Tractor test
Case IH Puma 175 CVX
More power, less grumble
Last year we had a walk around the new generation Puma to see what Case IH’s engineers had been up to. Our conclusion: while the Stage IV engine may have determined the deadline for rolling out the new models, the biggest difference for operators will be the much improved accommodation
Practical test
Grimme GL 430 vs GB 430 — Part I
Spuds served two ways
Potato growers love cup-fed planters. But belt-based designs claim higher working speeds and more gentle tuber handling, so which is best for you? This two-part article compares a brace of four-row Grimme models, both built with larger-scale operations in mind
BvL V-Mix Plus 13 1-S diet feeder
Mixing it with the big boys
Diet feeder maker Bernard van Lengerich will be better known on these shores as BvL and is a company that produces a sizeable selection of sizes with an almost endless list of configurations. Its most popular single-auger model is the featured V-Mix Plus 13 1-S
Driving impression
Fendt 1050 Vario tractor
Feeding of the 1000
No miracle, granted. Yet Fendt has still managed to conjure something rather special out of its design department’s hat. The firm’s flagship 1050 model boasts a 500hp engine, 14t kerb weight and 2.35m tall wheels, all within a conventionally configured tractor package. Abracadabra … and then some
Köckerling Vitu drill
Joining the herd
When it comes to building seed drills Köckerling has resolutely stuck with tines — Ultima, Jockey etc. Now, though, the firm has added a disc drill to its seeder family. A ‘me too’ product, or is there something special about the Vitu?
Väderstad Opus 600 tine cultivator
Tine after tine
Väderstad concedes the TopDown remains its mass-market cultivator. Those who prefer a tine-dominated machine, however, will be happy to see the arrival of more Opus models for the coming season, including this 5.75m 600
Tuchel brush scraper attachment
Swept away
Rotary brush maker Tuchel is introducing a scraper attachment for its sweepers. The logic is that scraping compacted mud off the road will result in a better clean-up operation in just one pass than relying on the bristles to do all the work
New Holland CX8.80 combine
Walker steps up
New Holland has revised its higher end CX combines for the 2016 harvest. There were a couple of demo machines floating about last season, allowing us to catch up with one munching its way through a crop of winter wheat
Tine after tine
Väderstad Opus 600 tine cultivator
Väderstad concedes the TopDown remains its mass-market cultivator. Those who prefer a tine-dominated machine, however, will be happy to see the arrival of more Opus models for the coming season, including this 5.75m 600
Joining the herd
Köckerling Vitu drill
When it comes to building seed drills Köckerling has resolutely stuck with tines — Ultima, Jockey etc. Now, though, the firm has added a disc drill to its seeder family. A ‘me too’ product, or is there something special about the Vitu?
Feeding of the 1000
Fendt 1050 Vario tractor
No miracle, granted. Yet Fendt has still managed to conjure something rather special out of its design department’s hat. The firm’s flagship 1050 model boasts a 500hp engine, 14t kerb weight and 2.35m tall wheels, all within a conventionally configured tractor package. Abracadabra … and then some
Livestock equipment
Beef cattle move on to slats with mats
Mats on slats
Installing rubber mats over concrete slats may seem a luxury for beef cattle. But Warwickshire farmer Adam Quinney can quantify the benefits
Used machinery
Amazone UF 1501 and UF 1801 mounted sprayers
Brush up on spec knowledge to secure the right buy
Arguably the biggest hurdle facing buyers of a used sprayer has shifted from condition and the ability to do the job to ensuring you secure a machine with the right specification. Amazone mounted UF 1501 and UF 1801 sprayers became available in the UK from 2004, but the spec of the earliest machines will differ from a more recent model. So, what should you look for on your prospective unit?
Workshop
Tyres: Removal and refitting Part III: Trailer/implement tyres
Going solo
For the third and final part in this series on safe working with agricultural tyres, B A Bush tyre fitter Mervyn Gorman shows how to change a tyre on a loose trailer or implement wheel — with the minimum of effort and risk
Replacing levelling disc bearings and axles
Too much grease!
The bearings on the Lemken Terradisc (latterly Smaragd 9) levelling discs need regular attention, but, should you fail to do the necessary, this article will certainly come in useful. Here we look at how to replace a dead bearing and weld a new hub pin in place
Machine management
Keeping things in house
DIY farming in the Fens
Low commodity prices and high rents pose a challenge to any family farm, even for those in the fertile fens of eastern England. A policy of keeping all operations in house and a judicious sharing of equipment are key elements in allowing a third generation of tenant farmers to keep smiling
Around the world
Improving yields with drainage Agritechnica machines head for Oz John Deere makes bold moves in planter market Maintenance is only 2.3% of hourly tractor costs
Report
Planting eight rows of spuds in a single pass
Monster planter
The Dutch Koolen family is among the first users of a massive eight-row spud planter that combines several operations in a single pass. Up front the big planter requires a similarly big tug, yet one with a light footprint
Balkrishna Industries Ltd (BKT)
Taking on the big boys
India-based, off-highway tyre maker BKT has ambitious plans, including growing its global market share from 6% to 10% by 2017-2018. It’s a tall order but one that’s definitely achievable, according to majority shareholder, the Poddar family
Technical
Threshing systems compared
Loss leaders
Many different things decide combine output and losses. On straw walker machines the walkers are key, while on rotaries it’s usually engine power. How come? We show why this is and look at how to manage these two alternative harvesting systems
Vehicles
BMW X3 vs Land Rover Discovery Sport
Fast Fours
Seems like only yesterday that we compared luxury off-roaders from the very top end of the 4×4 market. Today the crosshairs slide down into the middle ground …
Under the hammer
Halls Shrewsbury collective sale
Large crowd, good prices
Machinery sold well at December’s machinery collective at the Halls auction ground in Shrewsbury. Higher-value tractors, however, proved more of a struggle, with a number not reaching their reserve
Contractor price guide 2016
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 60p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc
