What the biggest players plan for powered equipment

The new powered farm machines parked on dealership lots in the coming decade are going to look a little different than they do now — at least under the hoods. That’s according to information released recently by two of the major manufacturers, John Deere and CNH Industrial, parent company to Case IH and New Holland.[...]

Creating the Combuggy

There have been some pretty interesting machines built in farm workshops over the years. While only the odd one goes on to be marketed commercially, most usually meet a need on the farm. For Mike Belan and his family’s farming operation about 40 minutes southeast of Sarnia, Ont., a workshop creation dubbed the Combuggy has[...]


B.C. company to offer hybrid conversions for farm trucks

There’s an old saying that everything old is new again. When it comes to automotive and machinery design today, that seems to be true in spades. Diesel-electric equipment has been in use for decades, but until recently, that system had largely fallen out of favour with many equipment manufacturers, including heavy truck builders. “It’s weird,”[...]

New tracks from Unverferth

Earlier this month Unverferth announced it had won an AE50 design award for its tracked Equalizer SP undercarriage, which is available on some grain cart models. The AE50 design awards is an annual event sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). It recognizes 50 product innovations in the areas of agricultural,[...]



How to repair a power tool

On a recent trip to my local Princess Auto to buy an angle grinder, the store just happened to have a temporary scratch and dent stand set up in the parking lot by the front door, clearing out some not-quite-good-as-new merchandise. An angle grinder sitting on a table in that display caught my eye. Just[...]


Multi-process welder provides arc, MIG and TIG functions

Are you thinking about buying a new welder for the farm shop? If so, there’s a lot out there to choose from. Do you need an arc, MIG or TIG type to handle typical repairs and on-farm workshop projects? It’s likely an average farm will need all three at one time or another. The good[...]

Deere offers new performance upgrades

Every year, the updated machinery offerings from manufacturers make much of their newest equipment just that little bit more efficient — and sometimes significantly more so. But it isn’t always economically feasible to buy a brand new machine just to get a few new features, even if they could enhance the farm’s bottom line. This[...]


Titan rolls out more tire size choices

Tire manufacturer Titan announced it has significantly expanded its newest line of R-1W tires, called the AgraEDGE. It will now produce sizes ranging from 320/85R24 for tractors all the way up to 800/70R38 for flotation applications. The company says the AgraEDGE line now covers the majority of the most in-demand sizes for MFWD tractors, as[...]

Editor's Rant: In good company

So for weeks I’d been planning to fill this space with a tirade about last month’s cynical-yet-predictable developments in Ottawa on Bill C-234, but when Linamar went public with its plan to buy Bourgault Industries I got distracted by developments closer to home, so to speak. In case you missed the news shortly before Christmas,[...]