Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 384 i Farms and Farm Machinery

It is no exaggeration to say the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the resulting disease, COVID-19, has thrown all levels of society, and the economy, into disarray. Some agricultural manufacturers are suspending production, while supply chain issues are also being felt. Tractor manufacturer CNH, the parent company of Case IH and New Holland, has suspended all manufacturing operations in Europe and North and South America, while JCB has also ceased production from its UK manufacturing plants, though its plant in Pudong, China, is reportedly fully operational. Argo Tractors, the manufacturers of McCormick and Landini tractors, has suspended all production from its Italian factories, while Claas has suspended production at some facilities in Germany and France. Richard Wilson, the chief executive of Claas’s Australian distributor Landpower, says that despite this…

The new Rolabar 230 hayrake released by New Holland offers a range of basket flotation settings and standard front and rear gauge wheels, which the company says will improve raking performance. The new model uses two seven-bar baskets with 259 rubber-mounted tines each – adding up to 518 tines total – on a V-rake design covering a width of 9.14m. It also has a tractor-mounted electronic control box that manages rake functions, including basket raise and lower, rake fold and unfold, basket angle, floatation mode, basket speed and hydraulic drive ‘on’ and ‘off’ functions. The model replaces the Rolabar 216, which carried two five-bar baskets with 220 tines each that extended wide enough to rake 8.2m in one pass. New Holland product segment manager for hay and forage, Sune Nielsen,…

Redesigns to the Maschio Gaspardo Gigante pressure drill will make it better able to seed in challenging conditions, Australian distributor PFG says. Designers have rotated seeder’s pressurised hopper so the bins are front to back and lowered in the chassis. This improves stability in hilly country and makes it easier to load seed and fertiliser, while its pressurised features help improve seed distribution and reduces the fan power required. The hopper can be split 60:40 interchangeably between seed and fertiliser, depending on which has the higher volume, with calibration made easy by push button control from either inside the cab or next to the drill. Its eDrive metering system is also easily adjustable due to the interchangeable metering cartridges supplied for small seeds, right through to high rates of fertiliser.…

Damaging nitrogen runoff could be significantly reduced with the introduction of an autonomous spreader, says SwarmFarm Robotics and Roesner – the Australian manufacturer of Marshall spreaders. The MOU, signed in October last year, was for the two groups to integrate SwarmFarm’s autonomous platform and its SwarmConnect application programming interface, with Roesner’s Marshall Multispread fertiliser spreader and its i4M control system for variable rate applications. Speaking at the time of the initial announcement, Roesner technical director Matthew Roesner said the i4M system would enable an integrated spreader to carry out variable rate prescriptions as well as capturing biomass data on the run. “Developing and demonstrating the concept of an autonomous spreader provides a glimpse into the future of farming where smaller, lightweight machines apply fertilisers more precisely and in a more…

Australia’s largest-circulating national farm machinery magazine, Farms & Farm Machinery (FFM), has signed an exclusive media partnership with Western Australia’s largest and most influential agricultural advocacy group, the Western Australian Farmers Federation (WAFarmers). Under the agreement, all WAFarmers’ members will be direct mailed complimentary copies of FFM magazine for an initial 12-month period, commencing April 2020. For almost three decades, FFM has been Australia’s biggest and best-selling national farm machinery magazine. Published 13 times a year, each issue is packed full of thousands of new and used tractors, farm machinery, and related parts and accessories for sale – plus news and independent test reviews of new and used equipment, making it an unrivalled tool in the ‘path to purchase’. In return, FFM will promote WAFarmers’ membership services, key events, and…

The Caterpillar operator challenge pitted nine of the world’s best operators against each other in a series of obstacles. Jaus Neigum from Canada emerged victorious after a tough test of skill and determination. Putting his remarkable loading and trenching talents to work, he won both the load and carry challenge and the trenching challenge. He completed all challenges with an amazingly fast combined time of only 16 minutes and 28 seconds. Second place winner was Thomas Murphy from Ireland and Sebastian Behr from Germany came third.…

