Profiの October 2023 の目次

Athought-provoking question popped up on our Twitter feed not so long ago. “Why is it that tractors don't have a trailer light test function?” It’s a valid point, and one well made. After all, this is a handy feature that can be found on many modern HGV trucks. And with the amount of electronic wizardry now in today’s tractors, you have to wonder why such a light test is not ‘a thing’. The reality is that it would probably get used more often than some of the more deeply embedded, perplexing tech that dominates current ag kit. So, if you're a tractor designer and know why such a feature isn't available, then please get in touch; you can drop me an email on the address on the right of this…

RISE IN UK TRACTOR SALES 6,777 (50hp+) tractors were registered in the UK in the first half of this year, reports the AEA. This number is nearly 6.0% higher than the same six months in 2022. Most of the growth was for tractors above 160hp, which accounted for 3,598 units and almost 53% of the total market. The number of machines below 160hp was 11% lower than the same six months in 2022. The biggest increase in registrations was in the south west (+12% to 1,042 units), which continues as the most important region in the UK accounting for 15.4% of the total market. This is followed by Eastern England (977 tractors/14.4% share of the market) and Scotland (793 units/11.7% of the total). MORE MANITOU FOR TNS Thurlow Nunn Standen…

In our recent profi Twitter poll, we aimed to gauge the interest in attending Agritechnica this November. The results showed that a significant portion of participants, 75%, have indicated that they won’t be attending. Conversely, 25% of respondents expressed their intention to participate in the event. We will be sharing another poll on our Twitter page in the coming weeks, so make sure you head over to @profitractors where we’ll being asking about tractor warranty. Our polls only last a few days so make sure you keep an eye out and as always, we’ll post the results right here. New and used tractor sales, hire, trailers and machinery pykett-tractors.co.uk | 01159322438 | sales@pykett-tractors.co.uk…

Succeeding the Avero and smaller Tucano models, the three new five-walker Evion models round out the lower end of the company’s combine harvester range below the Trion. These will be produced at the Claas plant in Gaomi (China), and much of the technology comes from the Lexion and Trion such as the cutter bars up to 6.80m, the drive system is based partly on components from the Trion and Lexion, and the 6.7-litre Cummins Stage V common-rail block is the same as that used in the Trion. With a rated output of 204hp (Evion 410), 231hp (Evion 430) and 258hp (Evion 450) at 1,900rpm, the engine is coupled to a manually shifted three-speed hydrostatic box (top speed 30km/hr). The single-drum tangential threshing unit with a 600mm threshing drum and a…

Krone says that the use of animations and 3D graphics on the new ISObus terminal allows drivers to follow the current work processes of the machine in detail at any time. Initially available only for the Swadro TC2000 six-rotor rake, the operator can use the tabs arranged in the upper status bar to access machine functions and settings. With a new, more powerful job computer, and day and night modes, all new Krone ISObus machines will be equipped with the user interface within the next two years.…

TECHNICAL DATA ENGINE: 184kW/250hp rated output to ISO 14396 at 1,950rpm; water-cooled six-cylinder AgcoPower LFTN-D5 with 7.4l displacement, Stage V with DOC, SCR; 500-litre fuel tank, 43-litre AdBlue tank TRANSMISSION: Stepless Vario ML 260, two ranges, 0.03-28km/hr or 50km/hr forward speeds, 16 or 28km/hr reverse speeds, powershuttle, cruise control BRAKES: Wet multi-disc brakes at the rear and on the four-wheel shaft, hydraulic actuation, four-wheel engagement, accumulated hand brake, standard air brake system ELECTRICS: 12V battery, 170Ah; 250amp alternator; 4.2kW/5.7hp starter motor LINKAGE: Cat. II/III; ELC with lower linkage control, vibration damping, automatic side stabilisers, optional front linkage HYDRAULICS: Axial piston pump 205l/min (‘Eco 205 l/min’), 200 bar, max five + four timed and flow-controlled spools; 85-litre available oil PTO: 1,000/1,000E (optional 540E/1,000), 1⅜ inch, 6-or 21-spline, electro-hydraulic engagement, optional front…

Unveiled last year, the SPW Power has some particularly interesting stats. The two vertical auger tub boasts a capacity of 19m3, but then it stands just 2.75m tall. And if you opt for the 18m³ version, this height shrinks to just 2.65m. It does measure over 11m long, though. Deere four-cylinder Unlike the larger 'Intense' range, which is powered by a 250hp Volvo Penta motor, the low SPW Power relies on a four-cyl Deere Power Systems engine that meets Stage V regs. It has a rated output of up to 167hp, and the motor is located transversely between cab and mixing tub. The hydraulic pumps for the various drives, such as the transmission, milling head and mixing augers, are flange-mounted. To achieve such a low overall height, the mixing tub…

Development of the all-new Xerion started in 2017 when Claas carried out a worldwide survey. The quizzed farmers revealed that they definitely wanted a tracked version as well as a wheeled machine, not solely to achieve low ground pressure when sowing, but also to put more power down on the ground when cultivating. Top model — 653hp There are two models in the new range, the Xerion 12.590, which maxes at 585hp, and the 12.650 with 653hp. Interestingly Claas says those involved in the survey wanted max outputs of up to 650hp, hence it is not breaking new ground in this mega mover segment. Under the bonnet of both models is the Mercedes OM473LA six-cylinder inline unit that is also found in the Lexion 8700 and Jaguar 950/960. This mighty…

Weaving trailed GD drills are offered with a choice of grain only or as a seed and fertiliser variant with 3.0m, 4.0m, 4.8m and 6.0m widths, and there is an even larger grain only 8.0m model too. In the UK, 4.8m and 6.0m models are the most popular. Mounted 3.0m drills were launched alongside the trailed units in 2015, and again these are offered in both grain only and combination formats but these mounted models will be a rare used find. There will be a fair selection of pre-owned trailed models on the market, however, and these divide into first generation caddy models and, from 2019, redesigned drills that saw the toolbar positioned under the hopper. These later drills are more compact and they do without the integral drawbar ballast…

CAM CLUTCHES OVERRUN SLIP CLUTCHES HEAD PIECES AND LOCKING SYSTEMS REPLACING THE SPLINE SHAFT…

Test explained According to the EN 388 standard, which has been applicable in Europe since 2016, the Coupe test is not required when verifying the cut protection class. Nevertheless, tests carried out to this standard are considered valid. Tests that apply to the new standard pass a knife with a straight blade over the item until this is cut. The test according to ISO 13997 is repeated six times, each time applying a higher force measured in Newtons (N). There are six protection classes that range from A to F and relate to the individual power input requirements. A: at least 2 N B: at least 5 N C: at least 10 N D: at least 15 N E: at least 22 N F: at least 30 N To understand…

With soil types ranging from moss to heavy clay, some of which is reclaimed seabed, Mark Fulton has always had a keen interest in reducing compaction by using the latest tyre technology. As such, Mark was one of the early adopters of VF or very increased flexion tyres. While the farm had a largely livestock focus with both cattle and sheep, this changed to an all-arable enterprise in 2009. However, the phrase of 'all your eggs in one basket' rang true for the farming business based in Dungiven, with plenty of rain in this area of Northern Ireland. Since then, there has been a switch back to a more mixed approach, though cropping still has the majority share. “I've always had an interest in machinery, and we do pretty much…

General operations Piece work Slurry spreading — umbilical £135.33/hr Slurry spreading — umbilical extra pump £67.22/hr Lime spreading £7.58/t Baling (per bale) — conventional (straw/hay) £0.94/bale —120cm x 70cm £5.89/bale —120cm x 90cm £7.11/bale —120cm round £4.06/bale —150cm round £4.69/bale Bale-wrapping — 120cm round six-layer £7.06/bale —120cm round four-layer £6.08/bale —120cm round (without plastic) £3.04/bale —120cm x 70cm six-layer £8.63/bale —120cm x 70cm (without plastic) £3.50/bale Jobs charged per hour FYM spread — tractor and rear disch. spreader £67.05/hr FYM spread — tractor and side disch. spreader £56.00/hr Weed wiping £55.00/hr Hedge cutting — flail £47.95/hr Hedge cutting — saw blade £59.36/hr Ditching 360º digger £50.86/hr Ditching 180º digger £44.83/hr Telehandler plus operator £53.58/hr Tractor and post knocker plus operator £52.25/hr Tractor (100-150hp) plus operator £48.63/hr Tractor (151-220hp) plus operator…

