A few decades ago the former Canadian distributor of Belarus tractors included high-horsepower, four-wheel drive tractors in its product line, and they wore the Belarus brand name. But these machines weren’t built in the same factory in Minsk, Belarus that produced the front-wheel assist models that distributor sold here at the time, because the Minsk […] Read more
The Russians are coming!
MTZ Equipment Ltd. reintroduces the Kirovets four-wheel drive tractor
Being precise
I suspect the idea of a plowing match started with a group of farmers sitting around claiming each could steer a team of horses pulling a plow in a straighter line than the other. Although, I may be wrong. When plows vanished from the prairie landscape here, so it seems did plowing matches. And any […] Read more
New John Deere guidance receiver
John Deere has again updated its satellite guidance product line with the introduction of the StarFire 6000 receiver and new SF3 signal correction. In a June press announcement, the company claims these new product offerings will give customers “greater precision capabilities, accuracy and uptime.” “The StarFire 6000 Receiver offers a full range of differential correction […] Read more
Going driverless
Last winter I met with a group of university engineering students and their professor in a small garage behind a house in Regina. They were one of 15 such teams working on creating an autonomous tractor and planter to enter in the AgBOT Challenge in Indiana last May. As it happened, they ended up winning […] Read more
New grain bag loader from Loftness
The new XLB10 is a new "fully-featured" machine, designed to make the job easier
Last May, Loftness Specialized Equipment introduced its new XLB10 “premium” grain bagger, which, the company claims, makes it easier on operators when it’s time to install bags. A remote-controlled jib crane and trolley system use electric motors to lift bags off the ground and slide them into place on the tunnel. A retractable bag loading apron […] Read more
PHOTOS: John Deere debuts new air drill and air cart
A third, wider model joins the 1870 lineup, and a new cart puts more product behind it
This year John Deere unveiled a wider air drill and all-new air cart at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina. The new addition to John Deere’s 1870 line of air drill toolbars stretches the maximum available working width to 76 feet, joining the existing 40- and 56-foot versions. The 76 footer is a five-section design […] Read more
Low price or good quality?
People have always shopped for bargains, but I suppose you could credit today’s low-price, big-box store concept that is a magnet for bargain hunters to Sam Walton. His creation, Walmart, spearheaded the trend. As a result, I wonder if he’s changed the way all of us consumers now think. We seem to always concentrate on […] Read more
Getting a back-stage pass
One of the great things about my job as machinery editor is I sometimes get a chance to go behind the usually-closed doors of research and development shops at the manufacturers. Those workshops are where all the great new features that appear on farm equipment every year are born and evolve from concept to market-ready […] Read more
Thanks for stopping by
The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur for those of us involved with the Grainews UTV Challenge. Not only did we organize the event and test nine different machines from seven manufacturers, we put them on display at the Ag in Motion farm show near Saskatoon after the judging was completed. […] Read more
How to track down an electrical fault
We trace the source of a tractors' parasitic power drain with a multimeter
Automotive electrical systems in newer machines that make extensive use of computer processors can be very complex and confusing. But there are a lot of machines on the farm with electrical systems that won’t have anywhere near that level of complexity, especially those with diesel engines and no computer controls. Finding and fixing electrical faults […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
