Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Profi

The weather. Don’t you just love it? We love talking about it, complaining about it, basking in it and wallowing in it. And, of course, there’s that cliché to trump all clichés… farmers are rarely happy with it. Down in the Taunton area, I’m told they ‘enjoyed’ about a third of their average annual rainfall in the one month, just at the time when many livestock farmers were exhausting their limited winter feed supplies following last year’s drought. Dilemma. Chuck the animals out on grass fields now and risk poaching vulnerable ground? Or buy in expensive feed from other sources? Great choice. Not! On the arable front, the light land boys are probably chortling. They put most of their spring combinables to bed back in the extraordinarily dry February. Yet…

John Deere has redesigned the steering system on 2024 versions of its 6R and 7R series tractors. There are also new integrated displays for all 6, 7, 8 and 9 series models. The redesigned steering column and new steering wheel on 6R tractors is claimed to take driver comfort and on-the-road performance to the next level, and there is a new dampening system available on both Premium and Ultimate seats. Larger cylinders (standard to all 7R models) provides a 50% increase in steering capacity on 2024 7R tractors. To enhance operator comfort during transport, the 7R features a new automotive type steering system. Known as reactive steering, and activated via a softkey on the CommandCenter, the system naturally recentres itself and is said to significantly improve line holding. Two additional…

In our last Twitter poll, we asked respondents to share their preference for wearing metal on ploughs, cultivators, and drills. The results of the poll showed that most respondents, 53.8%, prefer specially hardened/faced metal. Meanwhile, 34.6% of respondents prefer standard steel wearing, and 11.5% of respondents prefer composite wearing parts. We will be sharing another poll on our Twitter page in the coming weeks, so make sure you head over to @profitractors (or scan the QR code) for where we’ll ask: Have you retrofitted a GPS steering system to any of your tractors? Our polls only last a few days so make sure you keep an eye out and as always, we’ll post the results right here. We look forward to hearing from you…

Described as a simple to use allrounder, the TL25.60 Agri super compact follows on from the launch of its counterpart construction model at the end of last year. Extending the firm’s agricultural telehandler range to eight models with capacities and lift heights up to 4.3t and 7.5m, respectively, the newcomer is powered by a 75hp Bobcat Stage V diesel. The rated operating capacity is 2.5t, maximum lift height is 5.9m and fully extended it reaches to 3.3m. There are similarities to the construction machine, such as the hydrostatic transmission, but much of the design of the Agri version, such as the front auxiliary with hydraulic flow of 80l/min, is specifically for agricultural customers. So too is boom cushion retract (standard) and there are three different finishing levels, a large variety…

The original three-model, 70kW/95hp-86kW/115hp Arion 400 tractor lineup hit the ground in 2010, with an update coming in 2014 to extend the range to six units and hike max power to 104kW/140hp. Indeed, Claas engineers have been kept busy and on their toes, introducing the latest range-topping Arion 470 as part of the 2021 series overhaul as it made the move to Stage V — we had a quick look at the main changes in profi 8/2021. What may come as a surprise, though, is the Arion 400 is actually the most popular range from the French tractor factory with German farmers, who are especially smitten with the new Arion 470. Closer to home, the Arion 400 accounts for 20% of Claas tractor sales with British and Irish farmers, and…

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If you are in the market for an affordable UTV, then models such as the Polaris Ranger 570 EPS, which has a retail price of £12,590, or the Kawasaki Mule Pro MX 4x4 that sells from £11,678, will no doubt be already on your buying radar. With a road ready sticker price of under £10K, the petrol fuelled UForce as tested with screen and body protection options fitted will retail for £11,931. This is competitive pricing for a nominal 40hp petrol powered UTV, which piqued our interest to get one out for a closer inspection. The drive As we used the CFMoto around the farm, we soon learned how to get the best from its motor. Or more accurately determine that the rocker marked ‘Normal’ and ‘Work’ on the dash…