The Axos 230 (92hp) and 240 (103hp) sit below the current Arion 400 range. The 230 and 240 replace the SDF built Atos and are produced by Agritalia. Availability in the UK and Ireland will not be until later next year. The four-pot 3.6-litre Stage V, FPT block in the two newcomers is mated to a five-speed (30Fx15R) Twinshift/Revershift transmission, which reaches its top speed of 40km/hr at 1,750rpm. Rear lift capacity is 3.35t, and both tractors can be fitted with a 3.2t lift capacity front loader. Output of the standard open-centre hydraulic system is 87l/min, with an optional third pump available to increase this to 114l/min. In the cab, both front and rear windscreens can be opened (air conditioning and air-suspended driver’s seat optional) and the passenger seat can…

Pin-point precision, less operator fatigue, and faster cutting speeds are all claimed benefits of the latest version of the ProPilot control system for Spearhead Twiga Pro and Flex hedgecutters. Described as the most technologically advanced version so far, it comes with a larger 10-inch touchscreen, a built-in control panel for faster fault finding, and new features of Auto-Level and Autopilot. Said to make precision hedge cutting easier and less tiring, Auto-level maintains the cutting head angle automatically (up to three fixed angles can be pre-set). Autopilot replaces the mechanical automatic verge float system with an electronic concept that monitors the pressures to adjust the cutting height every few milliseconds. Reducing the weight of the arm by around 70kg, benefits include faster forward speeds (up to 20km/hr when conditions allow) and…

When Massey took the wraps off its 8S range at the back-end of 2020, it made a point that a bigger model with a CVT was on the way; it just needed a little longer in the oven. And when we tested the 8S.265 with the Dyna-7 powershift box, we thought it was neat, especially that massive cab with panoramic visibility. Yet there was just this inkling that the stepless transmission might be that little bit better, so here we are with the 8S.305 Dyna-VT. No boost, 305hp all day long Without further ado let’s have a peak under the bonnet. To get that open, you're going to need an 8mm Allen key; thankfully there is one attached to the ignition key, but talk about making life unnecessarily complicated —…

The overwhelming majority of 3.0m power harrow drill combis bought by British and Irish farmers/contractors, will rely on a pneumatic drill, yet for some strange reason our German colleagues get rather excited about a good old box drill … or perhaps not so 'old' in the featured case of the Horsch Versa 3KR, which was launched at the end of 2020. To find out if our initial high praise from our 4/2021 driving impression was justified, we got our test-team hands on a 20-row, Versa 3KR to establish a range of crops last season. Unfortunately, a slightly later than planned delivery meant that we didn’t get to use the combi for putting in some rapeseed. A package deal Horsch only sells this combi as a package with the Kredo power…

Versatility has to be the Agriseeder’s biggest strength, because, although it’s billed as a grass reseeding drill, it is actually capable of sowing a much broader range of crops, including two different seed tyes. Even though this is the first time we've taken a detailed look at Erth Engineering’s seeder, this is its second proper incarnation, with the first machines launched way back in 2013 and the revised range then appearing in 2018. There is a variation in the coulter count and row distance: the 2.5m model has 24 rows on a 104mm spacing, whereas the hydraulic folding 4.0m wide model gets 32 rows and a 125mm spacing. Yet it’s the 3.0m drill that has proved to be the bread winner, and its rigid frame can be fitted with either…