Two track and tyre providers for the earthmoving and agriculture sectors are going to keep moving with their customers, after agreeing to work together. Big Moose Tyre and Track has joined forces with undercarriage and tracks systems company Tuff Stuff Australia, under the new badge of TKV Group – led by cousins Matt Evenden and Ash Collins. Evenden formed Big Moose Tyre and Track in 2015, after eight years in the equipment rental industry, and became a distributor of the Tuff Stuff range of tracks and undercarriage for Toowoomba and the surrounding regions. The agricultural track and undercarriage side of the business grew considerably, even though the eastern side of the country was in the grip of a crippling drought, eventually becoming the company’s sole focus. Today, the company is…

McCormick has to be the journeyman of the tractor world. Its origins start in America, most famously under Case IH ownership, where it played second fiddle for decades. Then, the brand had a pretty big following in Europe, especially in the UK where it was built. Case IH eventually broke up with McCormick for New Holland. Now, the company is owned and manufactured by Argo Tractors in Italy – manufactured up the road from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. Quite the journey isn’t it? The famous brand has certainly done some miles over the years. A few more wouldn’t hurt either, as we put a McCormick X7.660 through its paces on a farm outside of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. ENGINE The McCormick X7 tractor range is the brand’s…

REVIEW REWIND Farms & Farm Machinery looks back at some of its most popular reviews from the last decade. This month, 7 of our best seeder reviews It was hot and dusty on day one of our field test of the Amazone Cirrus 6003-2C at a little place called Terip Terip in Victoria; gale-force winds and soggy soils the next. But the Amazone Cirrus 6003-2C 6-metre seed drill performed well on both days, proving it could get the job done. Equipped with a 4,000L dual hopper with a 60/40 split bin configuration to combine simultaneous seed and fertiliser applications, the unit is 8.05m long and folds to a transport width of three metres. Two parallel rows of scalloped disc cultivators at the front can be adjusted up and down hydraulically…

The Vaderstad Rapid 400S (seed only) 4m air seeder with additional Bio Drill carries out seedbed preparation, levelling, drilling, and packing in one pass. It also allows reliable seeding results at high working speed, hence the name. The main reason the Vaderstad Rapid has been so popular with farmers and contractors in New Zealand is the fact it’s a multipurpose drill, allowing the option of cultivating or direct drilling with one machine. It can prepare and drill ground in a variety of challenging conditions, as you get high coulter pressure and a decent amount of coulter travel. The long length of the machine is the only real potential issue. However, the pivoting two-point linkage headstock does give manoeuvrability in and out of gateways, as well as over undulations in the…

Now available across the country, the 126 horsepower (94kW) Deutz-Fahr 5125G heavy duty tractor comes equipped with a series of new features to make farm work easier. Australian distributor PFG’s product manager for Deutz-Fahr and Gregoire, Anthony Darveniza, says the new model replaces the Deutz-Fahr 5120C tractor series, with more horsepower and a new, on-demand hydraulic system. “When you need it, it diverts the oil flow into your remote banks or into your front end loader hydraulics and goes from 56l/min to 90l/min, so it gives you more hydraulic flow,” he says. “We have got three sets of rear remotes all with flow control on them, the previous model only had flow control on one set,” he says. Darveniza says the system helps meet the growing need for more hydraulic…

The two larger models in Case IH’s Patriot sprayer range will offer chassis pitch and roll sensing in the 2020 models, the company has announced. Case IH will introduce the latest version of Raven’s AutoBoom height control suite of products to new models of the Patriot 3330 and 4330 sprayer, with only the smaller 2230 unchanged. Other features of the new system include simultaneous ground and canopy detection, lighter and smaller sensors, smoother movement and what Case IH says is a quicker reaction time compared to other systems on the market. The 4430 will also now come with a stainless steel 6,000L product tank as standard as well as the option of a 41m boom; an upgrade from the current 36.5m, self-centring model, which the company says will better suit…

