Innholdsfortegnelse for 333 i Farms and Farm Machinery

JCB has added three new telehandlers to its range of agricultural machines – the 560-80 AGRI Plus Loadall, the 435S Wheel Loading Shovel and the 536-70S T4i LP low-profile telescopic handler. The 560-80 AGRI Plus Loadall is JCB’s highest-capacity AGRI Loadall, with a maximum lift capacity of six tonnes designed for bulk re-handling. This machine features JCB’s new Auto Smoothride System (SRS), which the company says improves load retention on uneven fields. It engages as soon as the machine moves faster than 4km/h. “The SRS activates through a combination of a dry nitrogen and oil filled accumulator installed in line with the loader lift cylinders,” JCB Construction Equipment Australia (CEA) national product manager Greg Sealey says. “When activated, the SRS allows the loader arm to float, counteracting variations in road…

Farmers will soon be able to use lightweight drones on their properties without having to spend thousands on permits, thanks to a recent change in drone use laws. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), which introduced the legislation changes, says this will benefit not only farmers, but also commercial drone operators to some extent. The new legislation amendments mean farmers can utilise drones for a wide range of on-farm tasks, including spraying and crop surveying, without having to apply for expensive permits; as long as the drones are used on their own land, there is no remuneration involved, and the aircraft weighs less than 25kg. CASA says this helps farmers significantly save on not only cost in applying, but the time involved while filling out paperwork for permits. CASA Aviation…

French company Kuhn’s new i-BIO+ (Bale In One) round baler-wrapper now features a patented twin film-on-film wrapping system. The unique system uses a two reel film binding system that applies film on the cylindrical side of the bale in the bale chamber, and according to Kuhn, offers several advantages over other binding systems. Firstly, the bale oxygen barrier round the cylindrical side is increased, resulting in better silage quality, and secondly, as pre-stretched film reduces bale expansion, operators get tighter-wrapped and better-preserved bales. Other advantages of the film-on-film wrapping system, according to Kuhn, include better shaped bales, reduced cost, easier unwrapping and improved waste management. In addition, operators need not buy separate binding and wrapping films, but can instead use standard sized 25µm x 750mm x 1,500m rolls. Kuhn’s user-friendly…

Agriculture, small worksites and domestic users are the target markets for Briggs & Stratton’s Elite Series range of portable generators. Powered by Briggs & Stratton OHV engines, the Elite Series generators are available in 3500/3000,6250/5300 and 9500/7000 watt options, and can be used to power a wide range of equipment such as air compressors, angle grinders, sanders, circular saws, drills, concrete mixers, planers, concrete vibrators, air-conditioners, submersible pumps and orbital sanders. “The Elite Series of generators are perfectly suited for farmers, light trade and domestic applications,” Briggs & Stratton business development manager Grant Buck says. “Basically, they are indispensable for any situation where a high performance, portable power source is required.” Buck says the generators are easy to start, fuel efficient, and capable of operating in all terrains and weather…

Central Queensland farmer Andrew Bate once said that too many hours in the cab of a tractor made him realise there had to be a better way of farming. He foresaw the solution in unmanned tractors that will work continuously 24 hours a day without unnecessary stops. “The technology that pushed Australian agriculture for the past 20 years has plateaued,” he said. “Along the way we have forgotten about slow, accurate, precise farming. “On top of that, there are all sorts of limits and restrictions on how we produce our food.” He acknowledged that the challenge ahead was huge, “but we also need to address the immediate threats to our current production before we start increasing yields”. Bate made those comments in April 2014 when, as director of SwarmFarm Robotics,…

Following their release at last year’s Agritechnica trade fair, Irish manufacturer McHale’s new hay tools – the Pro Glide mower range and Orbital high speed round bale wrapper – are bound for Aussie shores this year. The announcement was made recently by McHale co-founder and sales director Martin McHale at a dealer conference held at distributor PFG Australia’s premises. According to McHale, both new product line-ups were very well received by the public when they made their debut at the Agritechnica trade fair last November. The McHale Pro Glide range of mowers consists of the F3100 front mower, the R3100 rear mower and the B9000 combination mowers. A number of features have been added to the range to ensure better ground-following ability and quicker reaction times. This includes a unique…

Greg Allan Farm Machinery has scooped Lely Australia’s Top National Dealer Award for 2015 at the Lely Forage Dealer Conference near Warragul. The Colac dealership sells a wide range of Lely products and was rewarded for being the top performing dealer for Lely Australia nationwide, based on last year’s sales results. It was looking to be a disastrous year for Greg Allan Farm Machinery when Allan suffered a life-threatening heart attack early in 2015, resulting in him being away from the business for about four months. His team put in a stellar effort in his absence, doing him proud by earning the accolade as he gradually recovered. “The team lifted and took control of the business,” company owner Greg Allan says. “We were thrown into turmoil, but everybody had their…

The side-by-side market is bumper-to-bumper. It’s Pitt Street out there. Pandemonium. There are so many models we can’t keep up. Most of these little trucks, it has to be said, are not as tough as their propaganda makes out. There are only five or six brands known to be hard workers on a fair dinkum farm. The rest are lightweight machines for ‘lifestyle farmers’. So be it. But Can-Am is one of the brands known for strength and longevity. The makers have been around forever, are always updating the spec, and in the Defender 1000 have produced a machine with few weaknesses. That’s what we reckon anyway. And since this feature emphasises the things we like about the Defender, first we’ll deal with two features we think could be improved.…

I am a big fan of implements that enable me to stay in a tractor. Partly because I am lazy, partly as there is a chance I will get my hands dirty, but mainly because it can save stacks of time, especially when carrying out repetitive tasks such as loading different feeds daily into a mixer or feedout wagon. This leads me to this month’s test of the Shear Genius from ProDig. The name is a clever play on words as it is the perfect all-round tool for mixing and feeding a variety of products daily – you can do it all with this one machine. The Shear Genius is also ideal for loading silage or maize from a pit while opening far enough to split round bales in half.…

Massey Ferguson has extended its Global Series utility tractor range with the release of the MF5700 Series in Australia. The two larger and more powerful 92hp (69kW) and 102hp (76kW) models continue on from the successful MF4700 Series that was released by AGCO in Australia and New Zealand two years ago. “The release of the new MF4700 Series in 2014 was an exciting initiative as it allowed us to offer customers a new concept in utility tractors with a choice of build-specifications, options and accessories at exceptional value,” Massey Ferguson product manager Tim Oldaker says. “The new MF5700 Series further increases the offering and provides added flexibility for customers wishing to tackle heavier tasks with a straightforward and dependable tractor.” Massey Ferguson’s Global Series is the result of a $350…

Flexi-Coil is celebrating the arrival of its new line-up of high-capacity 60 series air carts – made up of six models with capacities of 15,329L, 19,558L, 20,439L and 26,782L – by holding a series of demonstration days. The 60 series was officially announced last year, and replaces the 40 and 50 series. Flexi-Coil brand leader Steve Mulder says the trend towards bigger farm sizes is driving demand for high capacity seeding equipment, leading to the design of its 60 series air carts. “The Flexi-Coil 60 series is designed to deliver higher yields through increased productivity, efficiency and accuracy, and it sets a new standard in reliable seeding,” Mulder says. Customers in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia are getting the chance to see the machines in action.…

Bulky goods warehousing and distribution specialist Unitrans Asia Pacific has increased its all-Toyota material handling forklift fleet with the delivery of 21 order pickers and seven reach forklifts to its western Sydney warehouse. The reach forklifts and order pickers joined a 50-strong all-Toyota fleet at the 50,000sqm distribution centre in Kings Park, New South Wales, which also includes turret trucks and counterbalance forklifts. Unitrans Asia Pacific, which is part of the Steinhoff Asia Pacific group, has been a TMHA customer for over 10 years. “We’ve always found Toyota equipment to be the easiest to use,” Unitrans distribution centre manager Zanko Kotevski says. “The order picker and reach forklifts in particular are lighter and more agile than similar equipment from other brands, making them much easier to manoeuvre in the confines…

“Having an in-country advisor can help producers navigate the potential minefield of negotiating with people from different cultures” Australian agriculture is set to experience a boom in world markets, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). The weak Australian dollar, new free trade agreements, and strong international demand will fuel opportunities for local farmers to make more from exports. The latest ABARES figures say Australia’s farm production is forecast to pass $60 billion for the first time next financial year. Farm export earnings are expected to remain at about $45 billion in 2016-17, mostly supported by demand for livestock and livestock products. Wool, dairy, sugar, feeder and slaughter cattle, cotton, and canola are likely to be the best-performing commodities. This has the potential to…

“As much as we may like the option of having a 4x4, the reality is that many work applications don’t really need it” Okay, so maybe men’s fashion and utes don’t really go hand in hand. Except, of course, when it comes to accessorising your humble work companion with the usual blokey adornments of bullbar, driving lights, and possibly even a dog. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’ve been looking at myself in the reflection of shop windows too much lately, but I’ve noticed an automotive trend that is having a huge impact on what I wear and how I wear it. THE GROWING FOB It all comes down to the humble key fob. It’s getting bigger. Mobile phones started out the size of the average refrigerator before getting stupidly…