In addition to the technology and features, how well a machine looks is important to me. That’s why I regularly spray paint even a machine’s larger panels. Last spring, I even painted an entire forage harvester. It was always difficult to find the right place for these sorts of projects. Going to a ’painter’ isn’t economical, and having your own paint booth takes up too much space. If I just paint in the machinery shed, then everything else will get covered with the colourful mist from the sprayer. And doing it outdoors is not a good idea, either. My solution is a self-built paint booth that hangs from the roof of the building all year round. It’s not in the way, and when it’s needed I can lower it down…

Section control is just one of several features that Ag Leader’s RightSpot brings to the retrofit spraying party. PWM (pulse width modulation) is one of the trendy features, but there is also turn compensation and being able to maintain pressure while altering forward speed. This is the first such system from the North American tech firm and was unveiled last year ahead of its UK public debut at LAMMA on the Precise Solutions stand. What’s in the box? There are actually several boxes. This is a complete front to back AgLeader set-up, so you will need the firm’s own display such as the InCommand 1200 touch screen partnered with the GPS 7500 receiver. Derek Johnston, of the Cumbrian-based importer, points out that an RTK signal is the preferred option, because…

Connect up the pressure washer hose, open the water tap and press the start button — and CleanBuddy 4.0, with its extendable, rotating arm gets to work cleaning the barn. You don’t need to teach it where everything is, as a unique radar system will detect any obstacles. But can it really be that simple? Can the new robot washer reduce the cleaning burden on pig farms? And how much will it cost? Always available Farm staff, family member or even cleaning contractors who’ll happily wash pig pens are becoming an increasingly rare commodity. The new easy-to-use robotic washer certainly comes at the right time for many businesses. Thanks to the standard soaking function and timer, the washing robot can fit in well with the day-to-day jobs on the farm.…

There is a broad range of straw bedding equipment on the European market — from loader-mounted to trailed, and even self-propelled variants, with the way they shred and fire out the straw equally diverse. Then there are the likes of the two machines operated by Austrian farmer, Martin Heusl, from Kainzlgut in the north of the country; the units piqued our interest as they are not something you’re likely to see on a British or Irish farm. And this is not because they are bristling with electric tech. Far from it. They are, in fact, minimum-frill designs, and neither of them relies on a tractor. Six versions to choose from For a long time Martin Heusl searched for a practical solution for bedding his loose stall barn, which was built…

Many new machines are still in short supply with long lead times and sky-high prices. Hardly surprising, then, that there remains pretty much unprecedented interest in the second-hand alternatives. “There’s no doubt that the high price and slow availability of new machines, as well as the high value of used equipment in UK dealers’ yards, are the main factors behind the levels of attendance at recent farm sales,” comments Oliver Chapman, of Lincs-based auctioneer Masons and Partners. “Whereas not so long ago it was all about our currency and exports, the home buyer is now a more significant player. And this particularly applies at the quality end of the second-hand machinery market.” Proving the point, Masons and Partners’s recent restructuring sale at Blenheim House Farm, Covenham St Mary, on behalf…

Amazone has developed an on-land version of its Tyrok 400 semi-mounted reversible plough. Available with seven, eight or nine-furrowss for tractors of up to 400hp, changing between working on-land or in-furrow is activated via a hydraulic lever. Amazone reckons that the big advantage of the Tyrok Onland’s rectangular beam design over a square one is that it does not bend, resulting in a uniform working depth over the full length. The on-land version comes with the same SmartTurn headland turning system as the 2021-launched Tyrok 400. This hydraulically slows the turning sequence just before the end to reduce the stress on the plough structure. The beam is automatically retracted before the turnover process via the on land cylinder. This keeps the centre of gravity as low as possible to reduce…

DeLaval has expanded its range of automatic solutions with the OptiWagon autonomous feeding robot. It will be available in most European markets this spring. This latest robot is designed as a module for use with the firm’s Optimat stationary automatic feeding system. This mixes the ingredients, which are then conveyed into the tub of the OptiWagon for feeding. Capable of providing various animal groups with a different feed mix up to 12 times a day, the recipes and routes are set up and adjusted via the firm’s DelPro farm management system. DeLaval reckons that the Optimat system is installed on over 600 farms, mainly in Europe. Described as simple and effective, the standard version is suitable for feeding 120 to 130 cows. The master version is a fully automatic feeding…

Fendt remains the strongest brand in the German Agricultural Society’s (DLG) 2022/2023 image barometer, but the seven to nine point lead it usually enjoys has been reduced to just over one. John Deere lost one point, but was enough to regain second spot from Claas, which lost nearly two points. However, the difference between the two companies is less than a tenth of an index point. The best of the rest were some distance from the podium with Amazone in fourth spot closely followed by Lemken (both companies lost points). Horsch and Deutz-Fahr also maintained their rankings, while Kuhn nudged past Krone to achieve its best ever eighth position. Case IH narrowly defended its place in the top ten against New Holland. Overall, Ropa recorded the largest increase in points…

Manns has taken on the Grange Machinery franchise. The new dealer will sell Grange machines from its seven depots in East Anglia, Kent and Leicestershire. Part of the Claas global agricultural machinery business, Manns sells the full Claas range plus Horsch’s cultivation and seeding products. “There is an excellent fit between our products,” comments Grange machinery managing director Rhun Jones, “and the range offered by Manns and the company has a strong presence and long-standing reputation in the key arable regions of the country where many of our target customers are located.” A family run company based in Holderness, East Yorkshire, Grange Machinery manufactures agricultural machines and wearing parts. “Grange Machinery is a great example of a company that is ‘big enough to matter but small enough to care’, designing…

Bale chasers offer the opportunity to significantly improve the efficiency of field clearance as well as helping to limit traffic and wheelings. But they do have their limits, not least in controlled traffic systems and on undulating ground where producing stable stacks can be challenging. With its latest Transtacker 4100, Big Bale South hopes to have tackled these issues. Last harvest we assembled an experienced test crew to put it through its paces. Despite the trial being limited to just a couple of weeks thanks to the accelerated nature of harvest 2022, our men in the seat got a chance to run some 900 bales through the machine. Bit of history It was back in the late ‘90s that Yorkshire engineer and serial inventor John Walton started developing a chaser…

This is not Bütje’s first toe dip into the grass seed drill waters: the German engineering company manufactured such a machine back in the 1980s, but production ceased in 2001 due to the increased popularity of wider working grass harrows. While harrows can cover a lot of ground quickly, their seed-burying ability is somewhat limited, which can have a knock-on effect with germination. This is why Bütje is witnessing considerable renewed interest in its slot seeding drill, which it has redesigned and updated. The modern version now sports pneumatic seeding and a rear roller. Rejuvenation without turning the soil At the heart of the Slot Master is the coulter system, with 24 leaf springs (providing a 12.5cm row spacing) that act as skis/shoes. You use the top link to regulate…

Pershore based Spearhead Machinery was initially best known for its flex wing rotary toppers, but its successful move into the hedgecutter/reach arm mower market in the mid 90’s soon attracted interest from the global Alamo Group who acquired the brand in 2005. Alamo already owned McConnel, Bomford Turner and Twose, so there were those who suggested Spearhead Excel hedgecutters would be either dropped or models produced by one of the exiting brands would be adopted and just painted in Spearhead colours. The opposite turned out to be the case, with Spearhead hedgecutter production not just surviving its dozen mile move to Salford Priors but also seeing a boost in production. Over 18 years on, the now expanded models in the Spearhead line-up have a loyal following, with the Excel 565…

