The TM420 will get heavier axles than the smaller 320 version the brand already offers.

New loader from JCB

Designed for farmers, new articulated loader gets more lift capacity

JCB has always had a prominent display at Germany’s Agritechnica machinery show. Last November it used that event to debut a new machine it thinks will be of interest to farmers on both sides of the Atlantic: the TM420 articulated, telescopic loader. “Currently we sell a smaller machine in North America, the TM320,” said Joe Eddleston, […] Read more

Kirk Frankish is co-founder and CEO of Equiplinx.

Equiplinx offers another option for equipment buyers and sellers

Sales network can draw on inventory and buyers from a wide area

At his company’s display during the Ag in Motion farm show at Langham, Saskatchewan, in July, Kirk Frankish, co-founder and CEO of Equiplinx, told Grainews his previous experience running a New Holland dealership in Alberta led to him creating a new option for farmers who want to buy and sell equipment. Although the problem has […] Read more


ASV introduces a small model designed for work in tight spaces, the RT-30 (see at bottom) and a high-horsepower model for heavier jobs, the RT-120 (above).

ASV adds models at the high and low end

The Minnesota brand unveils 
a model for tight spaces and 
another offering big horsepower

Following closely on the heels of the debut of its VT-70 track loader, Minnesota-based ASV has introduced two more new models to its line of track loaders, the compact RT-30, which is meant to be a little brother to the larger VT-70, and the biggest machine it’s built yet, the RT-120. The RT-30 is meant […] Read more

A gray fox — good at climbing trees.

Foxes and wolves are always on the hunt

A tree-climbing gray fox is a new name on the predator list

Predator loss is a reality all classes of livestock are susceptible to. Many with cattle do not have as big of a worry as those with sheep, goats, and poultry, but this pasture season was bad all over. Conversations with livestock producers across Canada showed us there is also a new threat around. Red foxes […] Read more


Different types of soil have different properties. University of Alberta research is focusing on measuring soil quality.

Controlling traffic to improve your soil

A new test offers another way to test soil quality improvements

It can be called “fractal hierarchical aggregation” or just “fractal aggregation.” Whatever the moniker, the new method of soil health testing promises to offer an important way to assess soil quality and land stewardship, says Guillermo Hernandez, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. Hernandez is the lead researcher on a suite of projects […] Read more



(Scott Bauer photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Hogs seen as key factor in input cost hikes

CNS Canada — Canada’s Farm Input Price Index has climbed slightly for the first quarter of this year. Canada-wide, the index rose 1.3 per cent for the first quarter of this year compared to the final quarter of 2016. When comparing this year’s first quarter to last year’s first quarter, however, input prices in the […] Read more

Photo: Scott Garvey

Diagnosing and repairing a problem leak

I’m always reminded of that famous Forrest Gump saying when working on an older machine or vehicle. Opening up a component like a transmission or transfer case, or looking behind the dashboard, is like opening a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll find. The latest repair job to come into the Grainews Garage […] Read more


Back to basics: Tractor operation 101

Back to basics: Tractor operation 101

Tractors are essential to farm operations. From field work to feeding livestock to cleaning snow, tractors are the most used machine on the farm. As simple and as commonplace as these machines are, the fact remains that the majority of agriculture machinery-related fatalities involve tractors. Reminders on basic safety while operating tractors can help everyone […] Read more

The new mid-frame VT-70 compact track loader from ASV LLC uses a vertical lift loader linkage for applications requiring continuously level loads. 


New compact track loader from ASV

Minnesota-based brand strengthens its offering after return to the marketplace

Minnesota-based ASV has introduced its first mid-frame, vertical lift compact track loader, the Posi-Track VT-70. It features a vertical lift loader linkage capable of extended reach while maintaining level bucket loads, which is useful for loading pallets. ASV says it has incorporated the company’s patented Posi-Track rubber track suspension into the VT-70’s design. That’s a […] Read more