’ properties near Kadina, on the Yorke Peninsula. Bull like many farmers in the region, battles the herbicide-resistant ryegrass, devastating diseases such as ascochyta blight and grey mould, and insects like bluegreen aphids and red-legged earth mites. To combat the disease and pests Bull relies upon a large weed and disease control program. A Miller Nitro 4365 front-mounted self-propelled sprayer and tow-behind Hardi 5030 sprayer were the machines for the job until Bull upgraded to the new Miller Nitro 6365 model. Fitted with a 6100-litre tank and considerably larger 41.1m truss boom, the 6365 model has certainly impressed its…

I’ll have to be honest and say that I wasn’t expecting a great deal from this latest addition to the Aussie market. However, while I’ve said in the past that it was only a matter of time before a Chinese manufacturer came up with a decent ute option, I have to confess that the LDV T60 was somewhat of a surprise. According to figures from last year, LDV’s parent company SAIC is China’s biggest vehicle exporter. Locally the brand may be more familiar to some as a supplier of light commercial vans. The T60, however, is the company’s first shot at a global platform and we’re reliably informed that it’s just the first of many to come. In the case of the T60, power comes via a Chinese-manufactured 2.8-litre VM…

The start of this article sounds like a joke that;s crying out for a punchline: an Irishman, an Italian, and a Kiwi walk onto a farm … What we were doing, though, was testing a Keenan VA2-24S vertical mixer – one of a range of twin- and triple-auger vertical feeders to come out of the collaboration between Irish and Italian agricultural manufacturing firms Keenan and Storti. Keenan has long been recognised for its impressive range of horizontal mixer wagons, most notably the popular rotating paddle-based MechFiber machines. So it was something of an unexpected surprise when we saw a Keenan twin-auger vertical mixer taking centre stage at a recent field days. To see the new vertical mixer in action, I visited Pam and John Hunter from Eureka, in New Zealand’s…

VIDEO: Claas Axion 930 tractor review Our man Tom Dickson is back in front of the camera, this time showing off the Claas Axion 930 tractor, which is best suited for heavy tillage and jobs needing raw PTO power. “Probably a stand-out feature for me was the Cmotion joystick controller – it was really easy to use and just sat really comfortably in your hands,” Tom says. To watch the video, browse TradeFarmMachinery.com.au  or type http://bit.ly/TradeFarmAxion into your browser. VIDEO: Machining a cube inside a cube Using a lathe to machine a cube inside a cube from a single piece of metal is a great way to show off your skills as a turner, as Global Technology shows in this video. If you’re an experienced machinist you’ve probably tried…

John Deere has added two new models to its Gator XUV range of UTVs – the petrol-powered Gator XUV835 and diesel-powered Gator XUV865 Utility. The company says the full-sized quad bikes are designed for farmers and graziers “who need all-day comfort with off-road terrain capability in all seasons” and offer its quietest cab, three-wide seating, heating and air-conditioning. “The new Gator XUV models combine versatility, durability and comfort into a machine that can increase productivity in all types of conditions,” John Deere marketing manager Mark Davey says. “They are workhorses that can tackle any job with features designed to save farmers time and energy.” For operators with diverse terrain, the 40kW (54hp) XUV835 and 17kW (23hp) XUV865 offer tight turning and good weight distribution for improved off-road performance. The XUV835…

Canadian dairy company Saputo’s bid for Murray Goulburn is just the latest example of how co-operatives are disappearing in the Australian business landscape. But despite this pressure for co-operatives to fold into the dominant corporation model, these business models are still worthy. Co-operatives have a long history because they have the advantage of minimising conflicts of interest between producers and owners. Producer co-operatives are set up to be centred on the interests of their producer members whereas corporations are motivated by shareholders. Unless all shareholders are also producers, a conflict can arise. Natural selection plays a part in markets so this comparative advantage could see new types of co-operatives emerge in the market. But the organisation of new, large-scale, co-operative ventures is likely to be difficult for busy farmers without…

An improved double-disc seeder range and recently updated models of both offset and tandem ploughs has emphasised Serafin Machinery’s position as a seeding and tillage specialist which is not distracted by the sale of other equipment such as tractors, sprayers and headers. The new Brazilian Tatu SDA double disc seeder and Baldan GCRTI Super tandem plough have added to its wide range of seeding and tillage equipment from various suppliers including Baldan, Semeato, and Tatu (all from Brazil), Erme Garlic equipment from France and Gason from Ararat, Victoria. “We stock a large range of various makes and models to ensure fast delivery times on common items,” Serafin sales manager Rodney Dunn says. “We can also order in many different configurations of machines to cater for every client. “If we can’t…

