Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 360 i Farms and Farm Machinery

New Holland has enhanced its 2018 T9 Series tractors with the addition of SmartTrax II standard track featuring a durable agricultural traction lug. “With more brands offering a track solution for high HP tractors the T9 SmartTrax II release has been a welcome addition to the New Holland T9 wheeled line-up,” says Marc Smith, product manager for New Holland T9 tractors. “The uptake of track-equipped tractors in the higher HP segments has grown considerably over the past five years. Customers are looking for a tractor that provides increased performance where required in different applications on the farm.” The factory-fitted standard track modules are designed with an agricultural lug tread on the T9.615 and T9.670 models. This lug has a tread height of 50mm, spaced 150mm apart, offering improved traction over…

With 100hp under the bonnet, that typical spacious Deere cab and a 3.6-metre turning circle (better than the John Deere Gator), who couldn’t love the 5100R tractor? Well, according to Midland Tractor’s Jim Rhoades, not many. “It’s been very popular with the vineyards, orchards, dairy farmers and even beef farmers – it’s an all-purpose tractor,” he says. The 5100R is also a terrific good loader tractor; the one we checked out featured the 543R front loader and a four-in-one bucket. And a great start to AgFest. VINTAGE SCANIA 80 TRUCK This old beast belongs to Kerry Hingston from Hingston Transport and stumbling across it was an AgFest highlight. This old 1971 Scania 80 was Hingston Transport’s first Scania truck. As part of Kerry’s 60th birthday celebrations, his sons decided to…

CRT FarmFest is staged over three big days in June at Kingsthorpe Park, on the Warrego Highway, 20 kilometres west of Toowoomba. This year more than 2,500 individual companies and organisations came together to exhibit everything from ATV’s to augers, bins to boom sprays, bull bars to brush cutters, cattle to cultivators, engines to electric fences, front-end loaders to fuel supplies, grain dryers to grader blades, harvesters to hoses, laser levelers to livestock, mulchers to mobile phones, ploughs to pumps rock pickers to rippers, sheds to sawmills, tractors to tanks, welders to wood splitters and zero-till planters. Here are some highlights. MCCORMICK X7 TRACTOR Now part of the Italian Argo Group – alongside tractor brands Landini and Valpadana, McCormick has seen a thing or two over its 180 years of…

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed that a more powerful version of the Amarok V6 will be available here in Australia in the third quarter of this year. The range-topping Amarok V6 will feature an improved version of its current three-litre V6 turbo diesel with its power outputs upped from 165kW/550Nm to 190kW/580Nm, with an additional 10kW on over-boost to round out that figure to 200kW. Full torque is slightly more accessible over a wider power band as it is served up at between 1,400 and 3,000rpm (down from 1,500rpm), whereas full power is now available from 3,250 to 4,000rpm (up from 2,500rpm). The new EU6-compliant V6 engine went on sale in Europe in April and is only available on the Amarok Highline and Aventura variants. The engines in either variant will…

Farm machinery requires both regular maintenance and thorough repair work. Well-serviced equipment will reduce downtime, increase field efficiency and certainly influences trade-in value. So a properly designed and equipped workshop is a must in a professional farming operation. Having the tools, repair parts and supplies stored together in some type of centralised shop facility also avoids frustration. Here’s what you need to know about setting up your workshop for the best outcome for both yourself and your machinery. SITE CONSIDERATIONS Site selection needs solid consideration in planning a workshop layout. Choose a site that’s accessible to service drives, electrical and water supply lines, and one that is well drained. The workshop should be situated about 30-60m from the house and at least 45m from other buildings – this allows for…

Komatsu’s three new mini-excavator models promise lower emissions and fuel consumption as well as improved production and work efficiency. The new range covers the PC30MR-5 (3.15-3.3-tonne operating weight), PC35MR-5 (3.62-3.77 tonnes), PC45MR-5 (4.86-4.98 tonnes) and PC55MR-5 (5.14-5.26 tonnes). “This new generation of mini-excavators harnesses Komatsu’s unrivalled technological know-how and worldwide resources to bring industry-leading customer value to this market sector,” Komatsu Australia national sales manager – utility, Carl Grundy, says. “Our new MR-5 range boasts many industry firsts and is packed full of outstanding new and improved features. “These include advances in operator comfort, increased safety, improved ergonomic design, lower fuel consumption, advances in controllability, the latest version of our Komtrax remote monitoring system – and the highest levels of standard specifications offered in the industry.” The new Tier 4-compliant…

