In 2007, John Deere introduced two special 7030E Premium Series tractors at the Agritechnica machinery show in Hanover Germany. These tractors could produce high-voltage electricity to drive implement systems instead of relying on PTO or hydraulics. They were the first commercially available farm tractors from a major manufacturer to offer that feature. Their onboard generators […] Read more
Electric drive is on the horizon
Project F-250, part four
All the paint in the world won’t make a vehicle look any better if it’s applied over metal that is flaking away due to corrosion. Project F-250 has rust holes around three of the wheel wells, so tackling that problem is next on the list. There are several companies that sell replacement fenders for trucks […] Read more
How to extend battery life
Boosting a dead battery in a truck or tractor and allowing the alternator to restore its charge could shorten its life. In fact, some battery information sources suggest doing that just 10 times will kill a standard vehicle-starting battery. (Deep-cycle batteries, however, are a little different.) Taking steps to keep your battery’s voltage up and […] Read more
The Super 7 hybrid harrow
When Elmer’s Manufacturing of Altona, Man., showed its relatively new Super 7 harrow bar to farmers at last summer’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show, it got noticed. Show organizers awarded the company a Sterling Standard Innovations Award for its engineering efforts. According to Eric Braun, the company’s sales and marketing rep., the Super 7 fits […] Read more
Backhoe attachment adds versatility
If you live on a farm, you’ve likely found it difficult to get the services of tradesmen or custom operators when you need them. That, combined with the associated costs, may have caused you to abandon some smaller on-farm projects. But having the right attachment for a tractor you already own may make it possible […] Read more
These boots are made for Case IH fans
You’ve likely seen Caterpillar-branded boots and shoes, which have been available in stores nearly everywhere for years now. Case IH has decided to get in on that kind of merchandising action by introducing its own line of branded work boots. “We teamed up with Eastman Footwear to create a boot made for farmers who are […] Read more
Project F-250, part five
Earlier in this project we applied a paint-on bed liner coating to the truck box, but there’s more than one way to use that product. The thick textured coating it leaves makes an excellent protection against road damage from stone chips. So this time we apply a coat of it to the lower portion of […] Read more
Caterpillar is not a farm equipment manufacturer
Every month a variety of publications end up in my mailbox, and I usually make a point of looking through all of them. The amount of information contained in farm magazines and newspapers is incredible. When you read through one of them—especially ours (I’m bragging here)—you get to learn in a few minutes what it […] Read more
The Super 7 hybrid harrow
WhenElmer’s Manufacturing of Altona, Man., showed its relatively new Super 7 harrow bar to farmers at last summer’s Western Canada Farm Progress Show, it got noticed. Show organizers awarded the company a Sterling Standard Innovations Award for its engineering efforts. According to Eric Braun, the company’s sales and marketing rep., the Super 7 fits somewhere […] Read more
Save money with an economy PTO feature
For years now, farmers have been hearing the throttle-down-gear-up phrase. It’s how you can save a few dollars on daily tractor fuel consumption rates, simply by changing the way you operate the machine. With PTO jobs, however, you couldn’t do that. Powered implements need to run at their rated speed in order to work properly, and that means running the tractor’s […] Read more