Innholdsfortegnelse for 329 i Farms and Farm Machinery

Lely’s latest RP 160 V series will include a new bale chamber design for higher performance. According to the company, its updated range will replace the Welger RP 415 and 445 baler series and guarantees higher output, well-shaped high density bales, and user friendliness. “The exceptional performance of the Lely Welger RP 160 V is due to a unique design that incorporates a larger-capacity variable bale chamber and many options in feeding and chopping,” says Lely balers product manager, Gilles Troff. “It has proven not only to create perfect bales across a range of crops and conditions, but is exceptionally user friendly by design.” Two main models in the new line-up are the Lely Welger RP 160 V Classic and Lely Welger RP 160 V Xtra, which carries a wide…

Amazone has released a new series of linkage spreaders, featuring hopper sizes of 1,700 to 4,200L and a range of technologies including automatic calibration, on-board weigh cell and tilt sensor technology. All models feature Amazone’s Soft Ballistic pro technology, which ensures each component of the agitation, metering and spreading system is optimally matched to protect the integrity of fertiliser granules. Product manager, Craig Hopkins says Amazone’s ZA-V builds on more than 50 years of leadership in twin-disc centrifugal spreading technology. “The ZA-V is a completely new series based on Amazone’s tried and proven ZA technology used in one million spreaders since 1958,” he says. According to Amazone, the ZA-V range offers a maximum discharge rate of 6.4 kg/second, a working width of 36m, and operational speeds of up to 30…

A recently installed off-grid, solar-diesel hybrid power plant for irrigation on a cotton farm in Moree, New South Wales, is expected to reduce its diesel consumption by up to 60 per cent. The power plant was designed and built by power systems specialist, YellowDot Energy, which says it will enable the cotton grower to pump up to 4ML of water per day and 890ML per year. To build the power plant, YellowDot Energy used a variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, combining electricity from a diesel generator and a solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Compared to the cotton farm’s previous use of a diesel engine direct drive pump to operate the irrigation bore pump, the hybrid plant is expected to use 60 per cent less fuel. According to YellowDot Energy chief engineer…

The Ultima CF 155 XC baler features an improved pick-up and rotor feeder system, a pre-chamber for continuous operation and loads of new technology. The baler-wrapper combo has increased output production figures by up to 50 per cent on its competition. Regari Contracting principal Craig Hage was eager to introduce this latest Krone baler into his Barossa Valley-based machinery collection to improve his operational efficiency. Hage has a hunger for speed, no better illustrated than by his successful motorcycle racing career, including a Bronze Medal from the 1993 International Six Day Enduro (ISDE) in Holland. Hage doesn’t compete anymore and these days spends more time in the seat of a tractor than the saddles of his beloved motorcycles. His focus and time are now spent running his agricultural contracting operation…

It’s a typically Australian rural idyll: rolling hills wear the golden mantle of harvest and stretch to the horizon, while hordes of blowflies flit through the air looking to settle on anything with a pulse. In the distance a prime mover towing multiple trailers rumbles down a red dirt track, the sound of its big diesel engine steadily growing in volume. You may expect that truck to be sporting a towering radiator grille and a massive bonnet – all bullbar, exhaust stacks, air cleaners and attitude. However, it’s a European cab-over that steadily rumbles closer; a twin-steer Scania R730 hauling a West Australian C-train combination. 16 litres, 730hp, 3500Nm, 16 axles, 60 tyres, 80 tonnes of grain and a grinning bald-headed nuffy (that’d be me) behind the wheel. LAST MAN…

Staff from Victorian John Deere broadacre machinery dealer Emmetts were on their way to visit its newly acquired business in Roseworthy, South Australia, when a devastating fire ripped through the region. The fire, which started at Pinery in South Australia’s mid-north, burned across 50km in just four hours. It took three days to contain, destroying about 85,000 hectares, 87 homes and countless livestock. At least 90 people were hospitalised and two lost their lives. In the aftermath, media reports say insurance claims worth more than $61 million have been received with the damage bill sure to go higher. As well as the homes, more than 160 other buildings were destroyed, along with dozens of vehicles and pieces of farm machinery. Crop and stock losses were significant – 50,000 chickens were…

