Tractor test
Long-term tractor test: Fendt Vario 820
A paler shade of green
This month we break away from our tractor test norm – to see if Fendt’s premium price tag and perceived reliability are all they’re cracked up to be. The Vario 800 line-up has ranked among the manufacturer’s top sellers since its launch in 2003, so, with this in mind, Mervyn Bailey catches up with a 2008 Stage 3a powered 820 model
Practical test
Practical test: Pöttinger Terrasem C6 Artis drill
Out of the ‘Pött’, into the dirt
Austrian firm Pöttinger introduced its trailed Terrasem drill range in 2003. In 2008 a revised line-up arrived, so last autumn we thought we’d find out what the 6m version could do. Here is our assessment of its performance across a range of crops
Driving impression
Claas 770 TerraTrac combine
Smarter, faster, sportier
The new generation of Lexions gets an updated cab, a different paint job and in one case, 40km/hr travel. On top of that, new CEMOS technology aims to optimise machine output via interaction with the Lexion driver
Driving impression: Landini 7-185 tractor
The magnificent ‘7’
The Landini 7-series range manages what might seem like the absolutely impossible: it replaces two previous tractor series but, at the same time, actually offers the end user even more spec choice. We check out the mid-line 7-185, as an example of the new Italian breed
Livestock equipment
Cattle handling equipment:
Traffic control for livestock
A system that allows cattle to be handled safely and efficiently, with a minimum number of staff, is in increasing demand from the livestock farming industry. Andy Collings reports
Weidemann T4512 CC35 telehandler
Beats using a pitchfork
If you need a compact loader, then there’s not too much choice in the tiny telehandler market. Last year Weidemann introduced the T4512, which not only squeezes into the tightest of buildings but is also capable of filling a diet feeder
Used machinery
Massey Ferguson 5400-series tractors:
Know your specs to secure best used buy
Launched at the tail end of 2003, the Massey Ferguson 5400 tractor series continues to offer a wide specification choice that can, at first, seem baffling to the uninitiated. On top of that, over the intervening years there have been several significant changes made to the overall model line-up. James de Havilland outlines the key specification pointers to consider when searching for a second-hand
Workshop
From the workshop:
Simple solutions to perennial problems
As well as the usual mix of UK farm-built equipment, this month’s workshop concoction includes a couple of student-designed bits of kit from the other side of the Pond. To get in touch with agricultural machinery ideas specialist Mike Donovan with your own inventions, please use the contact details that appear at the bottom of this page
Machine management
Philip Trim Contractors:
Cutting your machinery cloth – Trim style
High reliability and high performance don’t always go hand in hand for large machinery fleets, but one Dorset contractor would seem to have successfully combined both aspects into his business by adopting an intense approach to equipment management. So, what’s his secret? Geoff Ashcroft investigates
Philip Trim Contractors:
Cutting your machinery cloth – Trim style
High reliability and high performance don’t always go hand in hand for large machinery fleets, but one Dorset contractor would seem to have successfully combined both aspects into his business by adopting an intense approach to equipment management. So, what’s his secret? Geoff Ashcroft investigates
Around the world
- ‘Phenomobile’ keeps an eye on crops
- Pulverizer gets its wings
- Loaders debut in KwaZulu-Natal
- Imants digs in deep
Report
Borders Machinery Ring profile:
Ring leader
Borders Machinery Ring (BMR) continues to bring new business opportunities to its growing membership. It was the first such enterprise to start in the UK and, with healthy profits, proves that there’s plenty of life left in the ring concept. Andy Moore reports
Index
profi contents 2010
profi contents 2010
