Tractor & Machinery

Happy New Year! I hope you had an enjoyable festive period and some well-deserved downtime, ready to face whatever 2023 has in store for us! There was no tinkering time for me, as I was away from home, but there was plenty of rest and relaxation, and I feel ready for the challenges that lay ahead. In this issue we have some classics from the 1980s in the form of ‘Q’ cabbed Fords and the Case IH 85 Series, as well as something much older – but with a modern twist. With JCB putting its efforts into Hydrogen power, and New Holland experimenting with Methane, Keith Atkinson has decided that battery power is worth trying – converting a Ferguson TE-A 20 to run on electricity! It’s an interesting concept and one that can clearly…

An unmissable date on tractor and commercial enthusiasts’ calendars for Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March, preparations for 2023’s Tractor World Spring and Classic Commercial Show are already roaring on. With displays, stands, shopping and bargains already set to exceed 2022’s spectacular return show, canny exhibitors, attendees, and trade and club stands are busy securing pitches, auction lots, and early bird admission tickets for the biggest and longest-established show of its kind. Benefitting from the extensive facilities at Malvern’s Three Counties Showground, much of the show will be set comfortably indoors across three large permanent exhibition halls plus link marquee, showing off the exhibits and merchandise, whatever the weather! Amongst the club stands, feature presentations include the Fordson New Performance range. In a special celebration, Friends of Ferguson Heritage and the Ferguson Club…

WITH THE NEW 5ML SERIES, WHICH INCLUDES THE FLAGSHIP 5130ML, John Deere introduces its most intelligent and powerful narrow tractors for use in high-value crops to date. The 5ML tractors can be equipped with a comprehensive John Deere technology package for precision farming and deliver a maximum output of 134hp. The John Deere PowerTech Plus engine in the new 5130 ML is a 4.5-litre four-cylinder unit with a solid torque rise of 30 per cent and a maximum output of 134hp. The mechanical PowerQuad Plus transmission has four of the optionally available Powr8 transmission eight power shiftable gears. When range shifting, the matching powershift gear is automatically selected. This and the no-clutch range shifting with the de-clutch button makes the tractor stand out in terms of comfort. The 5ML not only impresses…

Hugh Simmons We are sorry to have to advise the passing of Hugh(ie) Dudley Simmons, aged 75, writes the Sodbury Vale Tractor Club. He was born on Frog Lane Farm, Coalpit Heath, Gloucestershire, and lived there all his life. His business was as a groundworks contractor. Hugh restored various tractors and enjoyed entering ploughing matches. Teamed with Roy Hill, the pair made expert judges. They also offered excellent advice to those who’d listen. The funeral service took place on 1 November, with a packed church, followed by burial in the parish. The cortege was topped and tailed with International Harvester tractors driven by Hugh’s friends. Full Moon Tractor Run The Full Moon Tractor Run took place on 10 December, at Rhayader, writes Gary Jones. Although there was not much of a full moon, there was plenty of…

Acknowledged for leading the low carbon technology way when it comes to tractors, Reesink Agriculture will be exhibiting the industry’s first all-electric tractor, from Farmtrac, at the Low Carbon Agriculture Show. This will be joined by BigToolRack’s Ultimate Rack for the ultimate in tractor cargo space. Farmtrac’s FT25G is critically acclaimed for bringing zero emissions, minimal noise and vibration, high-energy efficiency, and low operating and maintenance costs to the UK’s farming sector. It has led the way with the growing industry focus on moving away from fossil fuels to low or zero emission products since it launched two years ago and, in that time, has proven itself as more than capable of equalling the performance of its diesel counterparts, something Fully Charged presenter Robert Llewellyn and farmer Adam Henson discovered when they…

MORRIS LUBRICANTS IS ADVISING FARMERS TO PUT OIL, lubricant, and grease performance ahead of price, as they prepare their tractors for the new season. With rising prices hitting the agricultural community hard, such as the steep increase in fertiliser costs having a significant impact on the sector, it can be tempting to look for short-term savings elsewhere. Choosing a cheap, alternative oil to the manufacturer’s specification, at a lower price, may seem like a sound investment. However, says Adrian Hill, Morris Lubricants’ Technology Manager, selecting the wrong, and usually, an inferior quality oil may result in significant, long-term consequences to equipment performance and in the end, an overall increase in running cost. The company, which manufacturers the specialist Agrimax range of agricultural lubricants for a wide range of tractors, vehicles, and farming equipment,…