Equipment

Deere & Company and DN2K have agreed to form SageInsights – a joint venture to initially serve the agriculture industry with further development of DN2K’s existing cloud software platform, MyAgCentral, for agricultural retailers and others who provide consulting services to growers.

“Through this nitiative, John Deere expands its products and services for precision agriculture,” said John May, President, Agricultural Solutions and Chief Information Officer at Deere. “DN2K is uniquely positioned to help advisers and consultants use information from multiple sources to better serve growers.”

DN2K, Greenwood Village, Colorado, developed the MyAgCentral platform to help agriculture advisers collect, organize, and analyze machine-to-machine information and use it along with insights from other resources to help improve decision-making. Deere & Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural equipment and a leader in precision agriculture.

“The agriculture industry has significant opportunities to increase productivity by understanding and leveraging the operational intelligence that is already available,” said Susan Lambert, President and CEO of DN2K.… Continue reading

Two Drills in One

CrustBuster / Speed King, Inc. offers two drills in one with the new 4700 Series Central Fill – All Plant Drill which is both a central fill and a box drill.  Growers can drill large acreages such as wheat or soybeans without stopping to refill seed boxes for a long period of time, saving labor and helping to finish sooner.  They also have the ability to turn off the central fill hopper and drill with only the seed boxes for small acreages with lower seed rates such as alfalfa and milo. Operators can choose which setup works best for their crop and acreage.  The 4700 Series All Plant Drill is equipped with a 200 bu central fill hopper that continuously supplies seed directly into the seed boxes.  The monitored, equally measured supply and constant flow of seed into the drill’s boxes gives the operator confidence and full control.… Continue reading

Yetter Manufacturing is releasing new product features for the Short Titan series. The product models with the new features include the 2967-029A/2967-097A Short Titan™ with operating widths of 22–40ʺ and the 2967-013A / 2967-014A Short Narrow Titan with operating widths of 15ʺ–22ʺ.

The Short Titan series’ new design has features that allow for more convenient and faster installation of the Precision Planting CleanSweep. The 2967-029A / 2967-013A now have welded ear tabs on the faceplate, whereas the previous model required the pivot tab for the cylinder to be bolted on. The redesigned handle also provides a contact point when the residue managers reach maximum travel and a mounting point for the cylinder.

The 2967-097A/2967-014A include these improved features as well, but they have also been designed to become more universal by utilizing the 2966-097 mounting kit. The 2967-097A / 2967-014A are the combination of the 2967-029A /2967-013A with the 2966-097 kit, which is the mounting plate with hardware.… Continue reading

Company expands product line to meet customers’ evolving needs

Firestone Farm Tires, a division of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC (BATO), today announced the addition of Firestone-branded agricultural rubber tracks to the Firestone Farm Tires product portfolio. The introduction of tracks solidifies the company’s commitment to the North American farmer, and the expanded portfolio of products reinforces its position as a leader in the agricultural tire solutions market.

“We listened closely to our customers and expanded on product portfolio based on their feedback,” said Tony Orlando, President, Firestone Farm Tires. “With Firestone, compaction management options are no longer limited to tires. We continue to offer farmers trusted, quality products proven to withstand the demands of today’s farming environment.”

New Firestone tracks for high-horsepower tracked tractors deliver performance and durability.  Notable features of Firestone agricultural rubber tracks include:

• Vulcanized lugs: Guide lugs and the carcass of the tracks are vulcanized as one piece with a seamless molded radius which ensures the guide lugs remain steadfast to the rubber track.

The recently introduced Job Ready program from Vermeer provides a new solution for the pre-owned equipment market. Job Ready equipment receives a detailed inspection from a Vermeer technician, and comes with comprehensive parts and labor coverage for major components.

“We’re pleased to offer a program that provides farmers and ranchers confidence that the pre-owned machine will be productive long after the initial purchase,” explains Bob Martin, Vermeer Solutions Manager.“This type of coverage is standard with a new model purchase, but is not easily found in the pre-owned market.”

