Tractor test

Massey Ferguson 7615 triple test

Pick a box

If you like your tractor to be 110kW/150hp and say Massey Ferguson on the bonnet, then you have plenty of choice from the red corner. Not only are there four- and six-cylinder models, but three transmissions are on offer — Dyna-4, Dyna-6 and Dyna-VT — with three levels of specification: Essential, Efficient and Exclusive. To see what difference a transmission and trim level can make we test the

Practical test

Lemken Compact Solitair 9/300 Z10 drill

Mr Versatile

Bring together a power harrow and a trailed drill and what do you get? A new breed of universal drill. Lemken’s Compact Solitair 9/300 Z10 is one of a very select group. We find out what a pre-production example can do…

Driving impression

Size does matter

Krone Big X 480 forage harvester

Apparently some potential buyers of Krone’s Big X 500 were put off because it was just so… big. So last year the makers came up with a lighter version with a different chopping cylinder. And here it is — the Big X 480

Krone Big X 480 forage harvester

Size does matter

Apparently some potential buyers of Krone’s Big X 500 were put off because it was just so… big. So last year the makers came up with a lighter version with a different chopping cylinder. And here it is — the Big X 480

Livestock equipment

Group foraging arrangement in Devon

All for one and one for all

Successful farmer groups that share labour and machinery would appear to be few and far between, even though the economics of the job seem to be attractive. We visit the Sutcombe Agripower group — to see how, after 14 years’ operation, it’s still going strong

Used machinery

John Deere Gator XUV 850D and 855D UTVs

Little Gator with a large bite

When John Deere launched its Gator HPX utility vehicle in 2006, its 20hp diesel power, trusted name and well-thought-through design saw it open a chink in the ag market. The HPX was, and continues to be, a tough little tool, but its amenity ancestry means it’s still compromised for those looking to make a switch from an ATV in the ag sector. Hence the arrival in 2008 of the Gator XUV — and it’s

Workshop

Rechargeable LED lamps compared

The lights fantastic

All year round, a good inspection lamp is worth its weight in sunbeams. Here we compare offerings from Laser, Redashe, Sealey and Ring

From the workshop

Simple solutions to perennial problems

Presented with an obstacle? Then find a way to get over it. That’s precisely what Cornish farmer Andrew Julian has done with his high-clearance Keenan mixer wagon, which is now able to discharge over the top of feed barriers rather than against them. Mr Julian’s conversion is just one of a number of low-cost mods drawn together by Mike Donovan for this month’s ‘Simple Solutions’

Machine management

Controlled-traffic farming in Essex

Stay on the path

While most growers will appreciate the advantages of controlled-traffic farming, developing a system that confines tractors, combines and all other machinery to fixed pathways can present some challenges

Around the world

Goldacres goes lightweight US farm kit makes its mark on economy Home-built plastic layer Backwards into the forest

Report

AD plant developments at Severn Trent

Crop cocktail hits the spot

In the four years since Severn Trent Water invested £15m in the construction of an anaerobic digester at its Stoke Bardolph site in Nottingham, technology has moved onwards. Developments have led to greater efficiency and more electricity production

UK contractor charges

This is the National Association of Agricultural Contractors’ charge guide, based on information supplied by its members this spring. The figures are only a guide and assume a red diesel price of 70p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc

Investment in China

In at the start

With an eye to the future, Swedish front loader manufacturer Ålö currently builds all of its loader attachments in its own factory in China. Why? Labour costs are low, as are material costs. But they’re far from the only reasons, as we discover on a trip to the Far East

Whatever happened to — the Vicon Red Bull

Exit the Bull

A need to keep pace with the growing appetites of self-propelled foragers has led to several interesting concepts. Some called on ageing foragers to host triple mowers, whereas others opted for more conventional tractor power. Vicon even dipped its toe in the water with a Big M contender, the Red Bull, yet this intriguing-looking machine never made it into full production — and here’s the reason

Vehicles

Ford Transit Connect vs Renault Kangoo vans

Riches to rags

If you don’t need to carry four bodies or stray too far from hard surfaces, a panel van can shoulder much of the work of a 4×4 double-cab pick-up. We compare offerings from Ford and Renault

Under the hammer

Hall Farm Sale

Large crowd for clean kit

There were plenty of buyers at the Hall Farm sale near Bury St Edmunds. Brown & Co reports an extremely good trade for all the kit on display — from the smallest to the largest