This project took six years from the initial quizzing of many existing and potential customers, with a prototype heading to the field in 2020. This included the new track system developed by Claas Industrietechnick in Paderborn along with the Xerion engineering team in Harsewinkel. As well as field testing, prototypes were worked in both hot and cold chambers, and tests on the rolling road and dyno followed. Only then did further prototypes head to Central and Southern Europe, North America and Central Asia for field tests pulling cultivators, seeders and subsoilers. Meanwhile more refining was being carried out using the initial pen drawings. On model numbering, the new models fall into the Class 12 power classification hence the range name, while the model is identified by a rounded-off horsepower figure.…

The hopper of a trailed Weaving GD caddy drill is easily separated from the rear mounted toolbar. This enables the drilling element to be easily swapped to a Weaving Sabre or Tine drill toolbar. This can make opting for a used GD caddy drill a versatile option. A refurbished 6.0m GD caddy drill will be priced from upwards of £40,000 direct from Weaving, with third party and private sales possibly offering a lower cost option. If you want the flexibility of being able to switch to a different drill toolbar, a new 6.0m Weaving Sabre unit will cost around £40,000. According to the company, a toolbar swap is as easy to carry out as swapping over attachments on a tractor three-point linkage. Accepting that a swapped toolbar will need time…

Moisture-saving, ground-friendly, cost-effective techniques for soil cultivation and sowing" was the title of the working demo held by the Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Saxony near Hanover. The following implements were tucked into the site’s cereal stubble for a wide-ranging comparison: • Two mulchers• 19 shallow cultivators• Four short disc/chain disc harrows from these firms: Lemken, Väderstad, Amazone, Kelly, Dalbo• Two rotavators: Maschio SC Pro 280 Bio and Sicma RG280 Bio• Two grubbers• Two shallow ploughs: Kverneland Ecomat and Ovlac Mini-NF 7+2• Five straw harrows and stubble rollers• Eight toppers and direct drills. Here, our main focus is on the spring-tine cultivators that were at the event, with the detailed specs of the 19 machines listed on the next three pages. Mounted or semi-mounted? Multi-row, light spring-tine cultivators are becoming…

Why are self-loading, self-propelled feeder wagons commonplace across Europe but remain a rarity on livestock units in the UK and Ireland? It’s a question that had bugged Somerset dairy farmer Daniel Macey for decades. Not one to let something drop, four years ago he set out on his quest to find out why, with a slightly inevitable result… “Seeing dairy units all over the Continent running self-propelleds made me inquisitive – why do we stick with trailed mixers while they can justify the expense of a standalone machine?” he asks. “It became something of an itch that I had to scratch and I’d regularly sit down in the evenings to trawl the internet for the reasoning and what the potential pitfalls might be. Predictably that lead me onto various manufacturers’…

Grassweed control remains one of the biggest issues facing arable farmers today. Herbicide resistance is rapidly putting increased pressure on the remaining actives in the armoury, leading growers to look outside the box. For the Cook family, this meant building a 24m weed wiper to enable them to gain control over an increasing population of herbicide-tolerant wild oats. Together with sons James, Robin and Evan, Richard Cook farms 570ha (1,400ac) split between two farms around 40 minutes apart in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. A flock of 1,700 Easy Care ewes plus lambs is run alongside the arable enterprise. The Bedfordshire farm consists of 340ha (840ac) of undulating Hanslope series clay soils with flint which grows winter wheat, sugar beet and grass. It was here that wild oats levels reached crisis point…

We don't have a universal recipe, but in the meantime we have gained a lot of experience on what works and what doesn't work in our fields," openly admits Bernd Köhling at the beginning of our conversation. As farm manager of the Beberbeck estate in Hesse, he is responsible for around 600ha of arable cropping. Most of the land in this area of western central Germany is predominantly sandy loam with lots of hills that can be prone to erosion. Local regulations from the federal state of Hesse have banned the application of glyphosate on farms since 2018. "In theory, it is easy to do without it. But in practice, the new farming method is proving to be challenging," describes the farmer. For instance, due to the risk of erosion,…