Job Ready service contracts cover parts and labor for major components for12-months or 10,000 bales from the date of purchase – whichever occurs first. Currently, the Job Ready program is available on select baler models that fall within a 7-year model range and have baled less than 20,000 bales.

“This isn’t about a full bumper-to-bumper warranty,” says Martin. “It’s about making sure that the failure of a significant item during the contract period won’t add financial stress to the equipment owner and it’s about providing reassurance that they can bring their machine to any Vermeer dealer for a covered repair.”… Continue reading

Larger mower-conditioners offer wider cutting widths and faster transport speeds

After the successful introduction of the company’s first Triple-Mounted Mower-Conditioner in 2012, John Deere announces the addition of five new models that increase productivity of mowing and conditioning operations.

“Our newest updates to these combination front- and rear-mounted machines offer wider front cutting widths at 3.1 or 3.5 meters and three combined cutting widths up to 9.9 meters,” says Glenn Padgett, senior marketing representative with John Deere Ottumwa Works. “These wider machines mean that dairy and beef cattle customers and large commercial hay producers can cut more acres per hour, increasing their productivity, especially during weather-sensitive field conditions.”

With the addition of these models, the John Deere front and rear Mo-Co lineup now includes five models with different configurations, depending on customer needs:

• Two front machines, F310R and F350R, have respective cutting widths of 3.1 and 3.5 meters.
• Either of the two fronts combined with two different configurations of rear machines (two 3.1 meters or two 3.5 meters) delivers three different configurations, R870R, R950R and R990R, with respective cutting widths of 8.7, 9.5 and 9.9 meters.

Three new 8000 Series SPFHs utilize latest technology to reduce crop losses and boost performance  

John Deere announces the addition of three new models to its lineup of 8000 Series Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters. These machines offer forage producers more productivity, increased uptime, decreased cost of operation, and are designed with the latest forage harvesting technology.

“We took the momentum from the 8000 Series rollout last year and added to an already stellar lineup of forage harvesters,” says Tim Meister, division manager, marketing with John Deere. “The three new models make the John Deere SPFH lineup even stronger with the ability to deliver optimal harvesting speed, reliability and forage quality.”

Growers can choose from three new models:

• 8300, 483-horsepower with a Tier-IV Final 13.5-liter engine
• 8700, 755-horsepower with a Tier-II, non-EGR 19.0-liter engine
• 8800, 832-horsepower with a Tier-II, non-EGR 19.0-liter engine

Each model can be equipped with HarvestLab™, an advanced crop analysis and documentation component that uses constituent sensing to improve forage quality.… Continue reading

Press the ignition button on a 2016 Apache self-propelled sprayer and don’t be surprised if it feels like an experience at a thoroughbred horse farm.

All four Apache models boast greater horsepower in the new model year, while consuming less fuel and providing a steadier ride than previous models. Other improvements include a sturdier and easier to maintain boom rack, a redesigned and repositioned product tank sight gauge, and a cab that’s even quieter than before. Apaches continue to be lighter and more affordable than competing sprayers, extremely reliable and backed by an industry-leading five-year limited warranty.

“Our 2016 models raise the bar for quality and value,” said Matt Hays, Chief Executive Officer of Equipment Technologies, the Apache manufacturer. “We believe growers will like what we’ve done and will enjoy greater cost savings and profitability with these new machines.”

The upgrades begin under the hood, where the new 30 series Apaches receive more get-up-and-go.… Continue reading

New self-propelled windrower offers latest in performance and comfort

Building on the success of the W150 Self-Propelled Windrower released three years ago, John Deere announces its replacement with the new W155 Windrower for hay and forage producers. The self-propelled windrower offers fast cutting speeds and easy-to-maneuver controls, streamlining forage cutting and windrowing for all types of conditions and terrain.

“The W155 is designed to maximize cutting and windrowing performance in the field and enhance the operator experience under a wide variety of growing conditions while meeting government regulations,” says Jeremy Unruh, product line marketing manager for John Deere. “We built on the success of the W150 to include new features like the Final Tier 4 PowerTech™ 4.5 Liter engine that generates 155 horsepower and provides the low-speed torque ideal for high altitude operation and fast acceleration without stalling.”