There seems to be no stopping Indian company Mahindra in its quest to be a major global player in the agricultural machinery world as the company adds another string to its bow. Targeting predominantly the US market, Mahindra launched a new range of tractors at Agritechnica in Germany, with ambitions to further develop the global market. Even though the Mahindra group sells more than 300,000 tractors per year from all its brands across the world, it has further ambitions for the new Mahindra ranges – the 6000, 7000 (above) and 9000 series. On top of that, Mahindra has recently entered a partnership with Erkunt Tractors in Turkey to help boost the ArmaTrac brand of tractors. However, until the company figures out the finer details of this partnership agreement, Mahindra says…

Macadamia grower Mark Smith is hoping his pest control problems are a thing of the past after recently purchasing a 2000-litre Silvan Cannon Jet sprayer. His 18ha macadamia plantation near Alstonville, Northern NSW, has trees over 30 years old, which makes it hard to protect them from pests due to their taller, denser canopies. “The challenge I faced was getting sprays up into the canopy, especially this season as the industry is facing a pretty sound outlook so strong nut production is an objective at a time of likely good returns,” Smith says. “I wanted to get the spray mist well into the canopy.” After 20 years of service Smith sought to replace his original air blast sprayer with a new 2000L-capacity Silvan Cannon Jet sprayer from local Silvan dealer…

As the sun beats down on a calm November afternoon in the south-west Victorian town of Winchelsea, Noel Castle and his wife Glenys are flat out baling and carting hay. Glenys is on their new Enorossi Enopack 900 small square baler and Noel is in charge of carting duties aboard his old but reliable New Holland 1035 self-propelled bale wagon. It’s a race against nature as threatening storm clouds start to build in the west. As I drive into the paddock to witness the new baler in action, I am instantly transported back to my late teenage years, back to the days when a young school kid could earn enough money carting hay during the Christmas holidays to keep him in pocket money for the rest of the year. Suppressed…

KEENAN MECHFIBRE 340 FEED MIXER 16 cubic metre capacity, horizontal mixer, 2010 model, scales, PTO drive, all original blades etc, side elevator included, very good condition due to low use. QLD 0428 054 644 $62,000 2000 FARESIN MAGNUM DOUBLE 20.0 m3 capacity bin, 2 speed gear box (18 and 33 RPM), Direct unloading belts (standard 1.2m front elevator), Tungsten knives fitted to Faresin’s patented butterfly augers, Rev drawbar, Inspection ladder and an easily accessed sensor/operator panel. NSW 02 8315 0200 $96,000 MINOS AGRI VERTICAL 2M New Minos-Agri trailing vertical feed mixer, 2 cubic metre capacity, Weigh scales , Side opening door. Great machine for the fodder machine people, Self loading rear hopper. QLD 07 3073 8164 $18,150 STRAUTMANN VERTI-MIX 2401-20 New twin auger vertical mixer 20 cubic metre capacity ,…

This New Holland has all the bases covered when it comes to providing the customer with all the options When the weather turns nasty and you are forced to head off site until it clears, there is only one place to go and that’s to find a good pie shop and a good cuppa tea to tide you over until the weather changes for the better. Such was the case when I wandered over to a local shopping centre in south-east Queensland a month or so ago and found a little gem of a backhoe sitting in the car park clearly suffering from the ‘wet weather blues’ just like me. No operator in site, but with no doubt where he would be, I waited close by and sneaked in a…

Summer is here and, for many of us who call this sunburnt land home, this means fire season. With the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) latest rainfall outlook predicting drier conditions and warmer than average day and night-time temperatures, we could be staring down a potentially harsh 2017 fire season. The Australian fire seasons differ across states but the vast majority of the country experiences fire season during spring and summer, the BOM says. A shift towards a weak La Niña could increase the chance of heatwaves for south-eastern Australia, according to the Bureau’s latest climate report. Victorian Country Fire Authority (CFA) community education coordinator Kevin Sleep has been spreading the importance of fire and farm safety leading into this year’s season, believing the Victorian harvest season could see many fires.…