Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2022 i Profi

AGCO has secured a 2.9% equity investment in Greeneye Technology, a Tel Aviv-based (Israel) company that has developed an AI-based precision spraying system to detect and spot spray individual weeds at speeds of up to 20km/hr. The system is claimed to reduce chemical use by up to 90%. Designed for work with any sprayer brand or size, the technique uses a combination of AI and deep machine learning for the real-time detection and spraying of crop weeds (green on green) with a claimed accuracy of 95.7%. AGCO, the parent company of Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra, is not the only investor in the recent US$22m round of funding, which also includes investments by Syngenta. The cash will be used to support the commercial roll-out in the US this year and…

CNH Industrial has entered into a long-term global marketing agreement with MacDon Industries for this company to manufacture co-branded draper headers for Case IH and New Holland combines. They will be available to order next year for delivery in 2023. The agreement is of a marketing nature and is not an OEM deal, and does not include other MacDon products, such as corn headers and windrowers. It is business as usual for MacDon’s existing European dealer network. The Canadian company will continue to manufacture and distribute its full line of combine draper headers under the MacDon brand to all its dealers and customers for all major combine brands around the world. Under the marketing agreement with CNHi, MacDon will be the exclusive supplier of draper heads to both Case IH…

First shown at Agritechnica and described as a world first for a disc mower, the maximum working width of Krone’s EasyCut F400CV folding front mower cutterbar is 4.04m. Production units will be available for the coming season, which can be paired with a mounted/trailed rear mower or a butterfly combination, the folding sequence is activated from the cab. A hydraulic slewing gearbox folds the two outer discs into the space between the tractor wheels to reduce the on-road width to under 3.00m. The driveline remains connected and the discs stay in the cutting position. In the field, the discs fold back and are hydraulically locked in the working position. The side guards are then lowered. Krone says the wider working width not only eliminates the risk of the tractor running…

Scan the Magnum line-up, and you will notice that the 310 and 340 are both available with the stepless ‘CVXDrive’ or featured powershift ‘PowerDrive’ transmission. But with the fresh-faced models launched two years ago, the 380 is the largest of the Magnum CVTs, with a rated power of 283kW/380hp before climbing to a maximum boosted output of 324kW/435hp. Look across to the mechanical transmission tractor, and there is no 380 — only a Magnum 400. The reason for the difference in model name, is the PowerDrive version has more power (295kW/396hp) on tap at its rated speed for heavy draft jobs like cultivating and other tug work, so someone in the Case IH marketing department clearly thought it deserved a bit more of a mention. Having tested the previous generation…

While the ‘CS’ in its name stands for ‘Compact Sprayer’ these new mounted machines are not short on specification. Inheriting many features from the Horsch Leeb trailed models, they come equipped with automatic active boom guidance, ISObus control and the same easy to use operation terminal. After a few passes (with just water) we came to the conclusion this mounted machine offers great operator convenience. Tall tank Tanks are core components, but on mounted models their shape also plays a crucial role in balancing the set-up. At the top of the CS models’ tanks there’s a conspicuous bulge that is designed to help keep them as close to the tractor as possible. Top model in the CS series, the 2.2CS, has a nominal volume of 2,200 litres, with an actual…

The ploughs from the Amazone factory in Hungary come in fixed seven- and eight-furrow reversible configurations, each model with the option of adding an extra body to make it a plus one. The 400 in the model’s name stands for the maximum permissible horsepower, which is the same regardless of the number of furrows. Tyrok models that have hydraulic vari-width (available only on the 7+0 and 7+1) bear a 'V' in the identifying decal. Ploughs fitted with hydraulic auto-reset have an 'S'. We tried out the eight-furrow (7+1) version with hydraulic vari-width and auto-reset. The main beam on the Tyrok is 10mm thick, 200x150mm box. To provide some additional strength there is a secondary beam bracing, from behind the front furrow back to the fourth body. Auto-reset models have 80cm…

Four out of the eight major players in the pick-up sector may have pulled out, but there’s little sign of any sales let-up from market leader, Ford. The manufacturer has plans to debut an all-new vehicle in a joint venture with German company Volkswagen, though details remain relatively vague. What we do know is that the Ford version will still be called Ranger — we assume that the VW vehicle will still be called Amarok — will be built in South Africa and Thailand, and will come with the option of the Dagenham-built V6 diesel motor that currently appears in the globally popular, US-style F150 pick-up. However, this new vehicle, whether it be a Ford Ranger or VW Amarok, won’t hit UK and Irish shores until late-2022 at the earliest,…

We wanted to use our 12t capacity BMF timber forwarding trailer for hauling round bales. This is why we opted for the stronger crane with radio controls, so we could load and then stack the bales without unhitching or needing a separate loader. There are no modifications to the Estonian-made timber trailer. The four side stanchions are simply removed and replaced with the 5.20m long, 2.40m wide bale-hauling body. Four vertical tubes slot in the brackets vacated by the front and rear stanchions, while two lengths of box section sit directly on the BMF chassis to safely spread the weight on the cross bearers. To ensure the wrapped bales can't roll off the platform, we used four lengths of 100mm diameter tube. These are then placed 800mm apart for the…

Chinese companies have a habit of checking out existing products in mature markets, developing their versions and then undercutting existing players on price. And it looks like that’s what Shenzhen-based FJDynamics has done with its autosteer system for tractors and self-propelleds. The company looks to be going places, too — since delivering its first autosteer in 2019, an autonomous tractor and 3D guidance for excavators have arrived. So, what do you get for the money? Quite a lot: ● An Android-based controller/display unit ● Two RTK GNSS receivers ● A gyroscope ● A steering angle sensor ● A steering wheel with integrated drive motor. Currently there’s a single version sold worldwide. The only item that changes is the adapter between the powered steering wheel and machine’s column. So far, those…

The extendable arms on the ZKP1400, Pronar’s first four-rotor rake, allow the working width to be adjusted from 11.30m to 13.50m. The six-wheel running gear below each rotor is said to result in good ground contour following, and tensioning springs transfer some of the weight of the front two rotors to the main frame. Slip or overload clutches protect the gearbox and shafts from damage, and individual arms can be replaced without having to disassemble the transmission housing. With a tractor power requirement from 59kW/80hp, the ZKP1400 folds to less than 3.00m for transport. Options include air brakes and road lights. The 1400 is the ninth rake in the ZKP range, all of which are designed and produced by the Polish manufacturer. The company also makes mowers (the widest of which is…

Compact, manoeuvrable and bang up to date. Not a bad summary of the AVR Ceres 440. By combining proven planting elements with hydraulically driven metering, the 440 can deliver infinitely variable spacing and be set up to either work with soil maps to match in-field variations or be controlled manually on the move via ISObus. Exclusive level of specification Our test AVG machine had a couple of nonstandard Ceres features including a prototype dressing unit (see ‘Prototype Dressing’). and a subsoiler fitted ahead of the planting unit (see LSM Subsolier). Fitted to eradicate the test tractor’s wide tyre wheelings, the LSM unit added 330mm to the planter’s overall length, and its extra 480kg upped the unit’s empty total weight to a whopping 11,420kg on the tractor’s back axle. That is…

The first-generation Rauch Aero was a long-serving spreader, doing a quarter-century’s service during a 1982-2007 production run. Way back in 1990, in the Aero 1115 driving impression published in our German sister magazine, we suggested this type of pneumatic boom machine offered the potential to save significant money on inputs, via its ability to precisely apply inconsistent and difficult fertilisers, offering owners the opportunity to disregard the spreading properties of individual products, and so granting more leeway when it came to sourcing cheaper, potentially less consistent fertiliser products without sacrificing spreading evenness. Today, the requirements have changed. Fertiliser mixes may cause technical problems, border spreading needs to be precise, and variable-rate features are increasingly requested. Rauch therefore introduced a new version of the mounted Aero in 2019. Working width, volume,…

