If you are a consumer of ag-related social media, you’ve likely seen online video of one of the most memorable events involving classic North American farm machinery. The one-off Big Bud 747, which had been stored at the small-town Heartland Museum in Clarion, Iowa, was brought out into the sunlight for a very special event[...]
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[...]
Fendt’s traditional home and main tractor manufacturing facility is nestled in picturesque Bavaria, in southern Germany, and it’s just a 35-minute cab ride at 210 kilometres per hour on the Autobahn from Munich’s airport. (Trust me on that.) The Marktoberdorf facility is extremely modern and builds the brand’s several wheeled tractor model lines. But here[...]
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[...]
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[...]
It’s been suggested by industry insiders that 2019 could be called the year of the tractor, because there were so many new introductions of them. That means even more choices for producers looking to re-power their farm fleet. Kubota, which has been gradually working its way into the mainstream agriculture sector with a steady stream[...]
We’ve come across two books that International Harvester enthusiasts might want to make time to read during this cold winter season. Founding family history This summer we read through The International Harvester Company: A History of the Founding Families and Their Machines, written by Chaim M. Rosenberg and published by McFarland. This isn’t the typical machinery[...]
Across Western Canada, most John Deere dealers will likely tell you that on their lots, 8R tractors far outsell the 7Rs. Given that these two model ranges have overlapping horsepower ranges, what is it that each series offers that might be a better fit to each potential buyer? That was a question that marketing staff[...]
In mid-September, John Deere pulled the wraps off the latest updates to one of its mid-horsepower tractor ranges: the 6M family. That mid-spec line will see a much wider range of new options available for the 2020 model year across all models, but a new 140-horsepower 6140M model will also join the group to fill[...]
[UPDATED Nov. 4, 2019] Today John Deere officially unveiled its new line of 8RX tractors, which are — wait for it — rigid-frame four-tracked models. Anyone who has walked the aisles at Agritechnica, the world’s largest farm machinery show in Germany, will have noticed four-tracked rigid-frame tractors on display. But those are the result of[...]
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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.