Used in no-till farming to cut through canola and sunflower stubble and cover crops, knife rollers have become an essential tool for farmers big and small – and Horsch has a new model for both. The Cultro TC double knife roller comes in two sizes – the 3m wide 3TC, which can be towed by an 80hp (60kW) tractor, and the 12m 12TC, which needs 270hp (201kW). The roller body on both sizes is 30cm in diameter, allowing for a high number of revolutions and a high number of cuts per revolution. Its design of six knives arranged crosswise on the roller generates a crosscut for what Horsch says is a guaranteed intensive crushing of organic material. Horsch Australia sales and marketing manager Steve Robertson says the company has some…

Case IH Steigers, Apache AS sprayers and John Deere 8RT track tractors and S mark combines are predicted to retain their value better than any other model of an equivalent size, according to a US data analyst. The models won their various segments in the Highest Retained Value Awards produced by US-based EquipmentWatch, which produces database information for the construction equipment industry. Surveying the US agricultural market over a five-year period through its market activity database, EquipmentWatch found that among large-wheeled tractors with >175hp (130kW), the Case IH Steiger would retain the highest percentage of its original value after a five-year period. Case IH Australia product manager for high horsepower tractors Alexandria Selsmeyer welcomed the recognition for what many consider to be the flagship of the Case IH tractor fleet.…

Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo – Sydney Held annually in Penrith, Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo is a family-friendly event designed to boost the Western Sydney construction boom – showcasing the biggest range of earthmoving machinery dealers, earthmoving attachments, trucks, bikes, utilities, mowing equipment and much more. WHEN Postponed to October 16-18, 2020 MORE INFO www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au Riverina Field Days – Griffith Riverina Field days is held at the Griffith Showgrounds and attracts over 5,000 people each year. The event showcases the best agricultural machinery and products from the region. WHEN Postponed to September 4-5, 2020 MORE INFO riverinafielddays.com Casino Beef Week – Casino Casino Beef Week is an annual celebration of this iconic Australian industry and the rural way of life. Taking place over 11 days, the festival provides entertainment,…

CASE Case unveiled its electric backhoe loader, ‘Project Zeus’ (pictured above), which was a major drawcard at the show. You could hear a pin drop as the machine was turned on and the operator was able to verbally communicate with a spotter a good 10 metres away during demonstration of the backhoe digger function. The backhoe is powered by a 480-volt, 90kWh lithium ion battery pack. This battery pack separately powers the tyres and hydraulics at the front and rear. The machine takes about eight hours to charge, which gives you about the same duration of operation. HYUNDAI Hyundai had its new R35E bladed electric excavator (pictured left) on display at CONEXPO-CON in Las Vegas. Designed to run for around eight hours where noise needs to be kept to a…

Weighing in at 13.5 tonnes and fitted with a powerful and efficient Cat C4.4 engine, the Cat 313FL delivers ground-breaking power with control like no other. Brett Lenz, hydraulic excavators sales manager for local distributor Hastings Deering, says the new 313FL provides excellent breakout and performance to the operator when they need it. “It’s the complete package. Coming standard with high pressure and medium pressure auxiliary lines from the factory, the 313FL provides all the flexibility needed on site,” he says. With a long undercarriage on a robust frame and a 4.65m boom and 2.5m stick, the 313FL is reinforced with thick, multi-plate fabrications, castings and forgings to ensure the machine can cope in high stress areas and is able to withstand all conditions. The spacious ROPS cabin comes with…

Buying a second-hand ute and making sure you get a good one is not rocket science but does require patience, perseverance and, above all, a plan! You might be thinking of either buying privately or buying through a dealer, as both have advantages and disadvantages, but it’s best to explore both. The wider the net you throw, the better chance of catching the best fish. The main car-selling websites, which are the best place to starting looking for a second-hand ute, tend to combine private-sale and dealer second-hand cars anyway – unless you select another level of sorting – so that wider net is automatically thrown for you. Dealer cars come with certainly of title and ownership, and generally with some warranty but will cost more and may not be…

