Sommaire pour June 2025 de Profi

If you've had to deal with the dreaded diesel bug, that alone could be enough for you to consider using HVO. The downside is that it costs more per litre than agricultural diesel, but then it does have a higher cetane rating. So, does that mean you get better performance and use less fuel? Read our tractor test to find out. Dear Reader The machinery market may be quiet, but at least the settled spell of good weather has allowed farmers and contractors to fly through their spring field work. If someone had told you back in a rain-dominated November that the spring conditions would be so favourable, you'd have perhaps questioned their mental state. It just goes to show that even the weather has a habit of improving in…

The UK and Ireland are both involved in a new European agreement between CNH and Maschio Gaspardo, which will see the Italian manufacturer handle the distribution and supply of New Holland branded mowers, mower conditioners, tedders and rotary rakes, and provide parts and service. Over the next few weeks, Maschio, together with the New Holland representative will approach New Holland dealers to make individual agreements with them and explain how the order process will be handled and the support going forward. Also, in general, we understand that Maschio is free to sell the Maschio branded products through its dealer network. While Maschio can only sell New Holland branded products to the New Holland dealer network. It would appear to be full steam ahead on the grass machinery front for New…

This is not one of our typical tractor tests, as we’ve already taken an in-depth look at the pros and cons of the Valtra Q285 in the profi 6/2024 magazine. Here our attention is much more focused on what this tractor’s performance is like when fuelled with HVO compared to diesel. DLG engineer Martin Hanstein and Valtra specialist Jens Wohlers initially presented the results of this comparison test at the German agricultural contractor show Deluta late last year. As regular profi readers will know, by using the now proven Powermix testing procedure with the rolling road and dyno, the measurements can be repeated, allowing you to compare the results. At the time of our Q285 tractor test, Valtra took the opportunity to commission the DLG to measure the performance and…

Some loaders spend most of their active lives attached to the tractors, whereas others are removed several times a week. If you don’t need the loader, then you may as well remove it, as you’ll enjoy a much better view, reduce the tractor weight and ultimately wear on the front axle and also on the loader itself. After all, this is why loader makers have put so much effort into making fitting and removal a relative doddle. We spoke to Heinz-Georg Meyers from Stoll and to Sönke Lohse from Quicke and asked them to demonstrate how their respective front loader coupling systems are properly attached and removed. So we could, in turn, provide you with this handy step-by-step guide. Legal requirements Since the end of the 1990s, manufacturers have had…

Expertise secured in generation change The Agrargesellschaft Ruppendorf AG company operates various businesses — a cooperative Raiffeisen supermarket, a feed mixing plant (50,000 tonnes per year), a dairy operation with 1,000 cows that are milked by 21 robots, 380 beef bulls, 1,460 sows, 500 suckler cows and three digesters — and farms about 7,400 hectares of land. Of this, 600 hectares of arable land and 1,200 hectares of grassland are under organic management. In addition, they process about 2,000 tonnes of seeds. The firm‘s operations manager, Johannes Putz, is a big advocate of precision farming. For example, the farm has been using an N-sensor for fertiliser applications for 12 years and now use it for its spraying applications as well. In addition, all types of applications are carried out using…

Admittedly, we were rather sceptical. Can a drone flying 22 metres high determine individual plant species in various stages of growth? The provider even goes one step further and analyses whether the required plants can be verified within the corridors defined, using the specific regs for each federal state. This is important, because each federal state requires different species, and the course of the transect — this is the defined line along which the character species must be present —is not uniformly defined either. Across all of the states there are more than 230 plant species, all of which the AnyA is able to spot, says the company. Choose the right time The dynamics of a growing crop are the main challenge when it comes to choosing the ideal time…

Martin Limpens puts together his impressive fully functioning 1:5 models right from scratch. The machines work in exactly the same way as the originals. But what’s even more striking is that Martin doesn’t use any prefabricated components or plans, just a 1:32 model as a reference point to keep him on track. He only buys in the batteries, electric motors and tyres; all of the other parts are made by himself from aluminium. It’s a very laborious task; he spends hours welding, milling, turning and assembling the components in the garage beside his home. Millions of views The result is impressive: not only do the models have all the functions the originals have, but his creations also look like them in so many details. Martin already has a Claas Jaguar…

Over the sunshine packed weekend of 1-2 March the European Ploughing Championships took place at the excellent Joseph Camm Farms, Upper Morton, Retford, Nottinghamshire, premises right by the A1. It looked as though 2012 Reversible European Ploughing Champion John Whelan (New Holland T5040) was on to win again, after being placed first on Saturday evening. However his fellow competitor from The Republic of Ireland Dan Donnelly had other ideas. Dan is the man of the moment and turned things around with his John Deere outfit on the Sunday and beat the former champion who always goes well on the UK mainland by 2 points to take the title, yes it was that close! Third went to Scotland’s James Tait with his Case-IH 985XL with Kverneland plough, which all competitors in…

2-3 April Online Sale of Tractors, Machinery, Plant & Commecial Vehicles. Carlisle. Harrison & Hetherington, www.harrisonandhetherington.co.uk 3 April Dispersal Sale of Tractor, Combine & range of Arable Machinery etc. South Dorset. Symonds & Sampson, tel: 01935 382909. 4 April Collective Machinery & Equipment Sale. Ashford Market, Monument Way, Orbital Park, Ashford, Kent TN24 0HB. Hobbs Parker, tel: 01233 506246. 5 April Collective Auction. Ardingly Showground, Ardingly, West Sussex RH17 6TL. South East Marts, tel: 01323 844874. Lincolnshire Collective Sale. Market Rasen Racecourse, Legsby Road, Market Rasen LN8 3EA. Perkins George Mawer, tel: 01673 843011. The Wakefield Collection of Vintage Horticultural & Garden Machinery. Barry L Hawkins, tel: 01366 387180. Monthly Live & Online Machinery Sale. Holsworthy Livestock Market, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 7FA. Kivells, tel: 01409 253253. Annual Collective Machinery Sale.…

The dates for Martin Lishman’s 2025 Grain Clinics have been released. Held across their extensive UK dealer network, these clinics provide farmers with the opportunity to check their moisture meters against known test samples. Regular calibration ensures accurate readings, which are essential for making informed decisions on harvest timing and storage conditions. Martin Lishman’s expert service team will be on hand to assess meters and provide guidance on any necessary recalibration or repairs. If a meter is correctly calibrated, a certificate will be issued that can be used to satisfy quality assurance schemes. Should repairs be required, they will be carried out at the company’s service centre in Bourne. Attendees of the 2025 Grain Clinics will have the exciting opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a Martin Lishman…

The Trelleborg HF1000 is, a perfect example of advanced engineering tailored to handle heavy loads, such as feed wagons and large slurry tankers. The tyre guarantees high efficiency and long service life even under the most demanding conditions with its VF technology casing and steel belt structure. Most notably, the HF1000 excels both on the road and in the field, thanks to a tread pattern designed for excellent self-cleaning performance, particularly on wet surfaces. Its wider footprint (12.5% larger compared to other premium competing tyres) ensures better load distribution, reducing soil compaction and protecting crops. The secret behind its performance lies in the innovative central pattern design, which enhances drivability, maximises mileage, and improves stability even when the vehicle is fully loaded. The new, higher interlug terraces and variable tread…

The uncertain and declining farm machinery markets are behind Fendt’s decision to pull out of the telehandler and forage wagon business. Starting first with Sennebogen, the German manufacturer, which supplied Fendt with the Cargo T series telehandlers since Agritechnica 2019, will market them directly through agricultural equipment dealers under its own brand name starting in the second half of this year. Existing delivery commitments for new Fendt branded machines will be fulfilled, is the message, and the supply of spare parts and service for the existing population of Fendt telehandlers will continue to be supported by Agco. The current market situation requires a more flexible approach to production capacities, comments Christoph Gröblinghoff, vice president and chairman of the Fendt management board. “In order to maintain the competitiveness of our products,…

All the activities of French manufacturer Novag have been acquired by a new organisation called Agriculture Nouvelle Génération. Securing the future of the French no-till drill specialist, which called in the administrators in October 2024, one of the goals of the new consortium, which is led by director Jean-Paul Rault (a long-time Novag customer and farmer), two key Novag employees, and trusted partners of the company, is to invest in the future of the brand. Agriculture Nouvelle Génération is the new legal and structural entity behind the brand, but Novag as a name, identity, and technology remains unchanged, and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name. All warranties and after-sales service for the existing global machine fleet will be honoured, and the entire team in France and at…

1) tine centre to tine centre;2) optional maize kit tines;3) outboard/inboard;4) factory setting5) exchange rate calculated at GBP £1.00 = €1.19. You can have all the foraging power you want out in the field, but, if the machine at the clamp cannot keep the grass or maize away, then things will soon grind to a halt. Key to that task is the silage fork if you're running a loading shovel. To ease road travel in between jobs, these suitably sized attachments fold in for safer road transport. Our main task here was to compare seven different marques of silage fork with a working width of 4.0 to 5.0m, with road equipment and, if available, with any potential maize clamping accessories Now if you've scouted the image above, you will probably…

To tick even more boxes, Lemken has decided to expand its Koralin range of ultra-shallow cultivators with a fully mounted model. We already got to know the semi-mounted machine when we ran one for a season and published our findings in the profi 5/2022 issue. The new 9 K and 9 KU (shearbolt and auto-reset tines) use the same tine design and wide working shares to move all of the soil across the 6.60m width, but they lose the two rows of leading discs. And, of course, being fully mounted they have no need for any running gear. Three rows, two shares… We were able to see what this latest Koralin is capable of in late summer on two different occasions. First time out was in untouched stubble a few…

Organic farmers are always looking for fully automated alternatives to manual weeding within crop rows. Stefan Heinrich and Thomas Stangl from Bavaria developed a solution based on Stefan’s doctorate. The concept was awarded a silver medal at Agritechnica in 2021. Now the four-person start-up has almost 20 machines working in countries including the Netherlands, where Dutch magazine Trekker was able to accompany the Photoheyler as it was weeding a patchy stand of valerian spaced on 50cm rows in an undulating field. Despite these generally adverse conditions, the machine did an effective job. Technical structure Each hoeing unit is depth-controlled by a wheel-guided parallelogram. An additional parallelogram is fitted with a rotor mounted at a 30° angle and equipped with a total of four camera-controlled blades — this is what clears…

First, a little bit of background to clear up any possible lingering confusion between Kuhn and Vicon balers. Back in early 2009, Kuhn purchased the Kverneland Group baler division, taking over the former Vicon factory in the Netherlands and renaming it Kuhn-Geldrop BV. Since then, Kuhn branded fixed and variable chamber round balers continue to be produced in this factory. Initially these were based on the same Vicon design with not much more than a name and paint change. Indeed, Kuhn even continued to produce balers for Kverneland under a transitional arrangement which came to an end in September 2010. Today there is no link between the Kuhn machines and Kverneland (including Vicon and Kubota) offering. The fixed chamber Kuhn FBP 3135 BalePack combi was launched as part of the…

The idea of adding a bale collector behind our round baler came to us approximately two years ago when we bought a second-hand inline bale wrapper. The capability to run the wrapper behind the baler prompted us to build a hitch for our Krone Vario Pack. We routed two hydraulic pipes, a multi-core cable for the controls and then another cable for the various lights. Making use of the axle off a scrapped beet harvester, we designed a simple collector model with a CAD software program. The individual steel tubes were made and cut with a band saw, a mag drill, lathe and a milling machine and then welded to form the various assemblies. The new hydraulic system consists of two 6/2-way valves and seven hydraulic cylinders. The first service…

Without a GNSS receiver, auto-steering on tractors or section control on sprayers wouldn’t work. Its critical role clearly makes the GNSS receiver the centrepiece for precision farming and exact match-ups when turning back into work. With RTK correction, satellite-positioning accuracy can be further improved down to just a few centimetres. Manufacturers usually quote a pass-to-pass accuracy of +/-2.0 to 2.5cm for RTK GNSS receivers. Thats’s a very theoretical figure. In practice, other influencing factors play their part — such as how effectively the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), with its integrated 3D sensors, is able to compensate for a tractor’s pitch and roll, and also how precisely the hydraulics or electric motor translate the steering commands into movement. Just as important, the RTK correction signal needs to be available without interruption…

It’s nearly 80 years since Allis-Chalmers produced the first round baler, and in that time the tying of the bale has evolved from twine to net and more recently to the use of stretch film. When combined with a wrapper, covering the barrel of the bale in this way means that the same material is used for wrapping and sealing and fewer layers of wrap are required. With no film and net to tease away from the bale, ease of unwrapping is another benefit – especially in wet or frosty conditions, while there is also just one material to recycle. Adoption of ‘film on film’ wrapping is also said to increase forage quality. The film applied to the barrel of the bale can be stretched between 15-35% according to the…

This should not have come as a surprise. Considering I knew both the exact date I let the boy sheeps get friendly with the lady sheeps, and that the ovine gestation period is fairly stable, how am I down to the wire for getting the labour ward ready — again? Tools, new parts, old parts, grease cartridges, a plethora of bolts, the ‘lost’ favourite mug and the workbench itself were all among the treasure looking for a temporary new home. After having taken multiple armfuls of jetsam out of the way and still not seeming to have made a mark, I did start to question how we had got in this mess in the first place. Thinking a little more on the problem as I re-homed yet more scrap, a…

Cheffins held its third Cambridge Machinery Sale on Monday 10 March and saw approximately 280 tractors and related machinery during the drive through section of the sale which started at 9am. There was lots of fresh new stock filling the yard up nicely, which saw over half move on to new owners by the end of the sale. However there is still a general shortage of good quality stock around. After the export and restoration Massey Fergusons went through with a 1987 40E industrial with a drive fault selling for a good £6,000 and a rough 575 and 265 selling for £3,000 and £3,900 respectively we moved to a 390T two-wheel drive at £9,500. A 1993 Same Explorer 90 with 40k transmission, but needing work on the brakes was yours…

ORDER TODAY! MARCH 2024 COVER STORY Lambing at Hadlow College INSIDE Wiltshires APRIL 2024 COVER STORY SOES INSIDE Farm Expo review M&A Brown & Sons MAY 2024 COVER STORY Protest highlights challenges facing farmers INSIDE Southern Farmers JUNE 2024 COVER STORY South East Forestry INSIDE JD Richmond & Son JULY 2024 COVER STORY Fruit Focus preview INSIDE N P Seymour AUGUST 2024 COVER STORY FW Mansfield & Son INSIDE New Labour government. Fruit Focus review. Groundswell SEPTEMBER 2024 COVER STORY Incoming Government promises stability INSIDE Ploughing match fixtures OCTOBER 2024 COVER STORY Mousehall transforms into a sustainable distillery and winery INSIDE National Fruit Show preview NOVEMBER 2024 COVER STORY Charlton’s new pack-house and distribution centre INSIDE G J Elgar Construction DECEMBER 2024 COVER STORY Farmers flock to Westminster INSIDE National…

NEW DUTCH OWNER FOR KIOTI UK Pols, the Dutch parent company of Kioti UK, has been acquired by SMT Netherlands. The acquisition which still requires approval from the authorities is expected to be completed shortly. This agreement expands the SMT (Service Machinery Trucks) product portfolio (includes Volvo construction equipment and Sennebogen cranes and material handlers) with the Kioti, Ransomes, Jacobson, and LM Trac brands. Kioti UK and Pols will continue to operate under their existing names after the proposed takeover and will retain the existing locations and employees. POOR START FOR TRACTOR REGISTRATIONS Just 2,228 new tractors were registered in the UK from January to March this year, reports the AEA. Down nearly 23% on the same three months in 2024, it was the lowest quarterly number for 24 years.…

A new T traction bolt safety feature has been added to Kuhn Farm Machinery’s range of large Vari-Leader ploughs. Providing an alternative to the non-stop hydraulic system, the simple T traction bolt option is suitable for ploughs working light soils with low stone content. With a share point load of 4.7t, the shearing design, as opposed to snapping, prevents broken bolts becoming stuck in the plough framework as they break. Kuhn says that users can to quickly and easily replace bolts and return to work. The bolt is fixed in the direction of travel, rather than at 90 degrees to it, therefore, when an obstacle is encountered, the bolt shears with the leg and avoids damage. “The T traction bolt offers an established and cost-effective safety option,” said Edd Fanshawe,…

It is not just the colour scheme that has changed on Samasz mowers; it has also introduced some new models. And we managed to get our hands on one of the firm’s new generation of triples. So, what did we use throughout last season? A pre-production version of the new 3.0m cut XDF301 SH partnered with a 9.10m wide KDD911 STH ISObus — which, as the name suggests, is now ISObus-compatible. Not direct Even with its new front mower, Samasz has decided to stick with an A-frame rather than hitching directly. The beefy pto shaft is from Bondioli & Pavesi, and this only needs to be secured with a chain at the mower end. Then there is just the sensor cable and another for the optional side-facing camera system. The…

It was, and still is, a genuine eye catcher: Peecon once again wowed showgoers with some out-of-the-box thinking. This time, it was a novel forage milling head that transforms a regular tractor and diet feeder into a self-propelled outfit. Although it looks big, the milling head doesn’t stick out any farther than a standard front loader with a shear grab. The Biga Rapide XL-V, as it is called, is still in the early stages of development. Indeed, at the time of the exhibition, it hadn’t even worked ten hours. Nonetheless, the concept was already working very well. And the reasoning behind the project: Peecon says that smaller farms are reluctant to invest more than €200,000 in a self-propelled diet feeder. Which is something the Dutch firm should know first hand,…

After another autumn that suddenly went from wet to wetter, dragging out the faithful tine drill when that high tech, pricy cultivator drill starts to block up with mud is becoming familiar. For those wanting a drill that offers modern metering and control technology and a lightweight design to allow it to continue to travel and place seed accurately as conditions deteriorate, then the Tine-Drill Toolbar (TDT) from Grange Machinery would seem to tick the box. The TDT was launched at Cereals last year and the first production models have been working on farm this season. Based on the framework of the Grange Low Disturbance Loosener, which has been a popular partner for other drills and cultivators to offer deep loosening, the TDT is laid out as a front tank…

The Soft Drencher unit from Hiko is a flexible silicone tube that its maker claims is a gentle emergency solution for tube feeding colostrum to new-born calves. We tried out the new product, assisted by a specialist from the Triesdorf Agricultural Training Centre, and saw that calves that didn’t drink on their own after birth were still able to be fed with the vital colostrum relatively easily, and with little stress, using the Soft Drencher. Among the strong points is the thickened front end, also known as the olive, which reduces the risk of a life-threatening injury to the trachea. There were two more details that we’ll discuss later on. The best protection As you no doubt know, efficient colostrum intake immediately after birth is critical for calf health. Just…

Apus Systems’s drainage detection tool becomes particularly useful when land changes ownership or is passed on to the next generation. These are typical moments when a great deal of first-hand knowledge, such as the location of the field drains, can be lost. If you do happen to find the existing plans, they may be up to 150 years old, inaccurate, or else no longer reflect the actual real-life drainage systems. Four paths, one goal To create a digital drainage map record, the team at Apus Systems collects various bits of information and data. First up, there are the old drainage plans (if available), which are then fully digitised and processed. Any hands-on information from farmers or staff is also incorporated at this point. The second step is detection. For this,…

With a rope and camera For the profi test, the HSWT students mounted the seven receivers with a stable frame on the Tipard 350 robot platform from Digital Workbench. Each antenna position was calibrated with precision. The manufacturers had configured their receivers to output every full second a set of NMEA data on position, time, quality (GGA), speed and direction (VTG) as well as date and time (RMC). This allowed the gathered information to be logged on a laptop and analysed later. To ensure comparability, we used the high-precision real-time positioning service (HEPS) from Sapos for correction data for all test candidates. And another condition we demanded was that none of the test candidates adjust the position data during the test drives with the help of a so-called IMU. Those…

The driving force behind Italy’s best known telehandler, Amilcare Merlo, may have passed away in 2022, but the family-owned business has not slowed down. Far from it. Rather than shrink, the firm is currently expanding its factory at Cuneo in north west Italy. The Cuneo plant is where Merlo not only makes its telehandlers (both agricultural and construction) but also a range of attachments as well as the Cingo and Tremme tool carrier vehicles that are shipped around the world. Just a few kilometres away there is another Merlo factory that builds waste compactors. In all, the company produced around 8,000 machines last year (770 bin lorries and about 6,800 telehandlers) although the plan is to increase the overall figure to 10,000 in the coming years. Actual manufacturing But Cuneo…

The latest Euro Auctions near Leeds on Wednesday 5 March saw approximately 70 tractors go under the hammer. As ever, the condition and age of the tractors on offer varied considerably, but in true Euro Auctions tradition, everything sold. The sale was dominated by a superb range of John Deere tractors, with many models being represented, and it was here that the most expensive tractors could be found. There were no crawler tractors on offer, so it was straight onto a selection of John Deere’s with around 30 examples to choose from. The first to take to the selling ramp was a very tidy 6250R Ultimate edition that dated from 2018. With 7,537 hours on the clock, grade 10 it sold for £53,000. Then came a 2017 JD 6215R Premium…

ORDER TODAY! MARCH 2024 WHAT’S REVIEWED Stoll Profi Line loaders APRIL 2024 WHAT’S USED KW Vendro tedder MAY 2024 WHAT’S USED Massey Ferguson 2100 series baler JUNE 2024 WHAT’S USED Kubota M7 series JULY 2024 WHAT’S USED Joskin slurry tankers AUGUST 2024 WHAT’S USED John Deere 8000 Series forage harvesters SEPTEMBER 2024 WHAT’S USED Weaving drills OCTOBER 2024 WHAT’S USED McHale V660 NOVEMBER 2024 WHAT’S USED McHale C460 DECEMBER 2024 WHAT’S USED New Holland T7 SWB JANUARY 2025 WHAT’S USED Fendt 900 Vario MT twin track FEBRUARY 2025 WHAT’S USED Manitou NewAG telehandlers Visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/farm-machinery-magazine Call the hotline 01959 543 747* *Hotline open Mon – Fri 8.30am to 5.30pm. Calls charged at your standard network rate or scan me!…