Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2023 i Profi

I do like shiny paint. And it doesn’t even necessarily have to be new paint. In fact, seeing the mirror-like reflections on the gleaming panels of a working classic are more rewarding. Admittedly, It’s been a few years since I wielded a polisher in anger, to resurrect the dull bodywork of a car, tractor or even fertiliser spreader … to try to restore their original day glow. However, Amazon recently tempted me with a cordless rotary polisher, and I have to say it’s an absolute joy to use when compared to the old mains-powered dual-action. Given this renewed interest in making things sparkle, I tackled my brother’s 2005 New Holland TVT, and, together with my daughter, we managed to get the blue, which had been bleached from years of steam…

During April registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) in the UK were higher than in April last year. This continues a trend seen during the first three months of the year according to the latest figures from the Agricultural Engineers Association. At 1,280 machines, the April figure was an increase of 11% compared with 12 months ago. “This is the highest total for the time of year since 2019 as manufacturers continue to work through the backlog of orders which built up last year due to supply chain disruption,” explains Stephen Howarth, agricultural economist at the AEA. “The growth rate for the year to date was similar, with 4,634 machines registered over the first four months of 2023, 10% more than in the same period last year.” Most of the…

Henton and Chattell are the latest Kubota dealer appointment for agricultural and groundcare products. Established in 1931, Henton and Chattell, located in the East Midlands, is one of the largest garden machinery dealerships in the UK. Operating from a premises in Nottingham, the family firm employs 85 staff. “We are delighted to have this opportunity to move our business forward with Kubota,” said Peter Chaloner, managing director of Henton & Chattell. “We like to be successful in every market we’re in, which means it’s all about our team, its knowledge, and the ability to deliver first class customer service. We already have a strong groundcare team. The opportunity to develop an agricultural machinery business to provide sales, service and support to the industry through a partnership with a dynamic and…

Dartmouth-based I J Jones Engineering and Lancashire business, Stuart Taylors International are the latest dealers to take on the Corvus franchise. Having been an ag engineer in the UK, USA and Australia, Ian Jones took over an established business which has been on the go for more than 30 years and it became I J Jones Engineering. It specialises in the service, spares and repair of tractors, ATV and UTVs. “Ian Jones will provide Corvus Off-Road-Vehicles’ coverage for BOSS ORV across South Devon,” says BOSS ORV MD Phil Everett. “It’s a big welcome to the Corvus family for Ian, Lexi and the team in Blackawton.” Taylors are well known ATV and UTV dealers which was established in 2003 by Stuart Taylor. The Blackburn-based business is also involved in grass and…

Will Barker is the new Kubota agricultural and groundcare dealer manager for the East Midlands and Eastern Counties. He comes from a family-owned dairy farm in Buckinghamshire, which operates two Kubota tractors. “Coming into the tractor business as a former end-user, I have an appreciation of what customers expect from their relationships with dealers,” explains Will. “And this is a great opportunity to introduce more customers to the capabilities of Kubota agricultural and groundcare machinery.” Speaking about Will’s appointment as a dealer manager, Kubota’s agricultural and groundcare sales manager Tim Yates said, “Will’s youthful energy provides us with a great opportunity to continue supporting dealers as they continue to build on the growth already achieved in agricultural and groundcare markets across the East Midlands and Eastern Counties.”…

All of the models in the 5080 DF/DS/DV Ecoline series are available with a four-post cab or open platform with a folding rollbar. The cabs are available in three different widths and mudguard dimensions to suit work in vineyards and orchards. Power comes from a Farmotion 35 engine mated to a fully mechanical or powershift transmission with a manual or powershuttle. The 30 forward, 15 reverse uses a splitter to double the forward ratios while the 45-speed has a three stage powershift. The powershuttle tractors also come with the brake-to-clutch function with the DF and DS reaching 40km/hr at reduced engine revs. Power ratings are from 91hp up to 126hp depending on the variant.…

Cultivating at full-width to a shallow depth is a topical issue for many farm owners and managers, and it’s an area Treffler has a good deal of experience in, having launched its 3.0m to 7.2m wide semi-mounted TG cultivator back in 2008. Six years ago, it added the fully mounted TGA, which comes in three sizes — 3.0m, 4.3m and 5.6m. While the six semi-mounted models are only available with a roller at the rear, the two smaller mounted machines can be fitted with either a roller or a harrow, and there is even the option of a quick-change system. Our test machine, a TGA560, is only offered with the three-row following comb harrow, because the roller would be too heavy on this size of machine. If you want a…

The vast majority of front-mounted mowers operating within the UK and Ireland are 3.0m machines due to the transport width, though some buyers have dared to go for a 3.5m unit. So, you can understand why Krone wanted to push the boundaries and develop a 4.0m mower, listing the following reasons for its decision: ● Larger overall working widths when used in combination with a typical triple-mower outfit.● Improved efficiency when operated as part of a zero-grazing regime.● Though probably less relevant for our part of the world, it can work in steep Alpine regions where tractors can be fitted with dual wheels that often exceed the cutting width. We caught up with the latest version of the EasyCut F400 Fold, supplied complete with merging augers instead of a conditioner…

A slightly different way of mechanical weed control, the powered rotors on the Busa shear off any organic material growing above the surface. And it does this in no-tilled crops, too. Farmer Franz Grötschl has taken over distribution in the German-speaking markets, and we had the opportunity to use the four-row cultivator on his farm in Austria, hoeing a knee-high crop of maize and in a mixed crop of maize, soyabean and sunflowers. The weeds, mainly grasses from a cover crop and more typical field weeds such as orache, thistle, camomile, amaranth and millet, had grown to a considerable height. But this mix didn’t pose a challenge for the eight knives on each rotor of the four-row machine. DATA SHEET Busa row weeder No. of rows Four Row spacings 65-80cm Working…

Tony Bell imported his STK300 directly from Poland in 2020. Based in Balbriggan, North County Dublin, he first started strip-till in 2011 with a Claydon SR, reducing the area of crops established under a plough-based regime. The Claydon proved that the system could work, with the soil structure of the heavy clay soil continually improving and earthworm populations increasing. Tony bought a 3.0m mounted Sumo DTS, which arrived in 2014. With a growing amount of contract drilling on top of his own work, he decided to add the Czajkowski. The DTS was a seed-only machine, while the split hopper in the STK300 could be used for grain and fertiliser or a mix of different seeds. Since its arrival three years ago, the 3.0m trailed unit has proved to be very…

TECHNEAT AUTOCAST V1 Year: 1996 Condition: Working order Comment: Original Autocast distributors will still ‘do the job’ and remain a sound tool for the likes of seeding stubble with cover crops etc. Modest 90 litre hopper and electric fan drive will suit lower output combines with a header of up to 7.60m, a larger 300w fan enabling wider widths to be covered. Price: £500 plus for sound units TECHNEAT AVACAST GR400L TRAILED Year: 2015 Condition: Refurbished Comment: Fully self-contained unit for use behind an ATV with similar base unit mounting on a cultivator. NSTS compliance. Dual outlets offer 50cm spacing. Choice of 200l or 400l hoppers, with split hopper options for seed and slug pellets. GPS sensor can be retrofitted, this adding under £400 when these units were new. Price:…

Following on from the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy, which plans to reduce the amount of chemical pesticides applied by 50% by 2030, new crop protection methods are coming to the fore. One of these new methods is band spraying, where you target just the planted rows and, in doing so, significantly reduce the amount of chemical being applied. With such thoughts in mind, Dammann has developed a band spraying solution for its boom sprayers. The system allows nozzles to be positioned at various widths and there’s a special steering system to overcome the issue of less-than-uniform row spacing. The German sprayer maker is offering this new row-specific nozzle positioning on all of its booms. The kit can be retrofitted and includes a multi-holed rail that is bolted 30cm below…

Gea delivered a DairyRobot R9500 complete with one milking box to the DLG, in Groß-Umstadt, Germany, in September 2022. Over the course of the three-day test, a Gea service engineer was on hand to ensure the machine was performing as it should. The standard Monobox had neck detection technology (CowScout) and a concentrate feeder for one liquid and three solid components. Compressed air was supplied by an Atlas Copco SF22 FF scroll compressor, which has a 2.2kW motor. Consistent measurements As with our previous milking robot tests, we used UHT milk (1.5% fat) and the same standards, following a strict timetable and procedure: each milking process starts with opening and closing the gate and simulating feeding a concentrate. The robot then cleans and stimulates the artificial udder. After attaching the…

Case IH back with a bang Case IH returns to Cereals with a flourish, giving the first European public display of a new flagship model to its Optum range. The Optum 340 CVXDrive supplements the existing 270hp and 300hp Optum CVXDrive models and extends the series’ power bracket. Designed to meet the requirements of large farming and agricultural contracting businesses, the new 340 CVXDrive is the top model and most powerful in the Optum AFS Connect range, delivering up to 340hp with an upgraded stepless transmission and the AFS Connect Advanced telematics portal which enables remote monitoring and management of farm, fleet, and data. It also boasts a spacious, quiet (66dBA) and excellent all-round visibility cab delivering the highest levels of comfort and performance, says Case IH. The Optum 340…

In the May issue we had a photo of a new flagship Optum model being unveiled to dealers in Spain. At the time we were expecting Case IH to keep its powder dry until later in the year, but the new 340 CVXDrive will make its European public debut at Cereals in June. The spec details are discussed in our Cereals preview which starts on page 84. There is still no news on the blue version, believed to be called the T7.340 HD, although there is a rumour it too could be at Cereals.…

RECORD Q1 FOR CNH CNH has reported record results for the first quarter of 2023. Consolidated revenues were $5,342 which is 15% higher than for the same period last year. Net income was $486 while net sales for industrial activities was $4776. Brands owned by CNH Industrial include Case IH, New Holland, Steyer and Case Construction. LARRINGTON ROLLOVER A new rollover sheet developed in house by Larrington, can fold to either side of the trailer. The Lincolnshire-based firm has also launched direct sales and hire. All hire trailers come with a rollover sheet, and tractor linkage-mounted mudflaps are included in the hire. ITALIAN TRACTOR MARKET STRUGGLES In the first quarter of this year, the Italian tractor market registered 5,083 units. This was lower than for the same period last year.…

According to our most recent Twitter poll, 57.6% of respondents have retrofitted a GPS steering system to their tractors, while 42.4% have not. In our next poll, we're curious to know what tramline widths our followers currently operate. Choose from 12m, 24m, 36m, or other options. Don't forget to follow @profitractors (or scan the QR code) to participate. Polls only last a few days, so keep an eye out for the results here. We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing from you.…

Andrew Purnell is the new area sales director for RVW Pugh and will be responsible for Massey Ferguson as well as all other machinery brands sold by the dealership. His area covers Powys, Cheshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Recently Andrew has been distribution channel development manager for Lely. Before that he spent 10 years associated with the Massey Ferguson brand working for AGCO. He has also been Massey Ferguson area sales manager for RVW Pugh. Robert Pugh, group chairman for RVW Pugh and TR Machinery, said, “Andrew’s passion for the Massey Ferguson brand, in-depth knowledge of the Massey Ferguson products, and good working relationship with the RVW Pugh team and customers makes him an excellent fit in helping drive our business forward”. Andrew Purnell said, “I am delighted to join RVW…

The HX tractor range from Kioti is now available with front loaders which are being supplied by Spanish manufacturer Tenias and have been designed specially for these tractors. Maximum lift capacity is 1,755kg and maximum height 4.30m. Hydraulics are connected using quick-connect couplings, a Euro 8 quick-attach headstock is standard and removing the loader from the tractor is said to be rapid. A hydraulic rear-hitch, with hook and clevis options, is also available for HX tractors. This was designed by Dutch manufacturer Pateer to fit the HX tractors and they hydraulically telescope outwards to help with attaching implements. Two HX models are offered in the UK, the 100hp HX1001 and 115hp HX1201. Both are available with pto engine boost, a 32 x 32 powershuttle gearbox and selectable four-wheel drive. A…

No-till drill maker, Novag has added a new range, the T-ForcePlus 250, a 2.0m and 3.0m drill range which can be fitted with up to 12 openers. This new range sits between the 150 (1.0-2.0m with up to eight coulters) and the 350 (3.0m with up to 18 openers). While the smaller range is aimed at vineyards and the likes for sowing between rows, the 250 is aimed at users who may not have the workload to utilise the larger 350. A benefit of the 250 is that it has been designed with a lower overall weight which may prove beneficial in late autumn or early spring, but can be ballasted up so the fewer coulters have better penetration. “The heart of our no-till technology is our unique Novag T-SlotPlus…

Following an initial driving impression of the Kuhn FC9330 RA in profi 4/2022, our findings here are based upon a much longer stint with the mower, working extensively from first to the last cut in summer 2022. From the outset, there are two points to consider. First the mowing combinations weight proved a challenge for tractors weighing south of 10 tonnes. More on this later. Second, a fully specced up FC9330 RA will retail for a shade under £100,000. The mower is a quality piece of kit but that is a big sum. Solidity starts at the headstock Coupling to Cat III and IVN linkages, the meaty headstock houses the Kuhn Non-Stop safety system. This is designed to provide breakaway protection for the cutterbar, with a gauge showing the pressure…

Producing a vast range of equipment for mechanical weed control from its plant in Copparo, in north east Italy, the Cavalleretti Group is another kit maker yet to become available in the UK or Ireland. But one of the machines that could well appeal to growers looking to reduce herbicide reliance is the Biosarchio line-up of 2.24m to 6.24m rear-mounted weeders with hydraulic side-shift. Our German colleagues tried out the widest model, weeding a crop of dandelions in Mecklenburg. 4 + 2 attachment positions This particular cultivator had Cavalleretti’s side-shifting frame and a Claas row guidance camera, which has to be manually moved for transport. Accurate machine guidance comes from a pair of 400mm large tracking discs, which, in the future, will be replaced with a GPS-controlled side-shifting frame sourced…

Swincosem is a small firm based in the south of the Netherlands specialising in seed drills and pneumatic fertiliser spreaders. Among its line-up is the P300/64 seed drill combination, which has been specifically developed for sowing grass seed with a very narrow row spacing of just 4.68cm. The tilling job is left to an Amazone KE3001 Super power harrow, which is then fitted with Swincosem bits including a hopper that holds around 300kg of seed. The distribution head is located inside the tank, and the fan for the pneumatic seed delivery system is belt-driven by the harrow’s auxiliary pto stub. The stainless steel levelling bar is a Swincosem development. Rather than being rectangular, it has a rounded bottom, and, being spring-loaded, it can also deflect to the rear. With the…

We've received loads … and loads … of submissions on the ways in which you've improved your farm workshop, ranging from simple storage systems for all manner of things, to oil drum trolleys and optimised jacks. Being able to easily move things around the workshop has led many users to build their own workbenches and toolboxes. And our collection also includes some very simple ideas, such as a modified filing cabinet. It just shows how things that can be implemented quickly can bring significant benefits to your work. Maybe you'll pick out something useful among this mixed selection for your own farm workshop. COOKER HOOD COLLECTS SPARKS This scrapped cooker hood was turned into a funnel that collects flying sparks when using the plasma cutter. The hood is bolted to…

If you unlock your smartphone using its front camera and facial recognition you are using artificial intelligence: algorithms match your current image with photos of yourself. Some devices also utilise infrared sensors to record other security parameters. It’s clever stuff. The Ara spot sprayer from Swiss company Ecorobotix operates in a similar way. It uses cameras to record the plants and infrared lenses to detect the forward speed. This data is evaluated by processors in a fraction of a second so the system can distinguish between crop and weeds. Depending on the selected mode, nozzles open automatically, spraying either just the weeds or the crop, with liquid fertiliser or crop protection chemical. Depending on the application, savings of between 40 and 90% are possible, according to Ecorobotix. The system offers…

Looking to offer a niche package of services based on what works on their own farm, King Agricultural Contractors is offering the opportunity for farmers exploring the benefits of regenerative practices and direct drilling to dip a toe in the water. “We wanted to cut our establishment costs but could also see an opportunity to improve soil conditions,” explains Jolyon King, who farms 600ha of their own land and contracts near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire with father Philip. The light, shallow soils in the region bring their own challenges and require a careful choice of equipment. At home, a former dairy farm, a range of crops are grown and Philip has always been keen to look at new ideas, being one of the first in the area to use an Accord Air-Seed…

Buzzing. Revving. Just a couple of words from Bagshaws auctioneer Mark Elliott when commenting on the atmosphere at the Moor Farm sale. “The Kay family was retiring from farming, after being tenants at Moor Farm for four decades. They had owned most of the predominantly arable equipment from new, and, although it was on the old side, it had been very well looked after, hence the considerable interest from a strong crowd on sale day,” Mr Elliott explains. “The event drew visitors from Ireland, Wales and the Eastern Counties. There was some on-line activity, but the majority of the machines went to bidders in the field.” Other than the tractors, arguably the standout lot of the day was a 14-year-old JCB 526S telehandler, which had clocked fewer than 5,000 hours…

David Furber has been appointed Claydon’s sales manager for the UK and Ireland. “A key part of my role will be to work with our existing dealers to ensure that customers are fully supported and further strengthen our distribution network in areas where currently we are under-represented, particularly Scotland and Northern Ireland,” says David. “This will benefit existing owners by providing more local points of contact.” David has a farming background and has worked for Salopian Kenneth Hudson and Vicon. More recently he was UK sales manager for Kverneland Group.…

Sales and service of Manitou products in Lincolnshire and surrounding areas will now be offered by B & B Tractors from the start of June, taking over from Chandlers Farm Equipment. A new depot in the Sleaford/Swineshead area will be opening soon. Called B & B Machinery this will specialise in only Manitou equipment. B & B Tractors currently has four depots covering Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Leicestershire. All offer Manitou products as well as a range of tractors and machinery, namely Kuhn, Massey, Fendt, Valtra and Väderstad. Mark Ormond, managing director of Manitou UK, says “B & B Tractors is a very established dealer with a long history and commitment to Manitou and our mutual customer base. I am delighted that the business will now establish…

A range of 38W LED headlights for Land Rover Defenders, up to 2016, is available from UTV Products. High-beam output is 3,315 lumens and the 6,500K colour temperature mimics daylight. These lights use a UV powder-coat paint for anti-corrosion and are water-resistant to IP68 and IP69K standards. UTV says there is no radio interference from these lights so the radio can be used without crackle when they are on. The lights are available in two lens colours, black or chrome, and cost £140 each.…

Precision planters, tillage tools and sprayers will be produced at the new Horsch factory which has opened in Curitiba in Brazil. The 16ha site has 35,000m2 under cover and there are plans to add seed drills to the range of products being built there. According to Rodrigo Duck, Horsch CEO in Brazil, the company has so far invested around €60 million in the project and has created around 300 direct and more than a thousand indirect jobs with the expansion. "It is the largest investment that we as a company have made in a single factory in such a short time," confirms Philipp Horsch. As a result of the expansion, the plant is now also designed to serve inquiries from Latin America, parts of Africa and, to some extent, also…

Almost the same, and yet completely different — that’s how the test team summed up three very good all-round tractors. Deere is the overall winner of the test, because the 6R150 scored well in all categories and was slightly ahead in its front loader technology. The other two test candidates were better in other areas but scored fewer points overall primarily due to their fewer front-loader functions and higher noise level. As a result, Fendt takes second place, Valtra third. Four cylinders, an infinitely variable gearbox The reasons for picking the Fendt 516 Vario, the John Deere 6R150 AutoPowr and the Valtra N155E Direct for this test are their four-cylinder engines producing 155-171hp max output (165-177hp boosted output), their continuously variable transmissions and their front loaders. All three makers can…

