Profiの December 2021 の目次

The SB16 (16-row) combi rowcrop injector developed by Dutch manufacturer Evers not only knocks out weeds between the rows, but also provides maize plants with an early-season slurry boost. The new model is available with an automatic steering system. Developed in-house, cameras mounted on the right and left of the 6.5t attachment follow the plant rows. Software reworks the images and sends steering signals to control the sections. It is even possible to control left and the right sides individually. Built on a five-piece folding frame, the parallelogram construction allows the hoeing elements to move freely, and the slurry outlets apply liquid both sides of the plant row. The company says locating them in front of the rotating hoes not only ensures a good mix in the top 5-10cm of soil,…

Nearly 20 battery powered Farmtrac FT25G have been retailed in the UK and the Indian built tractor is now going on sale in Ireland. While the rear half of the tractor is the same as the diesel powered FT26 compact, aft of the driver’s seat sees the FT25G gain a slightly longer wheelbase and the controls needed to govern the 18kW (25hp) lithium-ion battery. For instance, operators can choose to disengage electric powered hydraulic pump used for the steering as well as the secondary 15.9l/min pump that looks after the rear lift and single spool valve to help prolong the run time for up to six hours. The battery can be recharged using a domestic socket in eight hours. If maintenance is required, the battery is mounted on rails, allowing it…

The latest Asa-Lift MC-1010C cabbage harvester features an improved and steeper in-take and can be configured to fill boxes directly or offload them via an elevator. Available as mounted, trailed and self-propelled single or two row versions, it is described as the most gentle harvester from the company. “The refinements also mean it is one of the quickest,” comments Rob Wilkinson, vegetable product specialist at Grimme UK. Grimme acquired a 70% stake in Asa-Lift in 2013 and went on to acquire 100% of the Danish manufacturer in July 2020.…

Made by Italian firm Moreni, the Bednar Kator is available in working widths from 3.0m to 8.0m. Main features include equipping each rotor with three bearings to protect the gears, shafts and gaskets. The quick blade replacement system is also worth a mention. This requires no special tools and the company says the small distance between individual rotors (220mm on folding versions, 245mm for rigid models) results in a good quality of work. The first UK/Irish deliveries are planned for the spring of 2022.…

Compared with the 6120M (see profi 9/2020), the 6140M not only has an 18cm longer wheelbase but a higher bonnet under which hides the twinturbo version of the 4.5-litre, four-cylinder PowerTech engine. This PSS motor boasts an extra 20hp compared with the single-turbo EWL in the 120. In addition to the DOC and SCR unit there is a DPF, and the viscous fan is electronically controlled to help these models become Stage V compliant. Last year’s 6120M test tractor was still Stage IV compliant. Maximum 144hp at the shaft At the DLG test station, the 6140M delivered 84.5kW/113.3hp of its rated 103.0kW/138.1hp to the pto. That’s OK, as the output increased to nearly 98kW/131hp when the revs dropped back to 1,700rpm, and there are still the extra ponies from the…

Visually, the test sprayer in its ‘nature green’ livery with shiny aluminium boom and modern design certainly looks the part. But you need to see beyond the styling and the name to judge its in-field performance. Fendt sprayers originally came out of AgChem's plant in Grubbenvorst, the Netherlands, as a Challenger product. Today, production has switched across to Germany, where the trailed sprayers are built at the same Fendt factory in Hohenmölsen in Saxony-Anhalt as the firm's Katana foragers and the Rogator 600 selfpropelled sprayers. There are three models in the Rogator 300 range, with capacities of 4,400, 5,500 and 6,600 litres and booms spanning 24m to 36m. Solid hitch, lots of cables Coupled using a K80 ball and spoon hitch, the drawbar has an integrated hydraulic parking stand with…

PLUS a free Farm Machinery Worldwide triple DVD box set GET 13 ISSUES FOR JUST £58.37 SAVE 17% THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT… OR WHY NOT TREAT YOURSELF? TWO EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE: VISIT: SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/PFIGIFT OR CALL: 01959 543 747 AND QUOTE PFIGIFT Why not see all our great motoring, transport and other gift offers at Shop.kelsey.co.uk/GIFT21 Lines open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5.30pm. Calls are charged at your standard network rate *Full terms and conditions can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Offer applies to UK subscribers only when paying by credit/debit card. The subscription will start with the first available issue after Christmas 2021.Offer closes 31.12.2021. Gift is subject to availability and maybe replaced with an item of equal value. Please allow 28 days for delivery of gift. Overseas and…

Often a rushed and overlooked task, cubicle cleanliness and bedding application are of high importance in the efficient operation of any dairy herd. And, while kicking muck off the bed with your wellie might seem ample, the humble sweeping brush is often the most effective way of getting your mattress’ spik and span. For larger herds however, more mechanisation may be required. Roll up Cheshire based AG Products. Famed for its loader mounted and smaller walk behind bedding dispensers, the firm aimed to answer the prayers of customers when asked to develop an agile self-propelled machine, capable of sweeping and bedding cubicles in a hurry. Originally launched at LAMMA 2020, the Duo represents the Cheshire-based firm’s first self-propelled bedder. Key features include a 350-litre dispensing hopper, rotary sweeping brush and…

Rigid chassis telehandlers are the workhorses of the loading scene, offering plenty of choice in size and capacity for everything from shifting bales to heavy muck, AD feedstock or grain manoeuvres. The bulk of developments have been prompted by ongoing engine emissions legislation, but manufacturers have also been busy upgrading transmissions to offer more flexibility while sensors on the joystick can even prevent accidental activation, boosting safety. We take a look at recent developments below. As in other sectors machine power and capacity continues to creep up, so in our round up we’ve focused on the popular 4,000kg lift, 7.00m reach bracket to identify at what’s on offer from the various brands. Bobcat Bobcat has introduced the new generation RSeries telescopic loader range offering seven models with Stage Vcompliant engines…

Developed for tractors up to 500hp, the new semi-mounted Pöttinger Servo T6000 range comprises standard and Plus versions (six - to nine-furrows) as well as Nova and Plus Nova models (six - to eight-furrows). The trip pressure of the Nova hydraulic auto-reset on the Nova and Plus Nova is adjustable up to a maximum of 2.2t. The traction control system on all models actively transfers up to 1.1t of weight from the plough to the rear wheels of the tractor. Additional ballasting of the rear axle is not required. Front ballast is sufficient, says the company, which minimises wheel slip and reduces fuel consumption by up to 3.5l/ha. Working depth is set using swing clips on the land wheel. The front furrow width can be adjusted using the turnbuckle on…

The ISObus connection on Maschio Gaspardo’s new Toro Isotronic power harrow transmits a wide range of information, such as power used, oil temperature in the gearboxes, rotor speed, working depth, number of hectares and hours worked, to the tractor terminal. These latest models also benefit from new bearings for the drive shaft and rollers. Available in working widths of 5.0m, 6.0m and 7.0m, all fold to a transport width of 2.4m. Tractor power requirements are from 160hp-250hp.…

Lifting 2.5t to a height of 6.0m with a tractor front loader is a challenge, more so if you expect the combination to fit through a 2.0m x 2.0m barn door. It is here where the following compact telehandlers come into their own: • Faresin 6.26 Classic 52 • JCB 525-60 • Kramer KT276 • Manitou MLT625-75H Elite • Merlo P27.6 Top There was plenty of work waiting for them. Filling diet feeders, mucking out, mounding, and moving assorted muck and soil, stacking bales, handling pallets and more. Our experience of working with the machines will appear in Part 2 of the test in the January issue of profi. For Part 1, we look at the handlers overall performance and key stats to see how they compare but with a…