It’s early March, and an icy wind is blowing over the huge fields of the former GDR. But despite the cold, we can feel spring is just around the corner. You can just sense it, and the birds are chirping away. We caught up with Björn Salzwedel, manager of contracting business Hamester, based in Mühlen-Eichsen in northern Germany. Employing 40 staff, Björn manages the machinery, liaising with customers when they need to be out on farm. The main focus of the contracting business is spreading slurry, and they're now at their busiest time of year. The machinery line-up includes four self-propelleds from Danish firm Agrometer (SDS7000 and SDS8000 models) as well as a pair of trailed reel applicators. 180m3 per hour So why are umbilical systems not that popular in…

At a glance, you will be hard pressed to tell the difference between a 2004 Zirkon 10 and Solitair 9 power harrow combination drill and a current Zirkon 12 and Solitair 9. In terms of their ability to establish a crop, both older and more recent models will do pretty much the same job too. Which will possibly suggest an older combination in good condition will be equally as good a buy as a more recent model that has done more work. As you would expect, the answer is not quite as simple as a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Reason one relates to tractor power. In a thin-skinned nutshell, a Zirkon 12 power harrow is designed to cope with more powerful tractors than a Zirkon 10. Trough, bearings, gears and rotor…

For years, upgrading older tractors to give them auto-steer capability has come with an eye-watering price tag. But Canadian firm AgJunction has developed a self-install kit called the Wheelman, that farmers can fit themselves to tractors that are not auto-steer ready. Kits can be purchased directly through AgJunction’s online shop, HandsFreeFarm.com, removing a dealer from the process. The website provides access to online support, plus installation and tutorial videos, and enables tractor compatibility checks too, to ensure the kit you buy will fit your tractor. How much? The cost of a complete kit starts at USD$3,999. Ok, so there’s likely to be some import duty and freight costs to factor-in for UK buyers, though the firm says the kit can be installed and calibrated on-farm, in just a few hours.…

With significant pre-sale interest, auctioneer Clarke and Simpson was instructed by Messrs John Miles and Sons to disperse the business’s full range of arable equipment, following the decision to farm by contract. Staged at Great Ashfield in Bury St Edmunds, the Miles sale included a combine, tractors, a sprayer, telehandlers and a multitude of other farm implements. “The dust is now settling following the close of the dispersal sale for John Miles and Sons,” states auctioneer James Durrant, of Clarke and Simpson. “The demand for clean, good quality second-hand machinery remains very strong. Top prices of the day were the Claas Lexion 770TT at £180,000, Amazone Pantera self-propelled at £106,000 and a Massey 7726S at £85,000. The Challenger is off to Germany for £55,000 and Kverneland fert spreader to Austria…

Matching drill widths to other equipment in the fleet is always a head scratcher, and when AC Stubbs and Sons traded up from a 24m sprayer to a 36m Bateman RB35, Mark Stubbs knew he had to do something about his 8.0m Väderstad Rapid drill. “A 9.0m drill looked to work best, but simply extending our existing drill wouldn’t have worked because of the press wheel configuration,” he explains. “So we decided to rethink the whole design.” First step was to get the extra width in the form of some coulter frame wings, from local used machinery dealer Boccasion, which was breaking a 4.0m Rapid. “By welding these on we could make the drill 9.0m, but I also needed to revise the seed heads as they were designed for 32…

The Ares XM semi-mounted disc harrow and Buzzard straw harrow developed by Polish manufacturer Unia can both be equipped with three different front tools: hydraulic levelling board, straw harrow and knife roller. Available in working widths of 5.00m and 6.00m, the two rows of 560mm diameter (4.00mm thick) serrated discs on the Ares XM are spaced at 80cm. Designed for working at speeds of up to 15km/hr, power requirement is said to be 160hp+ for the 5.00m version and 170hp or more for the 6.00m model. The chassis is equipped with 480/45-17 tyres and pneumatic brakes. Weights vary from 4,700kg to 5,100kg. The Buzzard stubble harrow is also new to Unia’s arable kit portfolio. Available in widths of 7.50m and 9.00m, surface residue is distributed by five rows of 16mm…

