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Screengrab from a Wheelman autosteer installation video. (HandsFreeFarm.com)
Crops, Machinery and Shop

Kubota to buy autosteer maker AgJunction

All-cash deal worth about $91 million

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Autosteer and ag equipment guidance system maker AgJunction is poised to sell itself to farm equipment maker Kubota Corp. in a $91 million all-cash deal. Publicly-traded AgJunction, which is registered in Calgary but based at Scottsdale, Ariz., said Thursday its board has unanimously approved Kubota’s 75-cents-per-share proposal and recommended shareholders vote in favour. AgJunction would […] Read more
Jim Willson made this three-point attached ballast for a Kubota compact tractor.
Equipment, Wheat & Chaff

How to make a ballast for your compact tractor

This three-point homemade ballast offers better results for weight distribution, traction

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Compact tractors now often come with a front-end loader. Missing is ballast to offset the weight of the loader, bucket and material, and to provide good traction in snow. A three-point attached ballast matched in size and shape provides dramatically better results. And it is easily removed when not needed. The ballast in the photo […] Read more
Kubota launched its initial two-model powershift M8 tractor line to about 80 North American dealers at an event in Grapevine, Texas, in August of 2019.
Equipment, Machinery & Shop

How to design a tractor, part 3

With Kubota involved in the project, the new tractors take shape and go public

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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 […] Read more
Kubota Canada Ltd.’s new LX series of compact tractors bridges the gap between Kubota’s small, compact B series and its large, compact L series utility tractor lines.
Equipment, Machinery & Shop

Kubota’s new LX series compact tractors designed for versatility

Operator comfort and functionality top priorities for the LX’s three models

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Kubota Canada Ltd.’s new LX series of compact tractors, unveiled in the spring, bridges the gap between Kubota’s small compact (B series) and its large compact (L series) utility tractor lines. Boasting bigger tires and higher horsepower than the B series, as well as a quick-transfer K-Connect front hitch system, the LX series is designed […] Read more
Development of the Nemesis line began in 2013. It was launched to the public in 2019.
Machinery & Shop

How to design a tractor, part 2

Versatile settles on concept, now engineers and designers need to build it

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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 […] Read more
Buhler Industries’ plant at Willmar, Minn., which today makes Versatile high-clearance sprayers, will take up more product lines as the company shuts its Fargo, N.D. facility. (Versatile-ag.com)
Crops, Machinery and Shop

Buhler to halt Farm King manufacturing at Fargo

Work to move to company's Minnesota plant

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Farm equipment maker Buhler Industries plans to gather its U.S. manufacturing work into one plant in Minnesota this summer and halt operations at nearby Fargo, N.D. The Winnipeg company, whose product lines include Versatile tractors and sprayers and Farm King application, tillage and hay equipment, said Monday it’s “optimizing” its U.S. production to boost efficiency […] Read more
At the top end of Case IH’s tractor family is the articulated line of Steigers. Wheeled versions span the 370 to 620 engine horsepower range. The five Quadtrac models start at 470 horsepower and the three Rowtrac models go from 420 to 500 horsepower. The Steigers offer both powershift and the brand’s CVXDrive CVT transmissions. The high-horsepower, MFWD Magnums, though, were where the brand had news to reveal this year. They were given a new look along with a host of digital features and named the AFS Connect Magnums, referencing the brand’s existing telematics products. The new body styling looks similar to the autonomous tractor Case IH revealed back in 2016. The reason for that, claims the brand, is because these models represent the next generation of technology packed into a tractor as the industry gradually moves toward full autonomy. It pulls together a lot of new systems to allow the Magnums to communicate and stay connected in the field. The new Pro 1200 monitor in the cab expands on the functions of the previous Pro 700. In fact, most of the tractor systems can be controlled through it, and it makes guidance inputs much simpler. The software that runs the Pro 1200 is based on the same Android technology most people are familiar with in their mobile devices. Inside the cab is a new control layout, but the new AFS Connect Magnum versions will have two or three ways to activate tractor systems. Those who are familiar with manual controls on the armrest will still find them there, although some will be in different locations. Virtually everything can be controlled through the Pro 1200 monitor. Guidance is run through a new receiver that incorporates all the necessary guidance correction hardware into it, eliminating the need for a second computer inside the cab to facilitate corrections. The new technology allows for improved mechanical diagnostics and wireless transfer of data, including GPS guidance lines. The digital features built into the AFS Connect Magnums won’t remain unique to model year 2020 tractors; the technology is partly backwards compatible. So it can be retrofitted onto existing late model Magnums as well. It’s compatible with everything back to the Tier 3 time period. When it comes to the tractor itself, the new hood and cab styling are designed to make operation easier and the operator more comfortable. Slimmer cab pillars and a new, brighter interior colour along with more creature comforts give the new cab an updated feel. There is better storage and more visibility out of it, as well as a larger door that opens up the fill width of the cab, eliminating the B pillar and making entry easier. To smooth out the ride there is a new adjustable front axle suspension, which is controlled through the monitor. Paired with it is a semi-active cab suspension. In August the brand bumped up the maximum horsepower rating for the line, adding a 400 horsepower version of the AFS Connect Magnum.
Machinery & Shop

PHOTOS: High horsepower tractor guide

A round-up of the biggest tractors available on the North American market

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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 […] Read more
(GFM photo)
General, Machinery and Shop

AgDealer offers online equipment financing, shipping tools

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Canada’s biggest used farm equipment shopper publication has added tools to link prospective buyers to options for payment plans and shipping. AgDealer on Monday announced “major enhancement(s)” at its AgDealer.com site, where each equipment listing will include buttons linking to tools from CWB National Leasing and Trusted Dispatch. The online tools allow AgDealer.com users to […] Read more
The Red River, shown here at Winnipeg, forms most of the border between North Dakota and Minnesota as it flows northward into southern Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg. (File photo by Dave Bedard)
General, Reuters, Weather

Trump administration scales back U.S. water protections

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Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration finalized a rule on Thursday to pare back the types of waterways protected from pollution under federal law, easing burdens on industries such as agriculture and mining but angering environmental groups. The Navigable Waters Protection Rule could win political points ahead of the November election for Republican President […] Read more

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