Maybe it was the shame of seeing my hastily made wrap carrier in print, unpainted, that prompted me to make amends and send it to the workshop salon, where it was treated to an all-body rub down, followed by a luxuriant baste in oxyde rouge and finished off with a dusting from the noir cans of rattle. I must have been impressed with the results, as I knocked another version up for the front of the loader and gave it the spa treatment, too. Now sporting eight rolls on the front and six rolls on the wrapper, I thought this was ample capacity for the vast majority of jobs encountered here in the Dales. How, then, did I find myself playing wrap roulette at 2am last Friday? You would be…

Michelin has expanded its Crossgrip all-season range with new sizes of 400/70 R20 and 480/80 R26. Suitable for a wide range of diesel and electric vehicles, including backhoe and wheeled loaders, forklifts and telehandlers, they can also be used with tractors up to 200hp. Made from a rubber compound designed for year-round use on roads, grass and snow, the company says that the non-directional tread pattern provides good grip on slippery surfaces and the radial structure gives good stability when travelling on the road. The low rolling resistance helps to reduce fuel consumption and provides electric vehicles with a longer range. The two new sizes brings the total number in the Crossgrip range to 15. The largest is 540/80 R38. Scan now to get our weekly news email…

With a maximum working width of 15.70m, the Swadro TC1570 four-rotor centre-delivery rake is said to be an ideal fit for controlled traffic farming systems. Sitting above the existing four-rotor TC1370, the V-frame concept on the newcomer is an adapted version from the six-rotor TC2000. Operated via an ISObus-compatible terminal or in combination with an ISObus joystick, working width is adjusted by the two front rotor arms. With 15 tine arms on all four rotors, the mechanical driveline allows the front two rotors to rotate about 25% faster than the rear ones, which the company reckons ensures optimum forage flow inside the machine and tangle-free, box-shaped swaths. Swath width is hydraulically adjusted via the two rear rotors from 1.40-2.90m. The main frame lowers hydraulically to reduce the transport height to…

POSITIVE Ventilated seat Practical steering wheel adjustment Dryer for the compressed air is standard Wiper on the right side NEGATIVE Only one headland sequence can be used The steps don’t stay clean (already changed) Fan adjustment only in the menu but can be accessed from armrest…

HOW TO ORDER: LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Did you know over 9,000 farmers currently benefit from our unrivalled advice? If you want to know what they know, take a look at some of our subscription offers where you’ll get the latest news, updates and guidance, as well as our unique DLG tractor tests delivered to your door, every single month. Subscribers can also enjoy free access to our 27-year in-depth test archive, PLUS receive access to a complimentary digital copy of Agricultural Trader every month. Guarantee you make the right choice when purchasing machinery by subscribing to profi today. Merv Editor, Profi International BECOME A SUBSCRIBER & ENJOY THESE BENEFITS: ✤ Enjoy one whole year of Profi magazine ✤ Free access to our entire 27-year in-depth test archive, including the…

One new feature, for example, is the central seed supply which combines the benefits of the early EDX precision drills without compromising on the distribution along rows. The new design is referred to as Central Seed Supply, which is becoming a standard feature on the large-scale drills. According to Amazone, the new central metering system should work for all crops from sugar beet and sunflowers to maize and field beans. The Precea 12000-TCC tested is built to a new modular system. Our machine was a 12m prototype with a row width of 50cm; the model is also available with a 9m coulter bank. The length of the front end alongside which the seeder wings fold into transport position varies by model. It seemed to us that Amazone had planned generously…

The Kvickfinn originates — as its name suggests – from Finland. In parts of the country, couch grass or thistles are considered very difficult weeds to control, which is why the manufacturer Lyckegård developed the Kvickfinn as a mechanical solution. This two-part implement has three rows of spring tines positioned at the front, followed by a powered rotor. The latter throws the uprooted weeds to the rear, almost as a mower conditioner throws the grass back, but in this case the aim is to remove the soil from the plant. As the plants are lighter than the soil, they are thrown higher and then drop onto the soil surface. Ideally, the weeds will then dry out and not re-establish. Spotlight on spec Lyckegård markets the Kvickfinn in three different builds:…