With the help of Australian distributor Silvan Australia, Breviglieri demonstrated the 6.3m-wide rotary hoe on commercial corn grower Trandos Farms’ property in Gin Gin, Western Australia. A Case IH 335hp tractor was used for the demo. Trandos Farms’ principal Arthur Trandos was so impressed with the Breviglieri Doble 630 he snapped up the model immediately after the demonstration. The Doble 630 is fitted with rear floating doors for an even finish, and with two hydraulic folding wings, it folds down to 2.5m for road transportation between farms or paddocks. Silvan Australia’s Perth-based account manager Nick Dicembre, who helped coordinate the demonstration, says the Doble 630 is also fitted with an offset disc on each end of the machine. The discs serve to move the soil at each edge under the…

The Mechron 500, distributed by PFG Australia, features a 500cc liquid-cooled single cylinder petrol engine with electronic fuel injection, delivering a top speed of 60km/h. Two-speed CVT transmission, four-wheel drive with diff locks, front and rear hydraulic disk brakes, and easy tilt with gas strut come standard. A double wishbone suspension allows for a smoother ride regardless of load, while the rack and pinion steering contributes to a lighter and more comfortable operation. The Mechron 500 also features a four-post ROPS with a sun canopy, and twin bucket seats with auto-style seatbelts. It has a 28-litre fuel tank and a towing capacity of 319kg. The cargo tray is 840mm long, 1180mm and 240mm deep, and provides sufficient space for a variety of farm equipment including fencing materials, a spray tank,…

IF YOU go back about 20 or 30 years, you’ll recall the common view among farmers was that they wouldn’t have a bar of a tractor that wasn’t made in America or Canada, or else from one of the renowned European machinery manufacturers. But times have changed. The world today is a very different place than it was 30 years ago; efficient distribution and shipping networks mean manufacturers are no longer restricted by oceans or distance, while protective trade practices have been replaced by free trade deals. With the introduction of mandatory standards, quality control practices and regulatory bodies keeping a watchful eye on the industry, we are seeing new tractor manufacturers coming out of Asia, while some existing ones have set up satellite plants on Asian soil to capitalise…

Having now spent more than four years looking at new machinery and putting my opinion forward for Farms and Farm Machinery Magazine, it is still a challenge to sit down and put my thoughts into coherent words. One thing I’ve come to realise is that when it comes to buying farm machinery, everyone’s needs and situations are slightly different and what works for one person may or may not suit another. Luckily there are usually plenty of options, and if you’re in the market for a smaller, lower horsepower tractor then there are loads of options to choose from. It is the sub-100hp market that Mahindra concentrates on, and the company – along with its local dealer Prescott’s in Hikuai on the Coromandel Peninsula – recently gave me the opportunity…

The 34hp 8x8 Synchro Shuttle 1533 and 38hp Hydrostatic 1538 are the first two tractors released under the new Mitsubishi-Mahindra partnership announced earlier this year. Both models are manufactured in Japan and are expected to be popular among Mahindra’s Australian customers. They currently sit between the sub-compact eMax tractor models and the larger 4025 2WD/4WD and 5035 4WD Mahindra compact tractors. “We’re suitably excited to be re-entering the 30-35hp segment of the market with two excellent products built in our Japanese factory, after a brief hiatus in 2014 with the last 3316 units being retailed that year,” says Mahindra Australia Ag national sales manager, Satish Chandra. According to Mahindra, the new 1533 and 1538 tractors’ designs are driven by customer experience, featuring eco-friendly Tier 4 engines, tilt-steering columns, spacious and…

