Tractor test
Fendt 312 Vario:
Different breed
Fendt has switched engine breeds, with its 300 series tractors now using in-house AGCO Power motors in place of the more familiar Deutz unit. To find out if this change of heart makes much difference we put an 85kW/116hp Vario 312 under the spotlight
Practical test
Amazone ED 6000-2C Super Profi Contour precision drill:
Classic act gets a welcome update
Looking for a well-built 6.0m precision drill that can work at up to 10km/hr and is easy to use? Then Amazone’s ED 6000-2C Super Profi Contour model could be the one for you
Suck ‘n’ blow
Joskin Volumetra 14500D slurry tanker:
When it was launched in 2013 the Volumetra name referred to the fact that the slurry tanker utilised a volumetric lobe or spiral pump. Since then the range has grown. We spread 1,500m3 of the sloppy stuff with a 14500D
Driving impression
Swede-Loader Mach 2 front-linkage loader:
Loader for the front linkage
Those Swedes are clever people, and here’s yet another example of just how clever they can be — a loader that fits on the front linkage. Many farms would benefit from some extra handling capability, so, with tractor front linkages often under-utilised, the Swede-Loader Mach 2 makes a lot of sense
Massey Ferguson 6718S tractor:
Crossing the line
The 6718S from Massey Ferguson is the first four-cylinder tractor to push past the 200hp marker. Simply staggering
Honda Pioneer UTV:
Look who just showed up!
In under a decade UTV sales into the agricultural and amenity sector grew from around 1,700 to 4,500 units a year; conversely, ATV sales suffered a drop from around 8,250 units to nearer 5,600 units over a similar period. So, with this in mind, why has it taken ATV market leader Honda so long to offer UK farmers a side-by-side vehicle?
John Deere 6155M CommandQuad Plus tractor:
At the touch of a button
So John Deere has introduced an automated range change for the 6M — well, whoop-de- doo you might say. Stick with us, though. This transmission development is actually rather interesting
Strip and poop
Kverneland Kultistrip 6000F tillage tool:
Kverneland has developed a hydraulic-folding version of its Kultistrip tillage tool, which does what it says on the tin — cultivate a strip of ground. And there’s even the option to incorporate slurry. We caught up with the injector in Luxembourg, to find out how easy it is to set up and how it copes with trash
Clean sweep
Respiro R3 Profi grass merger:
Talk in the trade suggests grass mergers could soon be a machine type we’ll be seeing a lot more of. There certainly seems to be a growing number of manufacturers coming to this particular party, one of which is Reiter with the Respiro design that we assess here
Livestock equipment
Northern Ireland college invests £825,000 in new livestock house:
Luxury living
After losing 200 ewes during heavy snowfalls in 2013, Greenmount Agricultural College’s hill farm at Glenwherry decided to build a new house to accommodate the majority of its 1,100-ewe flock. The first sheep went into the shed just before Christmas, and they will stay there until lambing in March and April
Milk bucket cleaner:
Clean in a jiffy
With spring calving not far off, here is a little something to help with the tedious job of cleaning milk buckets. It was invented by a farmworker looking to crack on and get through his long list of daily chores
Used machinery
Vicon RotaFlow RO-EDW weigh-cell fertiliser spreaders:
Go with the Flow
First launched in 1990, the twin-disc Vicon RotaFlow fertiliser spreader range was offered with weigh cells from 1997. This means there’s now a good number of RO-EDW models available on the used market … but should you invest in one? Here’s what to consider before arriving at a decision
Workshop
Steels — grades and uses:
Material gains
Down in sunny Sussex, Rudgwick Metals has supplied agriculture and industry with steel and most other metals for 40 years. So this firm know what’s what when it comes to finding the right stuff for a job
Igus Drylin W in-cab mounting system:
Let it slide
Tractor drivers have come up with all manner of mounting systems for positioning control boxes, terminals and screens in cabs. As an adaptable off-the-shelf alternative, the featured set-up also does a top job of tidying the in-cab clutter
Machine management
Unimog — a sensible farm option?
Jack of all trades, Master of some
Last year the Unimog celebrated its 70th birthday, testament to a well-thought-out design and solid engineering. Yet despite this longevity the ‘Mog’ has never really taken off in the UK, at least for agricultural purposes. Daimler-Benz wants to change this, and, as one key step, has recently appointed Farol in the South and Lloyd in the North as main ag dealers. Here is what two Mog users have to
Around the world
Versatile MultiTasker/Record yields in Oz/Irrigation for all/Ag robot market to hit $74 billion by 2024/Six Deere dealers left in the Netherlands
Report
Tulip production:
Tulips from Amsterdam …
With 150ha of tulips grown for the cut-flower market, Dutch grower Germaco is one of the country’s largest producers. We follow the three main field tasks of planting, topping and harvesting
Vehicles
Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Volkswagen Tiguan:
Social engineering
We head to the centre ground for this month’s 4×4 test, pitting VW’s Tiguan against the new darling of the chattering classes — the Discovery Sport
Under the hammer
Hole Farm sale:
Positive start
One of the first sales of 2017 was held at Braintree, in Essex, where auctioneer Brown & Co dispersed a variety of arable equipment with numerous entered items. Despite the wet conditions, prices were unexpectedly high, setting a benchmark for the year ahead
Parsley harvester:
Novel Jag picks parsley
The Dutch parsley fields are home to a highly unusual version of Claas’s Jaguar self-propelled forager, which does a top job of gathering in this popular herb
Contractor Price Guide
UK contractor charges
This is the National Association of Agricultural Contractors’ (www.naac.co.uk) charge guide, based on info supplied by its members last spring. The figures are only a guide and assume a red diesel price of 40p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc
