Sommaire pour July 2021 de Profi

The Terrasem mulch seed drill is the latest Pöttinger machine to benefit from the Tegosem 500 cover crop sowing unit. Already available on Lion power harrows, Fox compact combination harrows, Terradisc disc harrows and Synkro stubble cultivators, on the Terrasem the cover crop unit can feed additional fertiliser and micro-granules directly into the drill’s metering system. Mounted in front of the seed hopper and accessible using the loading platform, the Tegosem’s pneumatic seeding unit can also be used for the surface application of companion crops, such as grass, which is applied between the tyre packer and the coulter bar.…

Continental’s ContiPressureCheck tyre pressure monitoring system provides combine harvester operators with real-time pressure and temperature data. Designed for use with new CombineMaster tyres, but also suitable for retrofitting to existing ones, a direct measurement sensor inserted inside each tyre continuously monitors inflation pressures and temperatures. The information is transmitted to a receiver and the operator alerted to any tyre related issues, such as overloading or underinflation.…

Kuhn’s FC9330RA mounted mower conditioner combination with fully integrated swath grouping units can deliver 9.3m of grass in a single swath adjustable from 1.8m to 3.6m. The groupers can be lifted out of work to leave the cut and conditioned grass spread, and one of the two conveyors can be operated independently with the other out of work when cutting headlands. The new frame and support arm configuration of the grouper attachment makes the overall unit more compact and stable than earlier models, says the company, and the use of aluminium in the conveyor belt frames results in a weight saving. The conveyor belts are driven by two pumps supplied by a dedicated tank integrated into the central frame. All other operational functions are driven by a hydraulic unit connected to…

Naïo Technologies has built a second prototype of its BlueBob, an autonomous vehicle developed to mechanically weed sugar beet crops. Delivered to German seed breeding firm Strube D and S, BlueBob 2.0, an autonomous and fully-electric six-row version, is equipped with Naïo navigation technology and Strube/Fraunhofer sugar beet detection techniques. Using a combination of camera-guided inter-row attachments and in-row powered tools, the machine mechanically tackles weeds from the first two leaves stage to canopy closure. BlueBob 2.0 uses RTK GPS to autonomously follow the route of the drill, finding the rows, recognising the end of a bout, and turning independently into the next one on the headland. Covering around 0.5ha/hr, a fully charged battery set allows it to run continuously for eight hours.…

A chaser bin does represent a major investment, but it can help boost harvester output, reduce ground compaction as well as making road haulage a slicker affair. When it comes to size, they don’t come much bigger in Europe than the 50m³ Hawe ULW5000. To quickly get from A to B you are going to need a sizeable tractor. The German chaser bin maker recommends 220kW/300hp for its flagship chaser. For our practical test in wheat and rye, we hitched up the ULW5000 bin to a Fendt 1050 so there was always plenty of power on tap. Unload in under three minutes Up front is a 600mm diameter unloading auger that folds in two parts for transport. A mechanical claw coupling connects the pair of four star bearings that keep…

If one thing has not changed since we last took a used buying look at Claydon drill it is that even the very latest examples remain relatively ‘simple’. Although the company continues to hone its ‘minimal disturbance’ drilling concept to reflect the demand for greatly increased productivity across all soil types, some upgrades may be applicable to earlier Hybrid drill models. This can enable those on the hunt for a pre-owned buy to invest in a drill that can be modified by fitting certain new parts something which is discussed in a little more detail in the ‘Lower disturbance Opti-Till upgrades’ section. Before taking a look at the models and developments, a note on used availability. Demand is currently strong enough that there is a bit of a lead time…

It is that time of year again when the smell of freshly cut grass starts to fill the air. Readers have been sending in their ideas on how to make blade changes easier, alert wildlife to move out of the way or even make your mower stand out on the road. If you have any other modifications, please do share them with us by emailing profi.ed@kelsey.co.uk … so we can pass them on to your fellow profi readers. LEAF BLOWER HOLSTER A leaf blower is a great way of keeping your machine clean, leaving seeds in the field and not brought back to the yard. The owner of this mower has added an onboard holder. Foam inserts underneath and to the sides protect the blower from knocks and bumps. GAME…

Compact TMR (Total Mixed Ration) is currently a popular topic, although the feeding concept from Denmark can be tricky to get your head around as it contradicts the decades-old doctrine of ruminant-friendly, structure-rich feeding. Not only are comparatively large amounts of concentrate feed used, but also big quantities of water and short-chopped silage. Then the ingredients are mixed up for a long time, with the aim being that the animals can no longer pick out the individual components. Past experience has demonstrated that high-yielding animals in particular do very well with compact TMR — because they're healthier, more productive and more energetic. This can only be explained by a more uniform intake of nutrients, which effectively removes the unattractive side effects of acidosis. The key problem with the new feeding…

With the introduction of the new generation Magnum (see profi 10/2019), Case IH also took the opportunity to completely rejig the electronic architecture of the tractor — so it could ‘talk’ to the web through a telematics system that the firm calls AFS Connect. As part of a two-pronged approach, owners can register their farm and red machinery on mycaseih.com or, if buying a new piece of kit, switched-on dealers will take care of this. The platform is available for all current production machines, with the serial number giving you access to training videos, troubleshooting tips and maintenance instructions. For instance, if you are whipping round with the grease gun, you can use your smartphone to check where all the grease nipples are and at what interval they need a…

McConnel is testing a remote-controlled Robocut work platform that can identify dock leaves in grassland and selectively spray them with individually controlled nozzles. In development for 18 months, the aim is to develop an autonomous system capable of identifying and spraying weeds without significant human labour. The power unit of the prototype is a 56hp Robocut RC56 fitted with Trimble GPS guidance. The spot sprayer utilises a digital camera to capture dock leaf images. A ground speed radar monitors forward speed. The rest of the hardware includes an 80-litre spray tank with electric pump, a 1.5m spray boom and the nine Teejet PWM spray valves to reduce the amount of chemical slurred before and after targeting. A microcomputer provides the required processing power to make the system work. There are still…

Claas has entered into a cooperative venture and acquired a minority shareholding in Dutch start-up AgXeed, the developer of the AgBot. The aim is to cooperate on the development and commercialisation of the autonomous field robot. The Dutch company is currently field testing a couple of 156hp diesel-electric, rubber-tracked prototypes. Main features include an adjustable track width, load-sensing hydraulics and 8.0t rear lift capacity. Options include an electric PTO, independent of the engine speed, and external high-voltage connections. The electric equipment includes all the technology required for hazard and obstacle detection, in addition to an RTK steering system. The AgBot is expected to be launched in 2022. The plan is to offer various sizes and performance classes. Further solutions are in development.…

The possibility to integrate the new WG900 web grader into the RH12, RH20 and RH24 Combi receiving hoppers allows different sizes of potatoes and onions to be graded during storage and processing. This combination of two coordinated machines takes care of soil cleaning, picking, sorting and dividing the crop into two different sizes. All this takes place in a straight crop flow with no bottleneck. The PU-rollers of the pre-grading unit of the RH20 and RH24 can also be used in sticky conditions to clean off adhering soil. An optionally integrated merging conveyor transfers trash onto the soil cross conveyor. Other new options include six LED work lights for the RH20 and RH24, and the operating terminal (and other operating devices) on all RH models can now be equipped with…

Described as a versatile and easy to use tractor for transport, front loader and light-duty field work, the McCormick X5.085 is strategically positioned between the Stage V X4s and future X5 Stage V models. Made in Italy by Argo Tractors, the 3.4-litre, four-pot and 8-valve FPT 75hp engine in the X5.085 meets Stage V emissions with EGR, DOC and DPF technology. There is no SCR. The steering wheel is adjustable in reach and rake and the cab roof, which has a transparent hatch, can be lowered when entering tight spaces. Rear lift capacity is 3.9t (optional 1.7t Cat front linkage). Implement attachment controls are found both in the cab and on the fender, there are five hydraulic spools and the flow rate is 56l/min. The tractor can be coupled to…

Talex has just shipped its first ever trailed bale wrapper to the UK, where it has landed with Staffordshire based dealer J Bourne Tractors. The Sprinter 1500 is a single dispenser machine, and the control box allows you to choose from manual, semi- or full-auto. The incab control box gives three operating speeds (slow, medium and fast) as well as options such as preselected number of turns for different film. Fabian Sobol from Talex adds that the hydraulic relay box allows the Sprinter to take into account information such as bale size, wrap speed, hydraulic flow and other parameters to self-learn the optimum settings. The £10,500 wrapper has a self-loading arm and is capable of handling 1.20-1.50m diameter bales that can weigh up to 1,100kg. Up to three rolls of 500mm…

