In the late 1970s, Caterpillar had been selling a limited number of SA (Special Application) crawlers to farmers. But the high-horsepower, articulated, four-wheel drive ag tractors that were pouring onto the market were eating into demand for those machines. For that and other reasons Caterpillar executives eventually decided to develop and market their own four-wheel […] Read more
How engineers invented the rubber-belted ag tractor
Part two: We finish the story by revealing how two research engineers at Caterpillar teamed up to merge ag crawlers with rubber belts
Non-stop round baling
Working in conjunction with partner Lely, Vermeer has built a baler that won’t require stops to eject a full bale
How much time would it save in a day if you didn’t have to stop to eject a full bale when round baling? Engineers at Vermeer think it would save a lot, so they’ve been working on developing a model that will start forming a new bale while simultaneously ejecting a completed one. Working in […] Read more
The digital race is on
Once upon a time, not long ago farm equipment dealerships were all about iron. Walk in the front door and all you’d see were oil filters, batteries and new machine posters. Out back, in the service department, it was all oil and grease. But that was then. As I spoke with John Schmeiser last week, […] Read more
New Holland updates the Speedrower for 2015
Uprated Tier 4B engines offer improved fuel economy and more horsepower
In July of 2013 New Holland introduced the Speedrower line of self-propelled windrowers, which offered one of the fastest road travel speeds in the industry, even without reversing the direction of travel for high-speed stability. For the 2015 model year, Speedrowers get a few updates, most notably new Tier 4B engines offering more power. There […] Read more
Combining and baling in one pass
Joining forces with Hillco Technologies, Deere introduces a single pass round bale system designed to mate to a green combine
At the launch of its 2015 product line in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in August, John Deere announced it had partnered with a few other, smaller manufacturers to offer farmers some unique specialty equipment. One of the most notable of those joint efforts was the Single Pass Round Bale System (SPRB), created in conjunction with Hillco Technologies […] Read more
Tuck it in right
Now that most field operations have finished for the season and the first snow storm has hit the prairie, it’s time for farmers to think about end-of-season maintenance procedures before tucking those big machines into a storage shed for the winter. AGCO has some tips on just what should be done to ensure machines are […] Read more
Prototype John Deere 9RX four track hits the limelight
Management still mum on tractor's release date to dealers
Up until now, John Deere’s prototype, four-track, articulated tractor designated the 9RX (at least for the time being) has had a lot in common with the infamous bigfoot. A lot of people believe it exists. A few even swear they’ve seen one. And the Internet is full of grainy pictures showing what might be it […] Read more
Introducing the T8 “halftrack” tractor
NH now offers rear tracks on its modified T8s as an option straight from the factory
One of the biggest trends in ag equipment in recent years has been the rise in interest in tracked equipment. All the major brands have introduced high-horsepower tractors equipped with tracks over the past years, but now New Holland has pulled the wraps off an all new T8 “halftrack.” Combining rear tracks with larger diameter […] Read more
A bushel of Guinness
I can’t even remember all the world record-setting attempts I’ve read about in the last few years involving farm machinery in Europe. There was the one for the most tractors more than 20 years old working in one field, another was for the most vintage self-propelled forage harvesters working together, then there was the most […] Read more
How engineers developed the rubber-belted tractor
Part One: In the late 1970s Caterpillar was looking for a way to break into the ag tractor market. It had two options
This year even a casual stroll through a farm machinery show will reveal the obvious trend toward increased use of rubber-belted track systems. And manufacturers have recently introduced even more options for those who want the benefits that technology offers. In less than three decades belts have gone from the fringe to the mainstream, so […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