Australian agricultural machinery manufacturer Trufab Global (Grain King) has come second in this year’s Swedish Steel Prize. Held at a ceremony in Stockholm in May, Trufab and its Nyrex chaser bin fell just short to the Italian Stratosphere 3.0 rear-tipping semi-trailer by Mantella. Trufab (Grain King) CEO Colin Jorgensen, who attended the event, says he was honoured by the recognition of the Nyrex chaser bin. “The Swedish Steel Awards are incredibly prestigious and being recognised by them is a real honour,” he says. The verdict from the Swedish Steel Prize judges was that the Nyrex bin utilised high-strength steel that challenged traditional design by using modern materials to create the highest levels of performance. It was also recognised for the reduction in weight through the use of Strenx performance steel,…

Commercial trials of a degradable agricultural film that reduces water use and significantly increases yields are under way across 10 US states. Developed initially for the cotton industry in Australia, OneCrop is also being used in the corn, soybean and industrial hemp industries. Comprising low-density polymers, non-genetically modified starch and oxo-degradable compounds, the film is laid over the top of the seedbed as it is sown using the patent-pending Norseman Techni-Plant FL – the world’s first high-speed precision planter with integrated film layer. The fully biodegradable film is designed to degrade after 90 days and be broken down completely by the time crops are harvested. The film has slits at three-inch intervals (7.62cm) directly above the seed location and is held in place by a layer of soil on each…

The dual-cab 4x4 market has just become more competitive with the introduction of Mercedes-Benz’s new X-Class, but how does it shape up in our nine-way fight? All will be revealed exclusively in next month’s Farms & Farm Machinery featuring the results of our annual 2018 4x4 Ute Megatest. Over a gruelling five days at the Melbourne 4×4 Training and Proving Ground at Werribee near Melbourne, our expert judging panel put all of the popular 4x4 dual-cabs through their paces on-road – with and without a 900kg total payload – and off-road. The last time we gathered all the utes together was in late 2016 for our Max Load and Tow Test. Since then, the four of the nine utes have undergone significant mechanical revision, or are new. Only the Hilux,…

The Caron transporter vehicle we offer to the farmers here is the 63hp four-cylinder turbocharged model as well as a 40hp, three-cylinder machine. Every once in a while you see a breakthrough piece of farm machinery or tech gadget. Despite its extremely simple exterior and interior and tiny stature, the Italian-made Caron Transporter recently caught my eye. “What is it?” I asked Rod McDonald and Neville Watts from Chesterfield Australia, the Caron’s national distributor. “That’s the Caron, it’s a 4WD, articulated transport vehicle,” Watts replied. To me, it resembled a dwarfed tractor, truck, ATV hybrid … thing. But to my surprise, it kind of combines all three. So how could a three-cylinder, 40hp engine, tractor/truck machine get me so excited? Simple, this thing can basically do anything and go anywhere…

“ What do you think of your Mahindra, mate?” came the question from the bloke on the other side of the pump when I was fuelling the Pik-Up at a servo off the Hume. “Not mine mate, but it’s as cheap as chips for what it is,” was my reply. To which my new friend added: “My mate has a Mahindra tractor and he reckons it’s the best thing he’s ever bought.” Less than a week later, another bloke, this time in the main street of a small country town near where I live, also asked me about the bright-red Mahindra Pik-Up and, in much the same conversation went on to say: “My mate has a Mahindra tractor and he reckons it’s the best thing he’s ever bought.” Now, I’m…

We like Kubota gear. It’s solid, well engineered and well made. What you see is what you get with this brand, which never disappoints us with sloppy assembly or inadequate performance. It’s not the fastest utility vehicle in the shed, true, but the people who buy it are notorious sticklers for reliability, value for money, and care nothing for top speed. The medium end of the utility market, where this Kubota lives, is dominated by the Polaris Ranger diesel and various John Deere Gator models. The Kubota is made in Georgia (USA) and comes in three variants. The base model we’re testing here is known as the ‘general purpose’ model with ATV tyres and a manual cargo bed. Above it are two ‘premium’ models, the X900W-H with work-site tyres and…

John Deere has announced major updates to its S-Series combine harvesters. Changes include improvements to performance, ride quality and grain harvesting efficiency thanks to a new suspension track system, flex draper header and harvest-specific enhancements to the MyOperations mobile app. For 2019 S-Series combines, customers have the factory-installed option of a new suspension track system in 60.96, 76.2 or 91.4cm (24-, 30- or 36-inch) belt widths. This redesigned John Deere track system incorporates changes to the track belts, integrated final drive, suspension cylinder and tandem bogie wheels that work together to improve floatation, ride quality, transport speed and durability. “Combines with these tracks will be able to get into paddocks sooner and harvest longer, especially under less-than-ideal conditions, with less impact on the soil,” John Deere harvest solutions product marketing…