You can pick out the improvements straightaway when hitching up to the new Quadrant. For starters, the hydraulic hoses get the durable, colour-coded Kennfixx grips. The parking stand has also received a makeover with a larger foot plate. We still see room for further improvement around the drawbar. Although the bolt holes for setting the drawbar height have been enlarged, there are still sharp edges and the bolt heads for the tyres to catch on. Pick-up slower, PFS faster As on the forager, the pick-up has five rows of tines, which are cam track controlled on both sides. According to Claas, the pick-up runs slightly slower, which should reduce wear and improve the crop intake. It certainly worked well for us when baling neat rows of hay; the only thing…

At first spec glance, the Quicke QCS system will seem familiar, the new ‘mechanical’ QM-Command control working pretty much as you would expect of an existing Quicke loader joystick, albeit with enhanced ergonomics and ease of use. The electronic QE-Command version with the QCS joystick, however, is considerably more advanced, with a thumb-operated mini control that provides access to all of the key attachment controls. Just like the existing LCS Electrodrive system, entry-level variants of the company's new QCS joystick bring more standard features: Vibration damping/boom suspension on/off Push-button hydraulic attachment lock/unlock Bucket shake Third/fourth service on/off Float for both lift and tilt rams Two unused controls that can be assigned to other non-loader related functions. A true assistant This is just the start as the system gets more interesting…

Although there had been several “self-propelled” machines with disc or drum mowers working around Europe for some time, many of these used forage harvesters as the power house, which were then subsequently kitted out with mounted mowers instead of a pickup or maize header. Krone designed the Big M purely as a machine for mowing grass. For the German machinery maker, the Big M unit was not only the first production self-propelled mower but also the first self-propelled forager machine it had ever built. For the basic vehicle, the designers opted to use a number of John Deere parts; after all the Krone family operates a number of Deere dealerships. Both cab and engine came from the John Deere 6000 series forage harvesters. Around 300hp provides plenty of power to…

New Holland has expanded the former Kongskilde mechanical hoe line-up with a range of camera-guided self-steering models. Complementing the existing four - to 18-row mechanically guided range, the new SRC SmartSteer models are available from eightto 18-rows and cover row distances of 45cm, 50cm, 60cm and 75cm (the two latter spacings have a platform to mount a small pneumatic seeder). Guidance is provided by an optical camera that detects colour differences between the soil and weeds. The steering is provided by a hydraulic side-shift mechanism on the main frame. Options include section cut-off (ISObus/GPS) to automatically lift individual rotor elements at the headland and in wedge-shaped fields and rear harrows to drag weed roots to the surface to speed up the wilting process. The SRC SmartSteer models are available in…

The Disco 4400 Contour, the new flagship in the Claas range knocks down 4.2m of grass. Like other models in the range it has a Max Cut mower bed, which is pivot-mounted at its centre of gravity. Active Float suspension, which allows the ground pressure of the mower bed to be adjusted from the cab, is standard. So too is hydraulic non-stop collision protection, which sees the mower bar swing back and over the obstacle thanks to a rotating pin inclined at an angle of 15°. Oil from the collision protection system is forced into the suspension ram to further depressurise the mower bed to protect it from serious damage. The mower bed automatically swings back to its working position. The mower folds vertically to 120° for transport. Claas says…

In the development of its Agrotron series, Deutz-Fahr has concentrated less on novel, high-tech features and more on high efficiency with good basic functions. The new shape and the eye-catching cab look ultra-modern, but a close inspection of the individual assemblies shows the tractor is not so radically new. Consequently when we tested our Agrotron 4.95 we quickly learned to handle the tractor quite “normally”, before going on to discover the many improvements, but also some weaknesses. The 4.95, at 70kW/95hp, has the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the new series. With a relatively modest cylinder capacity of only 3.2 litres, the engine has an intercooler as well as an exhaust turbocharger. Alongside the 4.95, the 6.00 model from Deutz-Fahr offers the same performance from a 4.8 litre capacity, six…