When we first saw the John Deere 1890 No-Till Air Drill operating, our impression was that it just wasn’t doing enough with regard to penetration into the soil. But, getting down on hands and knees for a closer look, we found that it was slicing down to about three inches and leaving only a slight furrow line on the surface after the press wheel and closing wheel had done their job. While on bended knee, we had a bit of a scratch around in the dirt in search of a seed or two and found a few right at the bottom of the furrow. With a 12.2m working width and a 5.6m transport width, the Air Drill has 64 disc sowing units spread evenly over two bars along the full…

The trailing AS5000 air seeder with a 5m sowing width will get the job done at a much faster rate than its gravity feed drop box predecessors, but it hasn’t lost the ability to fit through narrow gateways; folding up to a very manoeuvrable 3.1m. In fact, it won the coveted Imported Machine of the Year award at the 2014 Elmore Field Days. For today’s exercise at the Elmore Events Centre we are using a 150hp (111.9kW) Valtra four-wheel drive tractor. The hydraulic requirements are three sets of remotes: one to operate the fan, one to fold the wings and the third to raise and lower the machine. The electrics should be plugged into a designated power supply but can be attached directly to the battery. The standard fit bin…

New Holland says its new BigBaler 1290 High Density produces bales of up to 22 per cent higher density than conventional models, making transport and bale handling more efficient. Behind this is the model’s 4.05m bale chamber, the longest in its segment, while its rotor speed is higher and its plunger force can reach as much as 58 per cent more than BigBaler 1290 Plus models. But the company’s product manager for fodder conservation in Australia, Sune Nielsen, adds that some features will carry over from the earlier model, including its CropCutter cutting system and pre-compression chamber for high density baling. “It is ideal for the professional baling contractor and large-scale farmer, who will enjoy the profitability benefits resulting from the higher productivity and lower total cost of ownership,” he…

The Best in the World” is a big statement, but when compared with some of the imported sorting and screening buckets in the market today, the FlipScreen stands out. Invented in Australia, by a farmer for his farm and now built in Wagga Wagga, FlipScreen’s range of attachments are recognised worldwide for their innovation. It is a multipurpose attachment in that it has the ability to be used as a conventional bucket, as well as being watertight, carrying full loads of material around the site without spilling. And because it can be used underwater, it also functions as a mobile wash plant. Furthermore, it can dig into the fresh ground, and with a change from a screen to a cover, becomes a concrete mixer. This screen change takes under five…

The new rock picker brought to Australia by Maximus Ag can pick up rocks measuring 65cm across at about 30cm below the surface. While its standard rock size is up to 35cm, Maximus Ag general manager Nick McLeay says the rock picker’s suspended centre drive allows it to jump over any large rock effectively. The unit has a 200cm-wide pick-up front and is fully enclosed – preventing rocks from flying out of the top of the unit – with a high lift discharge of about 2.1m. It is also linkage-drawn and power take-off (PTO)-driven, with the operator able to select the depth from within the cabin using linkage depth controls. McLeay says the unit can travel at a speed of 2–3km per hour when operating at shallow depths. “Obviously the…

Case IH’s Patriot self-propelled sprayer is a flagship on many Australian farms. However, these big, red beasts are competing in one of the hottest and most congested machinery segments in the world. We caught up with Brent Bast recently to talk all things Case IH, future technologies and Australia’s role in development. FFM: First question: how much focus does the Australian market get when it comes to the Patriots? Are we a big market or do we just get trickle-fed the technology? BAST: No – you’re a very significant portion of our business. I’ll say it’s definitely increased since I’ve taken over this position. Not that we didn’t have a lot of focus on sprayers, but I think we took our eye off the ball for a while and we…