At last year’s Cereals, Norfolk-based Terrington Machinery unveiled a pre-production version of Einböck’s latest mechanical weeding harrow, the Aerostar Fusion, a precision harrow. What makes this unit different to the eight other mechanical weeding tools from the Austrian firm is that the tines are mounted in plastic holders that pivot on Fusion’s frame and are individually tensioned. Special springs Essentially there are two frames. The lower frame is for the tines and their plastic holders, with the individual tensioning rods connected to the upper frame to help determine the tine pressure. This indirect tine attachment helps ensure the tip pressure is always the same regardless of the tine angle, meaning the tines running on the top of a ridge exert the same pressure as the tines in the furrow. The…

The Infinity 5000 and 6000 now sit at the top of Sands range of self-propelled sprayers, having replaced the Horizon 5500 and 6000, whilst the smaller shorter-chassis Horizon 3000, 3500 and 4000 models continue as before. Its development can be loosely traced back to the company’s first 5,500-litre model, the SLc 5.5, which was introduced in 2006 and the largest UK-built sprayer at the time. The Vision 5.5 arrived in 2009, and the Horizon 5500 in 2015, with the 6000 version with a slightly taller tank introduced later. Interest in the larger Sands models has gradually gained momentum during this time, and further increased following the launch of the Infinity, so much so that one year on over 30 have been sold, of which roughly 75% would be the 6,000-litre…

The UK is very familiar with strip-till drills, with domestic makes such as Claydon and Mzuri now on the market for well over a decade. Which begs the question: why has the Czajkowski range of 3.0m to 6.0m drills failed to make a big splash? In production since 2017, the Polish strip-till is the creation of farmer Maciej Czajkowski, who decided to make his own after looking for a machine for his own farm. To learn a little more about the strip-till drill, we caught up with the latest 4.5m version, the ST450. Loosen in strips The machine is divided into three key zones — loosening, reconsolidation and sowing. And there is no shortage of space, as the ST450 measures a long 11.20m with its band sowing coulter bar in…

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With electricity an increasingly expensive cost, and much more attention being paid to the total amount of water used on farms, these two consumables are becoming more important than ever when comparing all of the different automatic milking systems. In the past, farmers had to rely on manufacturer information, but today they can get hold of independent data. Back in 2014, the German Agricultural Society (DLG) debuted the world’s only test carried out to a set standard for measuring all the various consumables under lab conditions, allowing the tests to be repeated on different makes of robot. In conjunction with the calculation model developed by the Bavarian State Research Centre for Agriculture (LfL) and profi, the test results allow farmers to compare various consumption figures for different scenarios. Gea shows…

Agricultural engineer and farmer Michael Seelmeyer and chicken and beef finisher Jens Woltering farm around 300ha in Neuenkirchen near Bramsche in Lower Saxony, Germany. Michael is responsible for the arable side of the business but is keen to challenge more established farm practices to explore his own ideas "We have numerous challenges. Our land includes dry sandy soils, we face the withdrawal of certain crop protection products and then there is the ever-increasing cost of fertiliser" says Michael. “We need to make better use of available soil moisture and possibly promote soil life too. We need to adapt”. Five years ago the partners invested in an Amazone Cirrus 6003-2CC seed drill and through exploiting the technology it offers they are on the road to refining their cropping to meet these…

Following on from recent topics and as a nod to my time at college, I'm going to try and write this month’s offering within an optimistic two hours. I fear a few raised eyebrows and even a sharp intake of breath from some of you upon hearing that; yes, I do normally spend longer than this crafting the monthly updates. With my mind now focussed and buggering about on ebay put on hold, I can see if I've still got some 'last minute magic' left. Here goes Perhaps I should have a quick coffee first, and just check the auction for those tyres… With lambing as good as conquered for another year I should be able to turn my focus away from the sheep and toward the more profitable side…