Tractor test

Claas, John Deere, Massey Ferguson, Valtra

Active suspension systems compared

AutoComfort, HCS+, OptiRide Plus and Z-Activ are all fancy names for active suspension systems on tractors. But just how effective are they? To find out we pitted the four systems against one another — to see what the individual set-ups have to offer

Practical test

Amazone EDX 6000-TC precision drill

Speedy seeding with the EDX

Back in 2007 Amazone introduced its Xpress system. This moved away from the traditional precision seeder concept, instead using a single central hopper with integral drum-based seed singling. The result was a Gold Medal at that year’s Agritechnica. Last season we took a hard look at the 6m trailed 6000-TC

Driving impression

Suzuki KingQuad 500 Power Steering

Less steering muscle required

Suzuki sells its 500cc KingQuad automatic ATVs in both non-assisted and power-steering guises, with £600 separating their prices. James de Havilland borrowed one of each — to see whether power steering is worth the extra cash

K-Two hydraulic self-levelling suspension on Roadeo trailer

Not so much rock ‘n’ roll

Upgrading to hydraulic self-levelling suspension has led to a radical overhaul of the running gear on K-Two’s Roadeo trailers. It’s a sophisticated set-up that takes a little bit of explaining, so, to get an idea of how the system works, Nick Fone worked his way around a prototype unit on silage-carting duties

Luxury liner

Claas Liner 2900 centre rake

New rakes bolster the high end of Claas’s twin-rotor Liner range. Will the 2900 (the second-biggest of five models) just cruise away, or will it founder on the rocks of a profi test? As an interesting aside we also check out the firm’s biggest single-rotor model, which isn’t currently available in the UK

Livestock equipment

Anaerobic digestion

Power from poop

Anaerobic digesters hold the promise of economical and environmentally acceptable energy production from waste, but the process is not without its problems. Andy Collings visits a farm-based system developed to handle any type of organic feedstock — and it claims to be the most energy efficient on the market

Used machinery

McHale F550 fixed-chamber balers

Rugged and simple

At first glance, McHale F550 balers might appear to have changed little over their product life cycle — from their launch in 2005 to the 2011 season, when the final machines were built. Under the skin, however, the balers saw significant development for the 2008 model year, with the occasional nip and tuck in between. James de Havilland reports

Workshop

Pressure washer care

Service under pressure

Winter is the busiest season for farm pressure washers. So now would seem a sensible time to ask Martin Coles, demonstrator/trainer for Kärcher (UK) Ltd, about service and troubleshooting. Andrew Pearce acts as scribe

From the workshop

Simple solutions to perennial problems

Could spring weather be around the corner? Then again, perhaps that’s too much to hope for, no matter how long those kinder climes are overdue. While waiting, how about coming up with a few more ideas in the warm and dry farm workshop? Here’s some additional inspiration, assembled by Mike Donovan

Machine management

Contractor price guide 2012/2013

UK contractor charges

This is the National Association of Agric.Contractors’ charge guide, based on info supplied by its members last 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

Return from organic to conventional cropping

Precision application pays off in Cornwall

Faced with dwindling premiums and decreasing markets for organic produce, one Cornish farm has ditched organic methods in favour of intensive crop production. It’s a decision that has required investment in spreading and spraying kit to meet demands from the revised workload. Geoff Ashcroft reports

Around the world

Can-Am heads off farm and onto the beach / Picking the fruit off the top / Seed and fertiliser in the one big pass / Historic Ropa harvests lots of interest

Report

Goodbye Newark, hello Peterborough

With over 850 exhibitors, the final LAMMA to be staged at Newark was bigger and better than ever. Tri-axle tankers, compact tractors, strip-till drills, transfer trailers — the wide variety of new kit on display was almost as eye-watering as the showground’s freezing cold temperatures. A suitably chilled Nick Fone reports

Technical

Mzuri Pro-Til strip-till technology

It only tills where it drills

In 2011 Mzuri marched boldly into the drill market with a range of 3.0- and 4.0m strip-till machines. Sold in both mounted and trailed formats — the trailed unit has the option of handling both seed and fertiliser — the firm’s Pro-Til drill design stands out for its clean profile and the ingenuity of its construction. James de Havilland conducts this Pro-Til tour

Arms like popeye

Measuring lift capacity

Since Harry Ferguson came up with the three-point linkage back in 1926, nothing fundamental has changed. There are still two lift arms, a top link and the job of hoisting equipment off (or out of) the ground