The implement from New Leader Manufacturing is the second designed in less than a year for the autonomous platform
New Leader Manufacturing is building a dry fertilizer spreader box for DOT, making it the second farm equipment manufacturer to join the DOT-ready implements team in less than a year. DOT is a Saskatchewan-built robotic platform designed to bring autonomous farming to broad acre grain production. Last summer a newly formed company called Connect, which […] Read moreMachinery — page 2
iScan-plus logs four soil factors at once
Tillage and seeding implement manufacturers are giving farmers more working tool adjustment features. But how do you know what to adjust and which way to adjust it? Simply guessing is counter to the intent of these adjustments, said Veris Technologies manager Tyler Lund in a phone interview. He says Veris has just introduced a new […] Read more
Buying electric implements for the right reason
Every month, another e-tractor announcement comes across our desks here at The Western Producer. Environmental factors drive this trend, along with energy efficiency, lower maintenance, noise level and motor longevity. But even when purchase prices come down, will it ever be practical to run a big battery powered 4×4 to replace your Versatile? Steve Heckeroth […] Read more
Solar power pulls Canadian cultivator
The first Solectrac eUtility sold in Canada was delivered to Ontario vegetable farmer Tony Neale last August, giving him plenty of time to try the electric tractor before winter set in. Until August, Neale had been running his WheelBarrow Farms operation with a 30 horsepower Kubota. There was nothing really wrong with the orange tractor, […] Read more
Electric tractors hit Canadian fields with a whir
Two California-built all-electric tractors are coming to the Canadian market this year. While the biggest is only 40 horsepower, these are serious tractors that may foretell the future of farm equipment. The tractors are built by Solectrac, owned by inventor Steve Heckeroth, who has been doing electric conversions on cars, trucks, race cars and tractors […] Read more
517 h.p. Fendt steps into big tractor ring
With 517 drill-pulling horsepower, the Fendt 1050 Vario has put an end to the days when farmers viewed Fendts as yard tractors. Fendt is now competing with North America’s big tractor manufacturers. Featured last week at the World Ag Expo in Tulare California, the 517 h.p. model 1050 Vario emphasizes technologies designed to make the […] Read more
Loftness goes bigger, more precise with spreading
Loftness has joined the growing list of manufacturers that are supplying higher-caliber fertilizer spreaders. The Hector, Minnesota, company has developed a pair of 12-ton lime and fertilizer applicators. The short-line farm equipment manufacturer has a new fertilizer spreader, the FB1210 and for farmers who apply lime, the L1230, a12-ton spreader for both lime and fertilizer. […] Read more
High hopes for high-horse, high-end fixed frame tractors
Kris Mayerle runs eight high-horsepower tractors on his 21,000-acre farm, with an array of bright North American paint schemes. Then, for 2018 he added a new olive green Fendt 1046. The size of his farm and variety of crops, demands a lot of tractor power. But when you compare the dollar-to-power ratio, his off-green 460 […] Read more
Potential productivity calculation depends on sprayer fill time
A bigger implement isn’t necessarily a more cost-effective implement. With sprayers for example, the longer fill time of a bigger sprayer may cut into potential return on investment. Smaller is sometimes smarter. Size is a major consideration in any new sprayer decision. While a larger sprayer is more productive, a grower should try to achieve […] Read more
Balance tires and wheels with balls not beads
Out of balance tires take a toll on the machine, the operator, the fuel bill and the tires themselves. However, keeping tires in balance can also be a time-consuming nuisance. Many truckers and farmers thought balancing beads inside the tire might provide the answer, and they might have for some people. However, concern has been […] Read more