The W155 Self-Propelled Windrower offers features to enhance operator comfort and convenience. These include a four-point independent spring and shock cab suspension design, a reversible operating station and a single-point multi-coupler with a hydraulic center link (controlled from the cab).… Continue reading

Vermeer Corporation has added a new inline bale wrapper to its hay and forage equipment lineup. The Vermeer BW5500 bale wrapper is designed to give large volume hay operations and custom operators faster wrapping times and more operational control.

“As you increase the number of bales wrapped each year, producers should consider moving from an individual wrapper to an inline wrapper,” said Vermeer Product Manager Josh Vrieze. “Not only can you wrap bales faster using an inline wrapper, but larger operations also save on plastic.”

The BW5500 is equipped with a digital controller that allows the operator to set the desired amount of wraps on bales by adjusting hydraulic flow automatically to provide the right amount of wrap is used at all times. The easy-to-read LCD screen allows the operator to track data and determine the total number of bales wrapped.

The BW5500 has three 30-inch (76.2-cm) pre-stretchers, compared to two pre-stretchers on competing models, allowing for faster wrapping and less frequent load cycles.… Continue reading

Wet spring and persistent rain in many areas of Ohio have generated highly variable harvesting conditions for 2015 in both soybeans and corn. There are maturity, height, and expected yield differences within many fields that will bring about the importance of combine adjustments but also yield monitoring management, in particular calibration.

The adoption of data services continues to increase across the United States and here in Ohio. At the heart of these data services is the utilization of yield maps to help understand end-of-year performance within fields but also to characterize in-field variability in order for these service providers to deliver prescriptions, recommendations, or other information back to the farmer.

Since yield maps continue to be an important data layer to learn from and help drive changes or decisions at a field level, proper management of the yield monitor in 2015 will be key in order to generate accurate and reliable yield data.… Continue reading

New products improve serviceability, efficiency, and monitoring for field operations

John Deere announces new precision ag products, including John Deere Harvest Mobile and John Deere Field Connect with a Gateway 3G upgrade and Wireless Radio Kit.

“These newest updates to our ISG products provide our customers with more functionality and service, resulting in higher levels of machine performance and decision-making in the field,” says Diana Reed with John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG). “We introduced John Deere Harvest Mobile – a performance and information enhancing system – and improved serviceability to Field Connect with 3G modems and the Wireless Radio option.”

John Deere Harvest Mobile

John Deere Harvest Mobile is an easy-to-use tool that optimizes machine functions to improve grain harvesting operations. It also features data collection and transfer to help operators make timely decisions with a simple, usable interface that makes harvest information easily available to operators and trusted advisors.… Continue reading

AFS Connect farm management system adds wireless data transfer, expanded coverage

Operator comfort and greater productivity highlight new enhancements to the 2016 Case IH lineup of high-horsepower tractors and combines. Led by significant updates to the Axial-Flow 140 series combines, the 2016 line also features innovative new offerings across the iconic Steiger tractor series. The company’s AFS Connect advanced farm management system also has received a number of upgrades, including two-way wireless data transfer and some of the widest coverage available.

Axial-Flow 140 series combines help producers harvest more of what they grow.
“The redesigned Axial-Flow 140 series continues a tradition of delivering superior harvesting and threshing performance,” said Nate Weinkauf, manager, Cash Crop Marketing, Case IH North America. “We’ve added several productivity-enhancing features requested by producers to put more higher-quality grain in the tank.”

Key 2016 Axial-Flow 140 series enhancements include:

• Improved transmission: New two-speed electronic shift transmission increases efficiency and allows producers to harvest more acres per day.

New feature eliminates manual adjustments, improves tillage performance

Making it easier for customers to perform tillage adjustments with the push of a button, John Deere introduces TruSet. This industry-exclusive technology enables users to independently adjust depth or pressure settings for each operation on their 2730 Combination Ripper from the cab, on-the-go, for maximum agronomic results.

