About 14 years ago I started contributing to Grainews, by creating workshop articles. Before long I was asked to include a wider variety of machinery-related contributions to my to-do list. That included covering what was new and exciting in the farm machinery world. Since then I’ve written about dozens of new machines and attended their[...]
In past instalments of this series (see 'Related Articles' links below), we explained why the Versatile Nemesis tractor project came to be, how the design parameters were set and how the components were chosen for it. All of those things are pretty consistent when it comes to developing new tractor lines for any brand. But[...]
At Grainews, we’re no strangers to doing practical equipment evaluations. Over the years, we’ve put a host of machines through tests that measure how well they can perform the typical work they’d be put to on farms. This year, we were at it again. We took a group of side-by-side UTVs and put them through[...]
In 2013, while walking the aisles of the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany, I happened upon a unique-looking tractor tire called the PneuTrac from the company Galileo Wheel out of Israel. Its design turned conventional tire technology on its head. An inverted sidewall, the ability to run with little or no air pressure and a[...]
Over the past few decades, many truck manufacturers have retreated from the broad range of models they offered to specialize in specific segments of the market. However, recently, some brands have been expanding their offerings once again and returning to segments they had previously abandoned. Among those going down that path are International (under Navistar[...]
Despite the recent difficulties and disruptions in production caused by COVID-19 at all equipment manufacturers, CNH’s two brands, New Holland and Case IH, had several new or updated machines to debut this past year. Among those introduced wearing Case IH red are an addition to that brand’s large square baler line along with new drill[...]
After Buhler Industries took over the original Versatile assembly plant in Winnipeg from New Holland in 2000, tractors sporting the Versatile brand name once again appeared on the market. Although the company inherited the four-wheel drive and Genesis tractor line along with the Winnipeg factory, both lines were dated and needed upgrades. High and very-high[...]
Robert Snider, who farms near New Norway, Alta., found he had a problem with soil compaction in some parts of his fields and the result was poor drainage. “In the low spots, it gets so hard the moisture does’t seem to soak in,” he told Grainews. Snider came up with a low-cost solution to solve[...]
Last year, in the pages of Grainews, we informed you about the 2019 launch of Versatile’s new Nemesis tractor line, which are also built as the Kubota M8s. And you probably saw similar announcements of the tractors’ introductions in other publications, but what no one else has done is given you a behind-the-scenes look at[...]
Recently, major machinery brands have introduced artificial intelligence (AI) features into their combines’ threshing systems allowing them to automatically self-adjust, which minimizes losses and improves grain quality without operator input. At a glance: Cognitive Agro Pilot’s system not only allows a combine to steer itself but also to understand and react to its surroundings. Instead[...]
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Grainews is written for farmers and often by farmers. It is about putting theory into practice on the farm. Each issue also features Cattleman’s Corner for cow-calf producers and farmers with mixed cattle and grain operations.