The 3000H NIR On-Combine Grain Analyser enables real-time monitoring of grain protein or oil levels in oilseeds while harvesting. Based on proven technology, the 3000H provides an accurate and rapid means of measuring grain quality in wheat, barley, canola and other grains as they are harvested. The 3000H uses a remote sampling head mounted on the clean grain elevator within the combine. Grain flows into the sample chamber, where light is passed through the sample and collected by a fibre optic cable on the opposite side. The fibre optic cable transmits the light to the NIR spectrometer, generating a spectrum for the grain, representing the amount of light that is absorbed at each frequency. Protein, moisture and oil absorb NIR light at specific frequencies, and the amount of each frequency…

With the TwinMax conditioning system, I reckon this Massey Ferguson mower makes us at least a week quicker Chris Field and wife Angela run their own farm, Chrisela Estate, while also managing the cropping and baling operation on Chris’s parent’s farm, Garvan Park. In total, Chris and Angela look after 10,000 acres – 4000 acres at Avoca, Victoria, and 6000 acres about 90km to the north at Cope Cope, near Donald. They grow oaten hay, lentils, beans, canola, vetch, hay, wheat, barley and oats. “Dad and I combine our resources during the busy sowing and harvesting times, but we run two separate farming enterprises,” Chris says. “Dad owns the mower and I own the baler.” Chris’s dad John purchased the MF WR9770 windrower, with a 16-foot MF 9196 mower conditioner…

The Bowen-based farmer and his wife, Nikki, grow watermelons, pumpkins and mangos on 324 hectares of land. The soil on the farm varies between loam, grey and black. In September, the Ottos bought a four metre, three-point linkage Maschio Presto and crumble roller from Honeycombes Sales and Service in Ayr. Shane says he’d seen Presto speed tillers on some of the bigger farms in the area and conducted some research on them. “I needed a machine that can get over the ground quickly and deal with weeds and regrowth to stop disease,” he says. “Before we got the Presto, I had to run tines to knock out the high weeds, but then high weeds can also knock out the tines, so I had to disc as well, and it was…

VIDEO: SMALL BUT STEADY Tom Dickson didn’t have prior experience with Korean-made Branson’s range of tractors. But when he got his hands on the brand’s newest offering, the F42R, he was impressed. Tom finds the model to be extremely well constructed, even when compared to the major brands. Watch Tom puts the workhorse through its paces. VIDEO: BIG GRIZZLY Yamaha has given the Grizzly a makeover for 2016, and ATV tester Barry Ashenhurst certainly likes what he sees. It has plenty of bling, including push-button on-command transmission controls, diff locks, 26-inch wheels and all-terrain Maxxis tyres. However, it’s also faster, more stylish and fitted with higher quality suspension than its predecessors. These improvements suggest Yamaha is finding the perfect blend for both recreational riders and working men and women. Don’t…

Last month we brought you a report on the 2016 Kodiak, the poor but ambitious cousin of the Grizzly 700. Now we’ll look at what Yamaha’s done to upgrade the Grizzly itself. A few years ago in ATV Action we declared the Yamaha Grizzly 700 the best utility quad on the market. It wasn’t the best at everything – others were more comfortable or faster – but the Grizzly was and still is a great all-round tool for farm work and recreational riding if what you need is big-bore staying power. Let’s not forget it was the world’s first ATV with power-steering, an honour that entitles it to membership in the ATV All-Stars lineup. Models are constantly updated, we know that, but with a growing number of attractively priced ATVs…

The stars must have aligned when agricultural machinery manufacturer, importer and distributor, AGCO, purchased Grain Systems Inc. (GSI) and then later contracted Keogh Agricultural Services to take charge of the construction phase in Australia. The reason why the two major entities joined forced in 2011 is simple. While AGCO had equipment for nearly every aspect of farming, right from sowing the seed to harvesting the crop, it didn’t yet offer any kind of post-harvest storage solution. The purchase of GSI was a decisive step forward in providing a comprehensive range of products and services, not only for the grain growing industry, but also to large-scale pig and poultry enterprises. There are two distinct divisions of GSI. One deals with storage, conveyors and bucket elevators, along with steel support structures and…