One of the most noticeable machines on display at Canada’s Farm Progress Show last June was Honey Bee’s tractor-mounted swather prototype. Now with the widespread availability of both front and rear three-point hitches on nearly every major brand of tractor, the company sees an opportunity to take advantage of that feature by reintroducing the mounted […] Read more
Honey Bee reintroduces the tractor-mounted swather concept
The company is currently assessing market demand for a new version of the tractor-mounted swather attachment it first produced in the 1980s
Classic Versatile a family project
Fond memories of a D145 Versatile used on the family farm years ago prompted Ian Wilson and his sons to find and restore a similar tractor
Standing near his fully restored D145 Versatile four-wheel drive tractor, which was parked in a line of classic machines at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina in June, Ian Wilson of Rathwell, Manitoba, explained how fond memories of a D145 his family owned a couple of decades ago prompted him to find another one to […] Read more
New implements from AGCO
At the U.S. Farm Progress show in August, AGCO introduced wider working widths for Sunflower tandem disc harrow and vertical tillage implements
AGCO added new Sunflower brand models to two of its tillage implement lines in August —the 1436SW (the SW refers to the split wing frame design) tandem disc harrow and the 6650 vertical tillage tool. AGCO gave farmers their first look at them during the U.S. Farm Progress Show in the early fall. The new […] Read more
A machinery Christmas carol
Tis the season when writers at all publications seem to feel an irresistible urge to summarize the year that was. I’m not immune to that force, but this year I have something better to tell you about. I was actually visited three times by ghosts who represent farm machinery, past, present and future. Last night […] Read more
Grainews surveys used tractor values
We take a look at auction prices for two of John Deere’s popular tractor models: 9630 and 4440
Whether you’re in the mood to sell or buy, it pays to keep an eye on used machinery values. To help our readers do that, we’re starting a new feature in Grainews: our What’s it worth? Segment. We’ll regularly pick a couple of machines and survey auction sale results to help you track market values. […] Read more
JD introduces 2730 Combination Ripper
New tillage tool from John Deere does multiple tillage functions in one pass
There seems to be no stopping the recent resurgence in popularity of tillage. Granted, in many regions of North America passion for tillage really never did fade. But today’s best-selling implements represent an evolution in design that addresses many of the problems caused by older cultivation equipment. That implement evolution has been driven, in part, […] Read more
How to deal with a loose bearing race
Here’s a mechanic’s tip on how to make a loose bearing race fit snuggly into a housing
Whenever a bearing is replaced, the rule of thumb is replace the race it rides in as well. That ensures the new bearing will last a long time because it will wear properly as it turns in the mated surface provided by a new, matching race. Bearing races are designed to have a friction fit […] Read more
Vertical seeding
A vertical tillage implement may make an ideal seeder for winter wheat when conditions are tough — and when they’re good
Fields in much of Southern Saskatchewan still saturated late into October posed a problem for anyone trying to seed winter wheat. Equipment manufacturer Salford thinks one of its implements, a vertical tillage tool, provides the ideal solution to exactly that problem. But not in the way you might expect. Jim Boak, sales manager for Salford […] Read more
Kinze’s multi-hybrid concept planter
This machine can alternate between two different seed hybrids based on information from prescription maps
Kinze has announced it is working on a prototype planter that will allow producers to load two different seed hybrids and switch back and forth between them while on the go. When making a field pass, the planter’s controller uses information from a prescription map to select and meter out the appropriate hybrid seeds where […] Read more
Kinze develops its Autonomous Tractor Project
The driverless grain cart tractor concept takes another step closer to commercialization
In 2011 Kinze, a company best known for building planters and grain carts, surprised many industry observers by announcing it had taken a plunge into the high-tech world of robotics with its Autonomous Tractor Project. It partnered with Jaybridge Robotics of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to develop an automated system to control tractors that pull grain carts […] Read more