Lemken’s Heliodor compact disc harrow can now be configured to accept a Vogelsang DosiMat DMX slurry distributor. Available on new machines from next season, the kit can also be retro-fitted to existing Heliodors. Designed to fit behind a trailed or self-propelled slurry tanker, slurry flows from the tank to the macerator blades in the distribution head. The liquid is then forced through hoses to the sides of the first row of Heliodor discs. Incorporated by the second disc row, the job is completed by a twin set of rear crumbler rollers. Lemken’s first slurry machine will be available on folding mounted and semi-mounted Heliodors up to a maximum working width of 7.00m (4.00m model in the picture folds to below 3.00m).…

Five years ago, Düvelsdorf debuted the combination of its GreenRake Expert mounted grass harrow and the Terra-Roller trailed rolls. Two years later, we praised the two-machine configuration in our 12/2018 practical test, and at the time we thought and wrote that there was potential for even more versatility. The engineering team behind the roller clearly had the same idea, because last year it added a couple of handy ‘Pre-tool’ options, a paddle levelling board and, perhaps more interestingly, a knife roller. Kitted out with the latter, the roller combination is aimed at chopping and shredding crop residue with the added option of establishing a catch crop. There are two types of rings for the Terra-Roller: the everyday Cambridge/breaker ring combo, as fitted to our 2018 test machine; or a prisma…

Recently Gedore presented the new ½” 19 SKU-20 socket set, which includes a ratchet and 13 sockets spanning 10mm to 24mm. The special design is ideal for situations where the threaded end of the bolt sticks out from the nut. The retail on the Gedore website is currently £271 plus VAT, though it is worth shopping around for a keener price. The sockets are inserted into the 19mm hex head of the ratchet. This can be adjusted via a small lever and is finely toothed. Moreover, even with the largest socket (SW24), the ratchet head is flat, only protruding 40mm, thanks to the socket sitting inside the ratchet head. According to Gedore, the so-called UD profile of the sockets is also suitable for worn bolt heads or nuts courtesy of…

Despite the obvious slowdown due to the pandemic, developments have continued, mainly led by the transition to Stage V engine emissions compliance. Other updates have included an improvement of the cab environment and adoption of the latest control and data management technology. Specific improvements nod to the diverse roles played by this size of tractor – from enhanced braking for fieldwork in tricky conditions by Claas to John Deere’s announcement of a model aimed at transport operations. While stepless transmissions are broadly available across the sector, powershift boxes endure for the ‘workhorse’ jobs and have been updated by some manufacturers to be more versatile, particularly by improving road performance or the ease of brake-to-clutch functionality. For this reason, we have focused on the six-cylinder powershift models in our market round-up,…

We all know the drill — ag policy is demanding farmers use less artificial fertiliser, and, if that wasn’t enough ‘encouragement’, the current high prices will see many apply less ‘bag muck’ this season, anyway. For those with access to manure, compost or digestate solids, this could help bridge the crop nutrient void. However, all three of these organic materials can vary in density, even within the same load, making application less precise. Altering the floor bed speed in relation to the ground speed will work, but this only alters the volume and not the weight of the manure, nor its density, meaning the nutrients are not evenly applied. Rate control by weight This is where dynamic weighing comes into play, allowing the floor bed speed to alter in relation…

With the car park fully occupied early doors, there were 4x4s, quite literally, lining all access roads into Spring Hill Farm, near Banbury, for RC Baker’s sale in mid-December. A real farm auction — old style. ‘Incredible’ is how Cheffins auctioneer Oliver Godfrey describes the visitor turnout, which, both in terms of its numbers and mood, defied COVID’s best efforts to put a dampener on proceedings. “With all the talk of Omicron in the lead-up to Christmas, we didn’t quite know what to expect. But the high regard in which the Baker family is held in the world of contracting and the impressive quality of the kit on display were clearly major factors in contributing to what was a quite staggering attendance. We reckon there were in excess of 500…