Tractor test
Valtra T174e Active
A nice sup of ‘T’
Twelve months have already passed since we first took a look at how Valtra set about developing the T4 line-up. Now we get to see in more detail what the still fresh-out-of-the-box family has to offer tractor buyers . . . by putting the T174e through our performance mill, the comprehensive profi tractor test
Practical test
Kramer 2506 telehandler
Jack of all shades
Kramer makes a wide range of telehandlers under its own banner, as well as Scorpions for Claas and some models for Weidemann. Here we check out its 50kW/67hp side-boom handler
Joskin Scariflex 720 R6S5 scarifier
Giving grass a tickle
The routine of whipping over pastures with a grass harrow is common practice on most UK and Irish dairy farms. A modern-day hardware take on this most traditional of grass husbandry tasks is provided by Joskin’s Scariflex, the subject of our practical test
Driving impression
Sky Easydrill W6000 drill
Easy does it
French firm Sky Agriculture is making some pretty bold claims for the versatility of its no-till Easydrill. We look to see whether there’s truth behind its claim of being equally capable of working into ploughed ground and min-tilled seedbeds as well as direct into standing cover crops and stubbles
McHale Pro Glide triple mower combination
Floats like a butterfly
Looking to expand its product portfolio, McHale has developed a range of mower conditioners and dived in at the deep end with a front mounted and rear butterfly combination. Designated the Pro Glide family, arguably the biggest news on the all-new line-up is its suspension system
Göweil G-1 F125 round baler wrapper combination
New kid on the block
Göweil is no stranger to bales — and the technology involved in creating them. After all, it has been building wrappers for over 25 years and even produces maize silage balers. Last year it added a new fixed-chamber round baler to its family, and we caught up with the combi version in the field
Deutz-Fahr 9340 TTV tractor
Cloud ‘Nine’
Deutz-Fahr has been looking to climb the hp ladder, and the 9-series is a key part of that ascent, reaching 232kW/316hp at rated speed. We climbed aboard a pre-production 9340 TTV model earlier this season
Väderstad Spirit R 300S drill
Flash yellow tank for trendy Spirit
If you previously wanted a 3.0m drill from the Väderstad stable, your only choice was limited to the old-school box drill Rapid. But now there is another option — a new-look, new generation of Spirit that may well be a sign of things to come
Cloud ‘Nine’
Deutz-Fahr 9340 TTV tractor
Deutz-Fahr has been looking to climb the hp ladder, and the 9-series is a key part of that ascent, reaching 232kW/316hp at rated speed. We climbed aboard a pre-production 9340 TTV model earlier this season
New kid on the block
Göweil G-1 F125 round baler wrapper combination
Göweil is no stranger to bales — and the technology involved in creating them. After all, it has been building wrappers for over 25 years and even produces maize silage balers. Last year it added a new fixed-chamber round baler to its family, and we caught up with the combi version in the field
Livestock equipment
From straw yards to cubicle beds — and robots
Big changes, big results
Battling cell counts has seen one Devon-based farming family dig out its straw yards and install an above-tank cubicle system. At the same time the old parlour has been replaced with robots
Used machinery
Strautmann diet feeders
No need to get mixed up
Strautmann introduced its Verti-Mix single- and twin-tub vertical auger diet mixers in 1994. Offered originally in the UK by the Amazone/Krone company, the product subsequently grew in popularity when handled by Strautmann UK. Then, in 2011, Cambridgeshire-based RECO took on the Verti-Mix range, and over the past four years there has certainly been no sign of any reduction in its on-farm
Workshop
From the workshop
Simple solutions to everyday problems
This month’s Simple Solutions from Mike Donovan run to an excavator attachment for a skid-steer loader, a purpose-made ladder for checking potato boxes and a calf-moving crate that can also be used for debudding
Tyre removal and refitting — part I
Rubber not to die for?
Welcome to the first instalment in a short series on how to fit agricultural tyres safely. Our thanks go to Bridgestone UK, to Lincs-based ag tyre distributors B A Bush and particularly to Mervyn Gorman, the tyre fitter with the cleanest truck in East Anglia
Machine management
Contractor grows silage for sale
Forage frenzy
R & L Anthony has built a successful business growing and supplying high quality forage to customers. Producing around 20,000t annually, the firm believes the keys to success involve an eye for detail, running its own kit and being in full control of production from seedbed to harvest
Around the world
Built locally for less / Field day winners / New machinery sales lag in the US / Clever transportation for small excavators
Report
Trailer and spreader on tracks
Nifty shifter
The need to reduce in-field compaction, lower transport costs and keep mud off the road has resulted in the largest arable farm in the Netherlands adopting a novel carrier system. It travels on tracks in the field and wheels on the road
Technical
How it works
Xenon and the noble light
First it was ordinary tungsten filament bulbs, then tungsten-halogens, then xenon HIDs, and now LEDs. As lighting shifts up in power and cost, the technology becomes more complex
Electronics
Weidemann eHoftrac 1160 loader
Bright spark takes the load
First seen at Agritechnica 2013, Weidemann’s eHoftrac 1160 has been in steady development and reaches production this year. We take a spin in a late-stage prototype
Under the hammer
Clarke & Simpson collective sale
Strong collective prices
Auctioneer Clarke & Simpson has reported a superb October collective sale, with only 10% of items not selling across the total 750 lots. Not a bad result, especially when you hear how some are saying that the used machinery trade is dead in the water
Non-stop baler wrapper combination
Banging ‘em out
While the number of non-stop combi baler wrappers on the market continues to increase, Dutch contractor De Vlijt was one of the concept’s pioneers and still reckons to have the best solution with its continuous baler wrapper. The monster makes for an impressive sight
Contractor price guide 2015
UK contractor charges
This is the National Association of Agricultural Contractors’ (www.naac.co.uk) charge guide, based on info supplied by its members this spring. The figures are only a guide and assume a red diesel price of 60p/litre. Prices will vary according to UK region, size of job, type of equipment used etc
