Tractor test
Deutz-Fahr 9340 TTV:
A powerful start
Deutz-Fahr is adopting a two-stage approach to its participation in the high-hp club. The 350-440hp 11 series arrives next year, but for now it’s the 9 series flagship, the 9340 TTV, that is carrying the torch. We test this 247kW/336hp (ECE-R120) tractor in the lab and in the field
Practical test
Smart combo
Pöttinger Europrofi 5510D Combiline forage wagon:
As we discovered in our used machinery guide, the Pöttinger Europrofi has been a key member of the Austrian manufacturer’s product family for over 25 years. The latest version is the 5510D Combiline, which we put through its paces for a full season — to get a feel for how it performs and what it’s like to live with
Driving impression
Güttler SuperMaxx 60-5 cultivator:
More than a rake
Looking to chit stubbles but wanting to do more than a rake? Then Güttler’s SuperMaxx 60-5 tined cultivator could perhaps be the machine for you
Kverneland 97150C four-rotor rake:
High-tech grass gatherer
Section control might be old hat on sprayers and fertiliser spreaders, but thanks to Kverneland it’s now available on a grass rake, too. The newly launched 97150C comes with a full GPS and ISObus set-up, meaning it can flick its four rotors in and out of work without a jot of input from the driver. Could this be taking things a little too far?
Chasing spuds
Hawe Wester KUW root transfer trailer:
Crop transfer trailers are one of the latest trends to emerge in the root crop sector. And it’s easy to see why — less mud on roads, no need for expensive rubber on road trailers … the list goes on. Meeting this demand, German maker Hawe Wester, which is already known for its grain chasers, has now come up with a root trailer. We glance over the prototype
In the bag
Huesker Flexcover Combi slurry bag:
You can now use a tipper for carting slurry and other liquids. Huesker has come up with a portable slurry bag that allows contractors to extend their tanker fleet by making the most of otherwise idle conventional trailers
Livestock equipment
Maize processing techniques compared:
The long and the short of it
Over the past few years there has been a lot of excitement about potential gains in milk yield and herd health that might come from feeding long-chop maize silage to dairy cows. But is special equipment needed to produce this sort of product? Experimental work suggests maybe not
Used machinery
OPICO He-Va TIP roller HD and XHD with Shattaboard:
Whack and roll
Originally branded as OPICO Vari-Flex rolls, the He-Va TIP roller range has evolved in detail since its original introduction in the 1990s. It was the addition of a Shattaboard option in 1997, however, that saw the TIP roller family emerge as being far more than just a folding Cambridge roll, with continued popularity of these rollers seeing the range extended to include a new five-gang 12.30m
Workshop
Automechanika 2017:
A mechanic’s dozen
Automechanika is an annual three-day trade show for the automotive industry at the NEC. We went along to this year’s event to sniff out workshop-related stuff that might find a home in farming
Fit GPS to an ATV/UTV:
Guide your pellets to hit the correct target
It’s not expensive to add GPS guidance to an ATV or UTV, particularly if you don’t buy new kit. And the job is pretty simple …
Machine management
Capacity to spare in Dorset:
Tooled up
The arrival of a John Deere 9RX tracked tractor and 12-furrow Kverneland plough has upped the ante for one Dorset grower, giving capacity to spare as the business continues to grow
Around the world
Fendt arrives in Africa/Croplands now has an autonomy option/TAFE launches hiring platform for farmers/Through the looking Glass in Minnesota/Push-out axle
Report
Unusual crops:
Bulls in the hemp
Two of the four self-propelled hemp harvesters used by Dutch grower Dun Agro are based on Claas Xerions, while the others are modified sugar beet harvesters
Whatever happened to … the Claas Cougar 1400 self-propelled mower
Parts live on
Claas stunned Agritechnica visitors in 2003 when it took the wraps off its self-propelled Cougar 1400 mower prototype, which could knock down 14m of grass in a single pass. Awarded ‘Machine of the Year 2004’, judges praised the concept as one that provided better working conditions, increased forage quality, reduced ground pressure, an increase in performance and a reduction in harvesting costs
Vehicles
Jaguar F-Pace vs VW Touareg:
Fast and faster
A switch to lively transport this month, as performance-biased 4x4s from Jaguar and VW line up for inspection. Warning: Option lists can damage your wallet …
Under the hammer
C W Dobbs and Son sale:
Brisk sale for Lincs kit
Brown & Co carried out a well-attended sale of low-houred agricultural equipment from C W Dobbs and Son in Lincolnshire. Despite the age of some of the kit, prices stayed stubbornly high, much to the annoyance of buyers seeking a bargain
Hogleaze sale:
Hoedown at Hogleaze
The rolling Dorset countryside played host to a recent Symonds and Sampson sale that saw some unusually young kit up for grabs, including a three-year-old 190hp Deutz Agrotron and a brace of Claas Arion 650s
Case IH 1455 XL versus Case IH Puma 150 CVX:
Old and faithful …
The last 1455 XL may have rolled off the Neuss production line all the way back in 1996, yet this classic continues to hold a special place in the hearts of true Case IH aficionados. So what’s changed over the past 21 years? And how does the modern offering compare? To find out we pitted old school six-cylinder 1455 XL grunt against the current, similar-sized Puma 150 CVX
UK contractor charges
This is the National Association of Agricultural Contractors’ (www.naac.co.uk) charge guide, based on info supplied by its members this spring. The figures are only a guide and assume a red diesel price of 50p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc
Telehandler Guide:
Agricultural telehandlers on the UK market — 2017
Here’s our guide to agricultural telescopic handlers on offer in the UK. In the ‘Hydraulics’ column: F = Fixed output gear pump; V = Variable flow demand-responsive piston pump and valving; litres/min. ‘Engine’ column: power and engine make. ‘Drive’ column: H = hydrostatic (2 H = two hydro settings or two-speed gearbox); MS = manual shift gearbox and torque converter; PS = powershift gearbox with