The subject Quicke Q750 front loader did not appear to have play in the main loader arms or carriage pivots. Or more accurately play that was noticeable in typical yard work such as handling round bales and using a loader bucket. A degree of play was, however, noticeable when the loader was hooked up to a flat-eight bale grab, and it was this that prompted a full loader pin and bush ‘refurb’ using a Quicke pin and bush kit. The loader maker has produced several online videos that outline how to renew the pins and bushes of its loaders, a glance at these suggesting this should prove a simple job. In one video, a bush is shown being inserted by simply sliding it onto a pin and then using it…

When Krone’s engineers couldn’t find a suitable data logger, the electronics team decided to make its own. And here it is… Krone’s SmartConnect Solar. The unit has telemetry functions for all types of farm machines, and the data can be accessed via Krone’s Smart Telematics internet portal. No running costs The telemetric unit plugs the digital gap on any implements that don’t have their own electronic system. The unit is a one-off £820, and this price covers all of the operating costs such as lifetime mobile phone data usage fees and using the internet portal as well as two mounting plates that are fastened to the host implement, regardless of it being a Krone or from another manufacturer. The SmartConnect Solar unit doesn’t have a switch, socket or port —…

The Yara N-Sensor was an early entrant to the precision farming armoury, with the first version of the tractor mounted variable rate nitrogen sensor introduced in 1999. The system has been in use at Rise Farms, near Hull, East Yorkshire since 2006, and has offered the 900ha arable in-hand operation a useful method of nitrogen management, cutting fertiliser costs and making for easier, more productive harvests. “The first major increase in fertiliser prices was the initial motivation,” explains estate manager, Jim Rawson. “We possibly ‘put the cart before horse’ – it may have been better to start with yield maps. However, we’ve certainly increased fertiliser efficiency. While overall use has not decreased, it’s going to the areas that need it, and crops look ‘fuller’.” Some of the greatest benefits are…

Autonomous tractor development has been rapidly gathering momentum during the past decade with numerous concepts emerging. But what is thought to have been the first production autonomous tractor in the UK has now been working commercially for over two years, having been purchased by Suffolk farming business Home Farm Nacton in 2021. The farm is centred around the Orwell Park Estate, near Ipswich, where 1,170ha of predominantly very light sandy soils, of which over 98% can be irrigated, enables a long list of crops to be grown. This includes high-value crops of potatoes, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, parsley and flax which are produced alongside more conventional staples such as wheat, barley, vining peas and sugar beet. Additional contract-farmed land increases the farmed-area to just under 2,000ha. A high…

My astute profi patrons, you join me in the midst of exploding sheep season. Sleep is once again a scarce commodity, second only in its scarcity to grass. With bagged feed approaching the dizzy heights of £500 per tonne the wooly locust had better be worth something come autumn. Even more so seeing as the not-so-old Nora wellingtons have just disgraced themselves in my hour of need. Last month we dealt with Cyril Parkinson’s theory that a given task shall expand to fill the time available for its completion. Allow a task ample time and suddenly the steps involved in completion can spiral out of control. Only once faced with an impending deadline do priorities get reshuffled and these steps assessed as to whether they are strictly necessary. It may…

The Maschio Gaspardo portfolio is set to be broadened with a raft of new product lines following an agreement with current UK distributor Opico to establish an independent UK branch. The Lincs-based importer and Italian manufacturer are working together to establish the new UK headquarters, and Opico has already set up a dedicated sales team for the Maschio Gaspardo brand in the UK. The recently bolstered line-up consists of three territory managers who will be supported by a dedicated UK-based technical support team. Recruitment is underway for additional staff to provide farmers and dealers with after sales support for the Maschio Gaspardo range as well as assisting with demonstrations. With its own Midlands-based office and parts storage facility the new business is ideally positioned to service the entire UK dealer…

