Stephen Burkholder, who farms near Regina, Sask., took a hard look at the inside of his tractor cab and decided it was just too cluttered. The electronic monitors, switches and cables required to give his seed drill most of the features he wanted made the cab’s interior, well, just plain ugly. And the various systems […] Read more
It’s Time To Get On The ISOBUS
Trimble And Raven Offer Product Line Updates
Farmers looking to upgrade their in-cab GPS displays this spring have a few new options to consider, as Trimble and Raven have introduced updated lines for the 2011 season. Here’s a look at their new systems, what farmrs can expect from them and how they compare. TRIMBLE REPLACES THE EZ-GUIDE 500 Starting with Trimble, the […] Read more
Improving Ranch Management
he first step is the big one,” says Ralph Corcoran. He’s referring to his decision to make the investment and attend an Holistic management (HM) course, but he thinks it was time — and money — very well spent. “We took the six-day course and it totally changed our lives.” He and his wife Linda […] Read more
Book work
A few days ago a reader wrote and asked me if I could help him find information on how to properly install an auxiliary hydraulic pump on his tractor. He wanted to run it off the front of the engine’s crankshaft. Adding more hydraulic capacity to an older tractor is something most of us have […] Read more
When did the farm team turn pro?
Last week I was invited to Seed Hawk’s manufacturing plant to be an observer at their customer training day. The company held the event to give buyers some hands-on training on how to operate their new seed drills before the season gets going. As seeding equipment becomes more sophisticated, seminars like this become increasingly valuable […] Read more
How To Use Oxyacetylene Systems, Part 6
In the last five issues, we’ve looked at the whole process of preparing to use an oxyacetylene system to cut steel. This time we get to work doing it. As usual, we’re drawing on technical expertise from a variety of sources. They include Cal Shaw, a welding instructor who teaches at SIAST’s Palliser Campus, published […] Read more
Electric Steering Options Get Amped Up
Back in 2009, John Deere debuted its Active Command Steering (ACS) system at the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany. That new steering system, which uses electrical circuitry rather than a direct mechanical linkage, won the company a gold medal for innovation at the show. This year it will finally see production for the first time […] Read more
A Case So Nice, He Bought It Twice
Bob Hauswirth of Carseland, Alta., saw our invitation to submit his favourite machine for a mention inGrainewswhen he was online at www.grainews.ca. He has a tractor on his farm that has more than earned his respect over the years. “Without a doubt my favourite machine is a 930 Case tractor,” he writes. “I have had […] Read more
We’re Customer Driven
If you’ve been paying attention to what farm equipment manufacturers are currently saying about their machines in the media, you’ve noticed a few new catchphrases repeatedly popping up. “Best-in-class fuel economy” is one of the big ones this season. Using it helps marketers explain their new models have greatly reduced operating costs. Over the last […] Read more
The American GPS controversy
Have you heard about the dust up south the border concerning GPS? The U.S. FCC has given conditional approval for a company called LightSquared to begin establishing a 4G wireless broadband network in that country. Reportedly, the company plans to use a satellite combined with a network of 40,000 ground transmitters to provide service. The […] Read more