The crowds rolled into ConExpo 2020 in Las Vegas over four huge days to see the latest and greatest constriction machinery available globally. The scale of the event and the sheer number of machines on display is hard to comprehend and unrivalled anywhere on earth. There were a large number of world premieres with operators keen to be among the first in the world to see what international construction R&D departments have been busy working on throughout 2019 and likely several years preceding that. While just about all of the 2020 models unveiled during the show still use diesel engines, many boasted innovative engineering and design features, and numerous prototype loaders and excavators were purely electric. Although it’s simply not possible to report on all the new products that debuted…

Every company that works in mining, resources or energy will tell you that reducing risk is a priority, and Mecrus is no different. Founder and chief executive Barry Richards built the company after working in asset management in the manufacturing and resources industries, bringing his experience in operations and maintenance to third parties. So when the company decided to look into running new projects in horticulture, Richards says the team were given one golden rule. “We only want to be involved in something that is in a protected environment… anything in an enclosed environment gives you greater control over those things that are generally highest risk for the agriculture sector,” he says. While most protected cropping was in tomatoes when Mecrus was first looking, 10 years ago, Richards instead turned…

Tractors, quad bikes and falling trees were the biggest killers on Australian farms last year, according to new data released by AgHealth Australia. Figures collated by AgHealth Australia from media reports show 58 people died in non-intentional incidents on Australian farms in 2019, according to information released to date. That is 10 below the 68 deaths recorded in 2018, with four fewer deaths in Victoria and SA and three fewer each in Queensland and NSW – though there were three more deaths in Tasmania and two in WA. In 2019, 55 of the 58 recorded deaths were males and 10 were of people below 15 years of age – with 12 deaths for people aged 45–59, 14 for people aged 60–74 and eight for people aged over 75. Quad bikes…

Alister James has his Brazilian-made Kuhn SDE 3000 drill hitched to a relatively new John Deere 6140 R. He reckons a 100hp (75kW) tractor will be ample on flat ground but his 140hp (104kW) model gives him a little more power and stability on the hilly terrain around Casterton in Victoria. “[The Kuhn seed drill’s] performance and the results so far have supported all of my pre-purchase calculations,” he says. The SDE 3000 is a trailing 3m-wide drill with double hitch attachment. It is a 19-row unit at 15.8cm spacing. Each consists of a double disc opener and a press wheel individually mounted to the frame on a parallelogram assembly. The stainless steel twin bin hopper has a movable partition. Seed and fertiliser are delivered through straight, rigid telescopic tubes.…

Mike Kettle Contracting, just south of Hastings, was the destination to check out the New Zealand-designed and made Allen Custom Drills CD 3000 direct triple disc drill. Things are changing in the area – agriculture is moving into steeper country as horticulture and viticulture takes over the flatter plains. To better manage the hilly country, Kettle switched from a 4m drill to three 3m drills, all from Allen, using two 6190R John Deere tractors with duals to run them. The CD 3000 is a good mid-size drill for Kettle Contracting. The team can just plug away with a 3m drill, without needing a massive tractor on the front, and then they can do harvesting work in summer. The new model has a 3m drill width and five-inch row spacing, with…

We headed to Keith Wild’s property near Chertsey, in mid-Canterbury, to see the Pöttinger Terrasem C6 drill. Wild uses a 305hp (227kW) Case IH Magnum tractor to pull the drill at its recommended speed of 10-12km/h, sowing roughly three hectares per hour. The unit’s 6m working width folds to a 3m travel width, while its telescopic drawbar means it can be used on tractors with duals, without compromising manoeuvrability. The tillage equipment at the front end of the drill uses two gangs of 510mm scalloped discs at opposing angles to break up the soil while incorporating trash, while its four rubber blocks allow each set to lift over obstacles. Operators can set the depth of both gangs independently, while hydraulic rams are used to lift both gangs out of work…