It might be named after an iconic Australian flightless bird, but the Emu backhoe’s origins are found in South Korea. The Emu backhoe range, distributed in Australia by Queensland company Midway Sales, is believed to be gathering a reputation as an all-round package. Available in three sizes and suitable for tractors in the 25-100hp range, Emu implements can be mounted to category 1, 2 and 3 point linkages. Midway Sales’ Scott Spring-Brown says the Emu backhoe range is a convenient and premium Korean product. “The backhoe easily fits onto the three-point linkage of just about any tractor and is powered by the tractor’s hydraulic system,” he says. “Increasing the versatility of a tractor, the backhoe can trench for footings, drainage, plumbing and electrical work. “Emu backhoes can also be put…

John Deere has introduced its Bale Mobile app to help hay and forage farmers connect data to individual bales. By using the Bale Mobile app, growers will be able to improve efficiency, receive detailed data, identify bale characteristics and track yields – making for better decision making. When used in conjunction with a weight-and-moisture-equipped John Deere 1 Series large square baler (L331 or L341), the app is able to process moisture and weight data into usable information for baling, loading and overall farm management. “Tractor operators can see their information in near real-time while Bale Mobile documents the baling process,” John Deere senior marketing representative for hay tools Nick McKelvey says. “Individual bale moisture and weight are tagged to each specific bale (geo-referenced within the app) for improved traceability. “Operators…

John Nicoletti from Merredin in Australia’s wheatbelt has decided to exit farming at 64 years old to give him more time to concentrate on the machinery side of his businesses. It is one of Australia’s biggest arable farms and has just been put on the market with a hefty price tag between A$75 million and A$85 million (US$56m and US$64m). This farm sale represents the biggest offering of a single parcel of broadacre farming land ever to be sold in Australia and is being handled by CBRE head of agribusiness Danny Thomas. Included in the sale is 76,575ha of freehold land, of which 62,768ha is arable, plus 127,018ha of leasehold land, of which 95,040ha is arable, all to be assigned to the purchaser. The land is based on more than…

Hino Australia says its 300 Series 4x4 is finding success in an unexpected market – with farmers and foresters showing “considerable interest” in the vehicles. Our sister magazine ATN reviewed the off-roader in February following its launch late last year, with technical editor Steve Brooks saying the vehicle had helped inspire “a level of excitement and confidence within the Hino camp”. Six months after it was launched for sale in Australia, Hino says the 4x4 is surpassing its targets and proving it was worth the wait. Hino Australia general manager of brand and franchise development Bill Gillespie says the versatility and capabilities of the truck have afforded Hino new areas of opportunity. “In terms of trucks delivered, we have captured almost 20 per cent of the light-duty 4x4 market in…

The New Holland FR range of forage harvesters was released 10 years ago to replace the FX models. The FR range represented a huge leap forward for the company, which has continued to upgrade and refine the machine. Farms & Farm Machinery took some time during the maize season in Waikato in New Zealand to see the New Holland FR780 Forage Cruiser in action and check out exactly what it brings to the table along with the upgrades that are part of this latest release. This monster machine has a maximum output of 775hp, which is achieved between 1,700 and 1,900rpm. While power and performance are key, it is also cleverly designed to maximise efficiency – particularly fuel efficiency. FEEDING Feed rollers serve two important purposes. Firstly, they compress the…

Grader blades have long been an essential bit of kit for farmers, who often want to do their own earthworks or track maintenance and save money by doing the job themselves. Many older blades are still in use today. They may be looking a bit worse for wear but remain functional nonetheless. However, given farm sizes are generally expanding and these older blades are usually between 1.5 to two metres long with manual adjustment, they are no longer efficient. Getting the job done faster and better is a high priority for the modern farming family. Hydraulic adjustment makes modern grader blades such as the Fransgard GT300 AUS DKH more appealing, allowing the operator to avoid getting on and off the tractor to make minor adjustments. While grader blades are still…

Anyone who knows me knows I have a dislike for backhoes. A bit like a childhood memory of a dental surgery gone wrong, I hold very vivid memories of the days way back in the 1970s of my interaction with a Case multi-sticker backhoe and have held that grudge ever since (so much so that I only ever owned one Case backhoe in my 45 years in construction). ‘Dinosaurs of the deep’ in my opinion but, then again, being an excavator tragic and having a distinct liking for loaders, one could almost forgive me. Not to be underestimated for the massive contribution backhoes have made to the construction and farming industry (as I understand that most backhoe owner/operators are merely an excavator owner/operator in waiting and training), I can reflect…

We also use only the best quality Australian steel from BlueScope Steel. As farm machinery becomes wider and higher, Now Buildings has determined that its sheds can be built without pillars and without the usual 45-degree knee braces in the corners on traditional structures, thereby allowing for wider gable access. This unique design provides additional space for machinery and allows for larger volumes of hay and other materials to be stacked. It also allows for wider openings. “All farm machines are getting wider and higher,” says Nick Walker, national product development manager of Now Buildings. “We also had to find ways to improve connection systems, so we would not have knee braces. So, we developed a unique double-bracketing system.” Walker says Now Buildings has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars…