Joel McDonald, an engineer working for PAMI (Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute), has spent years evaluating combine performance. “This is a quote I like to use about managing your harvest, and your combine,” he told a crowd in Brandon, Man. “‘A combine is a highly complex factory with a continually changing feed stock.’ That’s no big […] Read more
Adjusting your combine to reduce harvest loss
PAMI engineer offer tips on now to make sure your grain goes into the hopper, not out the back
Nemesis tractor series designed with loader potential in mind
New tractor lines are unlikely to include a new bi-directional unit popular with some farmers
Early this spring, Winnipeg-based Versatile announced the introduction of the Nemesis tractor series that adds power to the low end of the company’s current tractor line-up. The new models land squarely in the mid-horsepower range. Why it matters: A reliable utility tractor is an indispensable tool for many farmers. “In that 170- to 250-horsepower range, […] Read more
John Deere 5R tractors get upgrades for 2019
More high end options are being installed on smaller-sized models
Since John Deere introduced the 5 Series family of tractors several years ago, the number of available models has grown substantially, along with their options range and available level of sophistication. That’s no surprise. This horsepower class is the biggest seller in North America for most brands, and Deere has populated its line with tractors […] Read more
Autonomous platform moves from R&D to commercial sales
DOT and its team spent the winter further developing the platform in Arizona
Continuous field testing of prototype machinery can be a challenge for Canadian ag equipment manufacturers, because our long winters limit access to fields. A good option is to head to southern portions of the U.S. where milder climates make year-round testing possible. Only that way can engineers rack up the maximum number of hours on […] Read more
AGCO introduces the RB Series round baler
Lely-influenced round balers join the Massey Ferguson family in North America
European expatriates will certainly be familiar with the Lely brand of equipment. The brand has had a presence here in North America for several years as well, and long-time Canadian dairy operators will be well aware of their barn systems. But the brand has had a strong presence in the hay and forage sector overseas […] Read more
Case IH Maxxum tractor with ActiveDrive taken through paces
Clutchless transmission offers auto shift features
When Case IH held a recent media event in Arizona, members of the media got a chance to get behind the wheel of tractors from three of the brand’s lines. One was the Maxxum. It was our second chance to drive a Maxxum with the ActiveDrive semi-powershift transmission. We first drove one in Iowa ahead […] Read more
Farmers should focus on reducing soil compaction
Digging holes can show how deep the problem of compaction lies below the surface
To till or not to till, that is the question. The question is simple but the answer isn’t. Ask different people for their opinions and you’ll get a variety of answers. The real answer might be “maybe. But if you do, do it properly.” Tillage specialists from Case IH said during an Arizona field tour […] Read more
Kubota-Versatile deal not a surprise
The Winnipeg company will begin to build a mid-range horsepower tractor for Kubota ‘immediately’
When the news release from Versatile (Buhler Industries) first popped up in my email inbox with the name Kubota in the heading, I thought, “Here it comes.” There’s a good reason I was bracing for a really big announcement between those two brands. The rumours around a deal between them have swirled through the agricultural […] Read more
Kubota M7 tractor update brings more flexibility in options
The M7-2 models debut new features in North America, including more hydraulic system flexibility
It’s been a poorly kept secret during the past year that Kubota was about to introduce an updated version of its most powerful tractor Series, the M7s, in North America. In fact, the brand showed a newer M7-2 at the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany in 2017. Now the updated tractor line has finally arrived […] Read more
Hustler MDV debuts in Canada with unique hydraulic lift bed
The bed can lift 750 pounds (340 kilograms) allowing heavy cargo to be rolled onto it at ground level
UTVs are common workhorses on farms today and there are more than a few different brands to choose from. But there may be only one that offers a hydraulic, self-loading rear bed, the Hustler MDV. UTVs can help producers with a wide range of farm duties and have become especially important as farm sizes grow […] Read more
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