Tractor test

Deutz-Fahr Agrofarm TTV 430:

Look, no gears on TTV tiddler

Deutz-Fahr says it wants to provide a wider choice of CVT-equipped tractors and, as part of that company mission, has developed its own stepless box to drop into the Agrofarm range. That means there’s now a trio of transmission choices for the manufacturer’s 85-109hp offering. We assess the family flagship, the 80kW/109hp TTV 430 model

Practical test

Pöttinger Novacat X8 Collector ED:

A passion for collecting

Triple-gang mowers that place all the crop into a single central swath are becoming very popular in the UK and Ireland. Pöttinger’s version is the Novacat X8 Collector — here’s what we found after field testing

Driving impression

RECO Brevi Mek Farmer 220 power harrow:

Give clods the boot

RECO and Maschio headed their separate ways at the end of last year, so the UK importer has recently started to sell power harrows from Italian firm Breviglieri — or Brevi, for short. We take a closer look at the rigid Mek Farmer model

Massey Ferguson 7600:

Getting a grip on the new stuff

In an effort to clean up its product offering, Massey Ferguson has bundled its higher-hp semi-powershift 6400 models and CVT 7400 tractors into the one 7600 Dyna-6 and Dyna-VT line. More than a mere bonnet tidy-up? We seek the answers

Raising the curtain

John Deere 960 round baler:

John Deere’s engineers went back to the drawing board for the Titan project. Their aim? To make round baling more efficient and boost overall crop-packaging outputs. The result of their labour is the 900 baler range, which introduces a number of novel features. So it was with some considerable interest that we took a closer look at this new baler family in the shape of the 960 model

Livestock equipment

Small loaders on the farm:

Loading stuff the Weidemann way

In last month’s profi we visited a user of skid-steer loaders who majored in providing a poultry house cleaning service. This month we speak to the owner of another type of small loader manufactured by Weidemann. Andy Collings reports

Used machinery

Claydon V-Drill and SR seeders:

Direct drilling does the business

In 2002, Jeff Claydon and his team built ten of his then new V-Drill direct drills; a decade on, and the concept has evolved through SR to current Hybrid designs. Today, Claydon drills enjoy a strong following both in the UK and abroad, but how do these single-pass seeders stack up as a second-hand buy? James de Havilland reviews the pros and cons of a machine that looks to both cut establishment

Workshop

Mower service: Kverneland 3132 MT

One mower set to mow, set to mow a….

With the rustle of fast-growing grass all around, now’s the time to sort out the farm’s mower conditioner. Good practical advice comes from Phil Vickery, south-west area manager for Kverneland Group UK. Andrew Pearce looks after the words and pictures

Drive tyre removal and fitting Part 1 Removal of tyres

Taking boots on and off

There’s a right way and a wrong way to fit modern tractor drive tyres, and the wrong way can prove risky and potentially expensive. Andrew Pearce details current thinking on how to go about the job

From the workshop:

Simple solutions to perennial problems

Dip into the Mike Donovan goody bag, and there’s no telling what manner of workshop tit-bit you’ll find. This month Mike provides his customary assortment, with items ranging from a bracken roller to a mobile out-of-parlour feeder; ‘diverse’ doesn’t even come close. If you’ve any home-produced ideas that you’d like to share, please contact Mike via the details in the box at the bottom of page 43

Machine management

Cumbrian dairy farm runs its own self-propelled forager:

Into the pits in double-quick time

Although current trade is relatively positive for the livestock and dairy sectors, the increasing cost of concentrates can quickly wipe out hard-earned profits. So reason enough, then, to make the best quality silage possible. For a Cumbrian farming family, this means keeping the forage harvesting operation in house, as Mervyn Bailey finds out

Around the world

Better proof of second-hand kit ownership in Oz Customised tractor aids African farming Claas expands in North America Six wheels for RTV wagon

Report

Contractor price guide:

UK contractor charges

This is the National Association of Agric.Contractors’ charge guide, based on info supplied by its members last summer. The figures are ONLY A GUIDE and assume a red diesel price of 66p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc

Technical

Pros and cons of trailer steering:

A new steer on steering

Is it true that steering trailer axles bring operational benefits that at least balance the technology’s cost? Work in Norfolk last summer by Scarlett Research aimed to find out. Andrew Pearce reports