The 1250/50T is SIP’s only four-rotor rake. The 1250 in the machine name highlights a maximum working width of 12.50m, minimum width is 9.90m. The 50 stands for 50 tine arms, and T shows it's a trailed model. Hitching up Coupled using Cat II lower links, the agile rake has an enormous 85° steering angle to each side. The rake uses load-sensing hydraulics as standard, but as an alternative it can be worked from a spool supplying a constant feed. Besides the three hydraulic hoses for the power beyond, there are the electrics and standard air brakes that need plugging in to the host tractor. A hose rack keeps things neat and tidy, and it even has a splash-proof box at the front for safely storing the control box when…

At the last Agritechnica, two firms showed new precision drill designs that boasted one large seed hopper — Kverneland and Väderstad. The Swedish company is launching this version of the Tempo L for next season, but last spring profi had the opportunity to see the machine — the first Central-Seed-Fill (CSF) outfit — working in Germany. When sowing field beans, the advantage of a big central hopper over multiple conventional ones quickly becomes obvious. For instance, in our bean drilling scenario, a regular Tempo drill with multiple 75kg hoppers drilling seeds of a thousand grain weight of 580g and a seed rate of 30 grains/square metre, would see the operator having to stop to re-fill after just 1.5ha. With CSF and its optional 3,000 litre hopper you can drill almost…

Straw endures as a valuable commodity but getting bales off the land economically and with minimal impact on the ground is key to maximising its value for farmer, contractor and merchant alike. There are a number of collection and transport systems on the market and baling specialist Big Bale Co (South) has continued to develop its range since purchasing the design for the Walton bale chaser in 2009, branding it the Transtacker. The latest version, launched at LAMMA in 2018, was developed with grant funding and research support from Harper Adams University to meet with the needs of controlled traffic farming, looking to take bale collection another step further away from running around the field with telehandler to load a bale trailer. Better automation Developments have also fully automated the…

There is some renewed vigour in the Argo Tractors camp, with the Italianowned group appointing several new dealers in the past 18 months. In the UK, most of the active dealers are looking after the McCormick brand, while, across the water in Ireland, Landini is more dominant. Adding some numbers, Ireland has around 12 active dealers for the blue brand, compared to just three representing the reds. Compare that to the UK, where the split is eight Landini and 45 McCormick, and you can understand why Argo Tractors has decided to promote Landini with Irish farmers and McCormick in the UK as its national strategy; the handful of determined Landini dealerships in Britain benefit from more local support. Irrespective of colour, though, the team at the Yorkshirebased Argo subsidiary believes…

This is our third look at buying a used Knight trailed sprayer (profi 06/04 and 03/11), our original article taking in the company’s trailed tracking drawbar sprayers first launched back in 1984. Initially offered with 2,000 litre tanks and boom widths of up to 20m, the design DNA of these first KT models was carried over to the E series sprayers launched in 1997, three years later the E range divided into the mechanical tracking ES and electronic steering EU models. In 2004, Knight moved from its steered/tracking drawbar to a steered axle for the EUA series, with several other developments such as a move from a mast to pantograph boom mount and a larger range of tank capacities. From 2006, the EUA was offered with a 4,000-litre tank with…

There’s nowt quite like a traditional dispersal sale in the sunshine to lift farming spirits that much of the autumn weather has done its best to dampen. Quality kit, strong prices and cheery banter … a grand way to spend a day. Such was the predominant mood at the recent P T & J Fuller dispersal, staged at Thorn Hall Farm, Wicken, Ely. Cheffins auctioneer Oliver Godfrey says that the event was a welcome reminder of why on-farm dispersals are so popular, and also why machinery prices at these events generally command a premium. “You can’t overestimate the value of being able to speak to the owner and operator of the kit that’s being offered, as well as having an opportunity to see the ground and crops that the machines…