Engineer Karl Hägele reckons that simply spinning a conventional fan backwards doesn’t generate much air blast. It is, he says, “Like trying to eat soup with an upside-down spoon.” While you ponder that little nugget, here’s how his family of Cleanfix fans — developed over the last 20 years — serve their version of air soup. Rather than reversing drive direction, they reverse each of their blades. Air should then move just as efficiently as before, but in the opposite direction. So, where a fan normally sucks cooling air through a radiator pack, it will now blow it. More flow means that dust and chaff clears more readily, says the maker, maintaining cooling efficiency so power output and fuel consumption don’t suffer. Notionally that’s a step forward. Another is to…

“In order to conserve moisture and the structure of our light soils, we don't use the plough,” says Christian Odinga. “But we do have a problem with a hard pan at a depth of 40cm to 50cm, which prevents plants getting their roots down any deeper.” To break through this pan, the farm runs an Agrisem Combiplow subsoiler. The 3.0m machine has four auto-reset legs that can be used down to 60cm depth. Christian wanted to operate the Cultiplow with his trailed Horsch Pronto 3DC drill in tow, so the local Agrisem dealer fabricated a coupler to go between cultivator and drill. A laser cutter was used for the holes in the four 20mm thick plates. The plates were then welded vertically to the frame for the roller. The lower…

Back at Agritechnica 2019, Pöttinger caused a bit of a stir in the grass rake scene. Instead of the usual bogie with several gauge wheels, the Austrians introduced plastic skids for the Top 842C twin-rotor rake. Last summer we were able to test the skid rake and compare it with an identical model sporting conventional gauge wheels. In its transport position, the large skids also protect the tines from damage. The sickle-shaped skid has an enormous contact area totaling 5.5m². That is about eight times more than the five 16x6.5-8s which amount to just 0.675m². Pöttinger may have reinvented the wheel with this all-new design but it cannot defy gravity, and the higher friction in turn means that a bigger tractor will be needed unless its suspension has been tweaked…

Buyer’s premium Buyer’s premium of 5% of the hammer price is payable on all lots up £4,000. Any lots sold over £4,000 attracted a fixed buyer premium rate of £200 per lot. Both subject to VAT at 20% Online bidding A 3% plus VAT internet surcharge was added to the hammer price for successful bids made online through I-Bidder and Bis Spotter websites.…

Initially designed for a customer to run in front of a 4.0m folding cultivator to chop and cut directly into baked ploughed land, the front mounted disc cultivator has now joined Agriweld’s expanded range of cultivation equipment. Two depth wheels to aid stability and the 32x510mm diameter concave discs (on a 4.0m machine) are said to make light work of clods and clumps. Disc units are protected by rubber suspension and have a scraper to clean the inner wall of the disc, and driving each pair of discs together reduces the possibility of an individual disc stalling. The unit can also be used independently, or in front of the company’s Min-Dis minimum disturbance sub-soiler to create a fine tilth to encourage chitting.…

Designed for grass, but able to handle all types of seeds including beans, Weaving Machinery’s Fenix 3000M (3.0m) is described as an high-spec entry-level direct drill. Aimed at smaller mixed farms looking to move less soil or reseed grass without ploughing, the 32- row drill comes with an Accord metering unit (seeding rates from 1.8-400kg/ha). Grass is cut by two rows of 405mm diameter steel discs (90kg pressure), after which seed exits the cultivator points. The discs are fixed to individual holders and secured with rubber shock absorbers and the distance between the first and the second coulter row is 60cm. There are two diameters of cast iron ring rollers; 450mm and 500mm. Moving on the inner side of the smaller ring, the larger ring is said to prevent material from sticking to…

The Claas X10 cab on the latest AirRide and Harrier self-propelled sprayers provides more space, a higher-spec interior and improved visibility over the outgoing ABT-built Excalibur version. Standard features include automatic air conditioning, a Bluetooth radio, three-way tilting steering column and adjustable sun blinds on all windows. There is also a larger buddy seat with a 27-litre fridge housed underneath and all vehicle and boom controls have been integrated into the cab’s original controls. Both sprayers have redesigned mirrors to improve access, LED work lights and a hydraulic-folding ladder with a controller integrated into the park brake. An illuminated pressure gauge has also been included for clearer visibility when working at night. Sprayer functions and vehicle readouts are housed in the latest TMC V6 terminal, which is setup for auto section…