To protect implements from sudden overload, a variety of clutches can be installed to cut the power when a certain torque is reached. These include, for example: • Cam clutches • Star ratchet clutches • Shear pin clutches • Friction clutches • Rotary play clutches • Freewheel clutches A cam clutch consists of four spring-loaded cams that engage in cut-aways to transmit the torque. If the torque acting on the springs exceeds their tension, the cams will deflect and no longer transmit the power. Once the reason for the excess torque has been removed, the cams automatically re-engage at reduced speed. Due to the special form of its cams, this type of clutch rotates only in the one direction. This must be borne in mind when replacing the entire clutch…

It just takes a brief slip of the hoof knife or a moment of not paying full attention when fitting the disc in the trimmer, and you can find yourself with a nasty cut in your hand. When discussing our test on 13 discs with trimming accessories specialist manufacturer Allredo, we also talked about work gloves that protect from cuts. Although trimming hooves involves a risk of cuts, most trimmers usually just wear regular gloves. So, is this wise? Good wearing comfort Without further ado, we ordered the Eco 5005 cut protection glove from Niro-S for a test. Niro-S is a brand belonging to the Friedrich Münch company. In addition to the above-mentioned glove, the company also produces a wide range of gloves for various industries including automotive, as well…

Running self-propelled machines isn’t entirely alien to Mr Macey who has had his own forage-harvester for the last seven years. But why do your own silage? “Since we tipped over the 300-cow mark I’d been looking hard at our contractor costs – the bill just for the forager annually was coming in at over £18,000,” he explains. “We already had our own combine and maize drill and so we took the plunge and bought our first chopper – a 2004 New Holland FX60 with eight-row Claas RU maize header. At £36,000 for a 2,700 drum-hour machine it felt like a big outlay but it was an investment that paid off very quickly.” Bit by bit the grass machinery fleet has grown with the addition of sets of triple-mowers, tri-axle silage…

The weed wiper is used with a 165kW/225hp Deutz-Fahr Agrotron 6230 TTV Warrior which arrived earlier this year as an ex-demonstrator from Collings Brothers of Abbotsley to replace a 10-year-old Agrotron M640. The Cook family have been Deutz-Fahr users for the past 20 years after previously running Same tractors. The 6230 is a high-spec Warrior special edition version finished in java green with black wheels and is equipped with a Trimble GPS steering system. “We wanted to stay with the same chassis size as the M640,” says Richard. “But we tried an Agrotron 6185 TTV and thought it was a bit gutless, it really needed another 30hp, so we went for the next size up. We are quite conscious that the new tractor is a tonne heavier, but tyres have…

From a distance, the long sloping nose of the AgroStar 8.31 bears a strong family resemblance to the smaller Deutz-Fahr AgroXtras that rolled off the production line at the KHD factory in Cologne. Back in those days, the top AgroStar models, the 6.71 and 6.81, came from Italy, but 139kW/190hp was the limit. However, with the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the large farms in eastern Europe were desperate for tractors, and Deutz’s American competitors in red and green-yellow livery had much more on offer. Solution from across the pond Working feverishly for a solution, Deutz-Fahr dug out the phonebook and had a chat with AGCO, the relatively new owners of Deutz Allis. AGCO already had the up to 170kW/230hp 9600 series in production at Independence, Missouri. Deutz-Fahr would later…

REPORT New Holland forager generations These three 'grass-cut-teers' have come a long way over the past two-three decades, dating back to the early 1990s. Check out New Holland’s 1905, FX375 and FR780 in the field. REPORT Combine top three Ever wondered which combine models top the harvester charts on the UK and Irish markets? We answer this question in our look at the most popular machines in next month’s Harvest Special. USED MACHINERY John Deere S series combines John Deere S600 series combines were launched in time for the 2012 harvest. Claimed by Deere to suit Northern European conditions, the S600 needed to win over those wedded to proven rotary models from competing makes, not to mention Deere’s own walker’T’ series. Over a decade on, the S600 and S700 series…