Declining sales and accumulated debt forced the sale of the combine division and closure of the plant
In this final instalment of our four-part series on the Massey Ferguson combine plant in Brantford, Ont., the story wraps up with a look at the plant’s final days and what was left unfinished as the company abandoned combine manufacturing in the 1980s. As the 1980s began, the evolution toward fewer, larger farms had taken […] Read more
Engineers keep a close eye on the competition
Massey Ferguson engineers had a reputation for being unconventional while producing combine concepts
In part three of this four part series, we take a look at what it was like to be a combine field test engineer for Massey Ferguson back in the 1970s. Here is a compilation of recollections from various engineers who worked at MF’s Brantford plant during that time. Whenever a brand develops a new […] Read more
Slope adjustment can reduce grain losses
John Deere recently announced new innovations to its combine lineup at the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany. John Deere showed three new technologies available now or will be available soon. Harvesting grain, especially small grains, on slopes challenges getting the grain cleaned as it floats toward the down-slope direction. John Deere has its Hillmaster line […] Read more
New Holland combine boosts productivity, maintains size, weight
New design moves drivelines away from the side of the combine and increases the width of the rotors and feeder channel
HANNOVER, Germany — New Holland’s new CR11 combine moves more bushels than any previous New Holland combine but takes up the same space on the road, thanks to some award-winning engineering. The CR11 increases productivity for the New Holland line, coming in at 775 horsepower and featuring two 24-inch rotors, a grain tank capacity of […] Read more
A look back at a Massey Ferguson milestone
The company built a state-of-the-art plant in Ontario in the early 1960s to design and build a new line of combines
“Get up to date or go out of business.” That quote appeared in one of the many official news releases Massey Ferguson’s public relations people were handing out on June 9, 1964. It was the day of the grand opening of the company’s combine plant in Brantford, Ont., and the comment, more than any other, […] Read more
Equipment immediate expensing to end for corporations
Do you need a large tax deduction before year-end? You may be able to immediate expense (100 percent write-off in the year of purchase) up to $1.5 million of equipment purchases. For corporations, immediate expensing ends Dec. 31, 2023, and the equipment must be available for use by Dec. 31. The Canada Revenue Agency defines […] Read more
New Holland concept combine takes Agritechnica gold medal
A New Holland concept combine tested in Canada has won the top Agritechnica award ahead of this year’s event in November. Taking the sole Gold Medal in the Innovation Awards, the combine is expected to be revealed at the Nov. 12-18 event, dubbed as the world’s biggest machinery show. Geert Nerinckx, New Holland combine global […] Read more
Wheat Country film highlights the prairie gamble
A film made six decades ago that featured farmers as the actors in a fictional but true-to-life story is being streamed online for the 100th anniversary of The Western Producer. Wheat Country focused on Lloyd and Thelma Smith and their sons Allan, Murray and Barrie as they hurried to get their crop harvested before a […] Read more
Colombo brings its first SP bean combine to Canada
Manitoba growers evaluate Brazilian specialty combine designed for gentle crop handling and low dockage
Growers want their crops harvested in the best possible condition, and for edible beans especially, that means careful threshing to avoid shattering or cracking, both of which can significantly reduce value. “Quality is huge,” says Frank Unger, a salesperson at genAG equipment in Winkler, Man., which sells and services Colombo brand bean harvesters from Brazil. […] Read more
Phantom loss secretly siphons cash
Early combining reduces risk from weather, insects and phantom loss, which could be the only silver lining in this year’s harvest cloud. Phantom loss describes the invisible grain loss from the combine’s threshing systems, according to a recent news release from GSI. Farmers minimize the risk of phantom loss by cutting their crops early. In […] Read more