He-Va has come up with the XL version of the Disc Roller Contour for farmers wanting a more aggressive cultivator for both shallow and deep cultivation. The notable difference on the newcomer is the larger 610mm diameter Sabre discs. These allow the XL to work at depths of up to 160mm to cope with larger volumes of crop residues, as well as the destruction of cover crops. cover crops. The Danish company’s contour following system is said to come into its own when working at shallow depths to ensure all undulations of the field are evenly cultivated to the same depth across the full working width.. Moving the whole soil surface, the Depth Synchronised Disc (DSD) system is claimed to be effective in both shallow soils and at depth. Disc depth…

The new operating system, modified spray agent liquid circuit and operator station changes in the latest Pantera are designed to increase work rates and reduce the operator’s work load. Superseding the Pantera 4503, main updates on the 4504 include protecting the new SmartCenter and operator station behind a left side access cover where the 60-litre induction bowl is also located. With a total output capacity of 520l/min, repositioning the twin pumps over to the right-hand side reduces filling noise levels. The changes also include a more easily accessible and larger 290-litre fuel tank and 20 litre AdBlue tank. The SmartCenter can be specified with the simple Comfort-Pack with a TwinTerminal 3.0 up to the Comfort-Pack Plus, which instead of operating taps comes with a pressure-sensitive touchscreen on the TwinTerminal 7.0. With…

Each Cleanfix VT blade has a wax pellet actuator. The principle is simple. Wax contained in a metal body surrounds a block of elastic material; in this sits a pin. Beyond a threshold temperature the wax expands, squeezing the elastic material and pushing up the pin. Fan blade angle increases, airflow through the radiator(s) goes up and water temperature drops. Cooler air coming from the rad(s) means the wax contracts, so the pin moves back and fan blade angle decreases. Coolant thermostats commonly use a similar actuator to move a flow restrictor. WAX ACTUATOR WITH ELASTIC INSERT…

As is the case in life, sometimes it’s best to make a clean start. Take the rear lights on old trailers, where years of rot and quick fixes readily produce a right mare’s nest of frayed cables and dodgy connections. Setting aside the prospect of scrutiny by the traffic Plod, iffy wiring makes fault-finding much harder and is likely to leave you woefully short of light. You can, of course, pick up all the bits and replace everything yourself. Satisfying, but a thief of time and, unless you take some care during installation, potentially prey to damp. Or you can blow €116.81 + VAT on a basic kit of ‘splash proof’ LED rear lamps, like the one offered by Fliegl through its Agro-Centre website. It’s a simple kit aimed at…

As part of a Master’s thesis, in cooperation with the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Munich, the authors Magdalena Dotzler, Peter Weindl, Markus Reininger, Josef Bauerdick and Prof. Heinz Bernhardt explored forage contamination from a Pöttinger rake running on skids with that of a Top 842C on wheels. The trial was carried out on an uneven, permanent meadow and a field with a grass/clover mix. Samples were taken from the swath created at three different working speeds (8, 10 and 14km/hr), and the crude ash content was determined in the laboratory. The results are in line with our own practical experience. The power requirement of the Flowtast was higher than the wheeled version. However, the tractive force required for the skids was negligible at about…

As harvest windows get tighter and spring weather more unpredictable, ‘time and motion’ is key for contractors who specialise in applications. With a high-capacity outfit such as a bulk spreader, the debate always concerns how to load for greatest efficiency, and it is this that led Mark Petty to the SiWi hitch, which allows him to use his tractor for loading without wasting too much time hitching and unhitching. Search for a solution “Where the job entails spreading 500-600 tonnes, I can justify employing a man to load with his wheeled loader, but much of the workload is smaller amounts,”explains Mark Petty. “I’ve tried a 360° crane which was towed behind the spreader, but it was slow and made for a very long unit on the road. A crane mounted…

Direct drills are firmly back in vogue as the emphasis shifts towards boosting soil health as well as cutting establishment costs. Some machines will only perform to their best in no-till conditions – working into the firm surface underneath stubble, or fresh or sprayed-off residues, and these are suited to farms or parts of the farm already well down the ‘no-till journey’. But on some soils, certain fields or even the whole farm may not be possible to direct drill every year, even when the cropping regime and programme has been geared towards it. Drills that can be adjusted or adapted to work in min-till and even cultivated seedbeds offer flexibility in this situation, or where the system is being transitioned to direct drilling. Modern direct drills are more versatile…