BOBCAT TELEMATICS SYSTEM The latest version of the Machine IQ telematics system allows Bobcat customers to check the health of their machines 24/7 and remotely track information, including GPS location and history, fuel level, hours worked and fault codes, from a smart device or laptop. Available as a mobile app, all European customers have free access to all of the premium features until the end of June 2023. NEW OWNER FOR BREDAL The Erhvervsinvest Group, which bought Bogballe in 2017, has now also acquired Bredal. The two Danish fertiliser spreader manufacturers are to be merged. Described as a good match, the merger is expected to offer opportunities with marketing, technology and product development. Combined, the two companies 109 employees are split between three Danish factories. NEW CEO AT CLAAS Jan-Hendrik…

Hardwick Agricultural Engineers is the new Merlo dealer in Yorkshire. The appointment follows the decision by Murton-based Yorkshire Handlers, a Merlo dealer for 27 years, to relinquish the franchise. Located in North Yorkshire at Brompton-By-Sawdon between Pickering and Scarborough, Hardwick Agricultural Engineers, a family owned agricultural machinery supplier for over 30 years, will supply the full Merlo agricultural telehandler range, Cingo tracked carriers, TreEmme attachments and forestry tractors. “We believe that the Merlo product range perfectly reflects our business ethos of supplying and servicing the highest quality machinery within the Yorkshire area,” comments managing director of Hardwick Agricultural Engineers, Eric Hardwick. Joining the Hardwick team from Yorkshire Handlers is experienced Merlo technician Dane Robson. Dane will be a familiar face to many customers in area having worked with the Merlo…

The number of new 161-200hp tractors registered in the UK in the first three months of this year increased by 80%, accounting for nearly 30% (979) of the total of 3,354 units. The figures confirm a clear split with more tractors registered above 161hp and a decrease in the numbers from 100-160hp. At the higher end of the power scale, registrations of 201-240hp tractors were also up by more than a fifth, from 241-320hp by a third and registrations of tractors above 320hp increased by almost a quarter. In stark contrast to these increases, the only sector that showed an increase at the lower end of the power scale was the 50-100hp bracket (+5.3%). Registrations in all other power bands were down; 101-120hp (-11.5%), 121-140hp (-6.9%) and 141-160hp (down by…

The total number of new tractors registered in mainland Europe last year fell by 9.0% to around 150,000. All the main countries were affected. In the largest market of France, the drop in the number of registrations was limited to −1.4% (34,857 units in 2022/35,357 in 2021). The situation was more dramatic in Germany where the numbers were down −12% to 30,344 units (34,478 in 2021), and 20,217 (−17%) new tractors were registered in Italy. All told, the three main markets of France, Germany and Italy were good for 85,418 (54%) of all tractors registered on the Continent last year, and the six main players (AGCO, John Deere, CNH, SDF, Kubota and Claas) accounted for 68,460 of registrations in these three countries. Last year was a good year for John…

Having made its debut at Agritechnica, we had an early look at the VariPack variable-chamber belt baler in the 1/2020 issue. This was something of a pivotal moment for Krone, which up until then had relied on chains and slats. Three seasons later, and the VariPack Plus is now firmly part of the Krone furniture. There are two chamber sizes — the V165 Plus (0.80m to 1.65m) and the V190 Plus (0.80m to 1.90m) — and both of these can also be supplied as XC models, which has either a 17- or 26-knife chopping system. The latter is around £5,000 more than the non-chop machine. The test machine For this practical test, Krone provided us with a VariPack V190XC Plus with the 26 knives, which we mainly used in barley…

The Maxima precision planter family now comprises more than 10 variations — for a brief outline, refer to the box “Maxima diversity” on page 40. Our focus here is the six-row, 75cm spacing Maxima 3TDE — the latter denoting electric drive and a telescopic double frame to ensure it tucks within 3.0m for road transport. The seeder units are designed for speeds of up to 10km/hr, which gives a good indication of where Kuhn has positioned Maxima in the market. The planter has a Cat III linkage headstock. When parked up, the Maxima rests on two parking stands that are secured by pins with inexpensive lynch clips. Tractor requirements include the pto shaft, four hydraulic pipes (depending on spec) and electric and ISObus cables. When the Maxima is unhitched, the…

It won’t be long now until the balers and wrappers are back in action for another season. But there’s still plenty of time to knock out a couple of on-farm mods. Perhaps you’ll be able to draw inspiration from the following pages. We have a number of tips for Welger RP245s, which seem to be a popular model for owner improvements. Some of these tips can be easily adapted to other makes of baler; others will take a little more head scratching. If you have any tuning tips you want to share with other profi readers, please get in touch via profi.ed@kelsey.co.uk NO KICKS This reader removed the bale ejector from his Krone round baler. The benefit is said to be that the bales won’t roll away on slopes. SHINE…

As a general rule, colour differences in a standing crop of wheat usually mean a difference in the yield and a variation in the quality of grain. And in any fields with varying soil types, the difference can be very noticeable. This was certainly the case when we caught up with Crivitz Agricultural in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in North East Germany, where a New Holland CR8.90 was busy at work. Not only was the combine equipped with a GNSS receiver and yield mapping software, but the rotary harvester was also fitted with the NutriSense NIRS system — the key reason for our visit. On the IntelliView IV display, we could see how both the yield and protein content varied within the field: there were patches where the yield dipped to around…

What initially started in 2020 as a handy way of making sure daily machinery checks are carried out has grown to be much more. Today, the Smart Farmer app can be used for logging machinery operation including diesel consumption and hours worked as well as who last checked and drove the machine, if any repairs are required and even a digital version of the operator’s manual. “The app needs to benefit the operator, otherwise they won’t use it,” explains Marc Skivington, who created Smart Farmer. “The benefit for the operator is that this ensures the owner knows there is a problem with the machine that needs to be fixed, so they can then have a fully functional piece of kit.” Smart Farmer costs £365/year, and there is no restriction on…

Installation and support is via Yara’s appointed agent, Taylored Agri, and Oliver Taylor explains: “The N-Sensor is compatible with the majority of sprayers and spreaders which are VR (variable rate) enabled, either via an unlock code or as part of the standard equipment. It is supplied as the sensors and wiring looms plus the Windows tablet which communicates with the sprayer or spreader control, and this can be used either with ISObus controllers or some older types such as the Amazone Amatron 3.” Mapping is provided by a third-party software such as AgAnalyst; Yara is developing its existing ATfarm platform for this application, and maps can be loaded into Gatekeeper from the tablet via a USB stick. Taylored Agri is also in discussion with other platform suppliers. The initial installation…

Home Farm Nacton is a highly-intensive business which is potentially planting and harvesting crops every day of the year, so its machinery has to be up to scratch. The farm currently runs approximately 20 front-line tractors which are, aside from a lone 211kW/287hp Fendt 828 Vario which carries out all of the ploughing and drilling, all from the Case IH stable. This red fleet consists of numerous 121kW/165hp Puma 175 CVX models which undertake everything from destoning to sugar beet drilling, includes a 177kW/241hp Puma 240 CVX, and is topped off by a 279kW/379hp Magnum 380 CVX Rowtrac which spends the majority of its time on a 4.0m Keeble Progressive cultivator. These are backed-up by an extremely varied bunch of slightly older Massey Ferguson, New Holland and Deutz-Fahr models, plus…

DRIVING IMPRESSION Czajkowski ST450 drill A Czajkowski strip till drill has been successfully used in Ireland for establishing all sorts of crops including maize, but our focus here is the latest machine from the Polish maker, the ST450. DRIVING IMPRESSION Sands Infinity self-propelled Unveiled last year and new from the ground up, we head to the field to learn more about the Infinity. TRACTOR TEST: Fendt 516 Vario, John Deere 6R150 AutoPowr and Valtra N155E Direct It’s a triple tractor test bonanza in the July issue as we test a trio or four-cylinders from Fendt, John Deere and Valtra. TECHNCIAL Dammann row specific band spraying Chemical reduction is the main stimulus for Dammann developing a row specific spraying system with the bands controlled by a camera system. Find out more…