“As conditions change throughout the field, operators running the 2730 with TruSet can quickly and efficiently respond to varying soils, compacted areas, heavier residue, and moisture,” says Nathan Kramer, product marketing manager for John Deere. “Making customized adjustments that respond to these agronomic factors help customers maximize their yield potential.”

With TruSet, operators can adjust depth settings for their disks, rippers, and closing disks on the 2730 Ripper along with pressure settings for the active hydraulic rolling baskets. These adjustments are made in cab from the GreenStar™ 3 2630 Display that also provides users with real-time data for their actual tillage settings.… Continue reading

From the company that perfected row clutches, Ag Leader is proud to introduce a new row-by-row electric drive product to its SeedCommand planter control line.

An all-encompassing planting solution, SeedCommand will soon include an electric drive option for reliable individual seed shut-off, in addition to its time-tested clutch options. Of the many features of electric drives, growers gain precise row-by-row control of planter performance to incorporate variable rate planting on a per row basis. Instant adjustment to population rates and consistent seed spacing despite changes in planting speed, field conditions or on curves and headlands are also benefits enjoyed by growers using electric drives.

True to Ag Leader’s traditional “color-blind” approach, the electric drives will be built to install on most major planter brands on the market. Additionally, the electric drive motor isn’t tied to a specific brand or type of seed meter, making it flexible to work on existing meters and with multiple planter setups.… Continue reading

Vermeer Corporation continues to expand its mower conditioner line with the addition of the MC4500 mower conditioner.
Designed with productivity, flexibility and convenience in mind, the MC4500 has a 15-foot (4.5-m) cutting width to meet the needs of large volume operators.

“Vermeer added a larger model to the mower conditioner line to help large volume operators cover more acres in a shorter amount of time” said Vermeer Product Manager, Josh Vrieze. “The MC4500 mower conditioner brings more size, speed, versatility and reliability to the operator in the field.”

Efficiency features like a drawbar swivel hitch allow hooking up the implement to become a hassle-free, one man job. Similarly, the Quick-Clip^® Blade Retention
System makes replacing and reversing blades quick and convenient.

Q3^® Cutter Bar technology helps maximize productivity by making the mower more fuel-efficient with minimal gear-to-gear interface, requiring less horsepower than gear-bed style cutter bars. The Quick-Change^TM Shear Ring sits within the disc hub and shears when a potentially damaging object encounters the disc to protect the internal gears and drive spline.… Continue reading

New 12-row folding corn head introduced

John Deere is helping customers improve productivity and profitability during harvest with enhancements to its grain harvesting equipment lineup. For model year 2016, the company is adding performance boosting features to its S-Series Combines, 600C Series Corn Heads and 600F HydraFlex Draper Platforms, as well as introducing a new 12-row folding corn head.

Jon Gilbeck, division marketing manager for John Deere Harvester Works, says these are some of the most extensive updates to John Deere harvesting products since the introduction of the S-Series Combines years ago.

“We are constantly listening to our customers and looking for ways to boost their grain harvesting productivity by improving the performance, quality, and technology of the Deere equipment they are using.  This includes enhancements to the combines as well as improvements to the different headers and platforms in the lineup.”

 S-Series Combine Updates

John Deere is making some significant improvements starting with the workhorse of its grain harvesting equipment – the S-Series Combine.… Continue reading

MICHELIN Agricultural tires is launching four new tires for tractors, sprayers, harvesting equipment and large implements in North America, as well as an industry-first satisfaction guarantee on the well-known Ultraflex line and a new mobile app that calculates the proper air pressure for tractor tires.  Also on display during the Farm Progress show in Decatur, Ill. will be an example of both of Michelin’s current VF tractor tires.

All six tire models, each with a unique tread design, feature Michelin Ultraflex Technology, which enables tires to operate at up to 40 percent lower air pressure compared to standard radial tires, resulting in a larger footprint for reduced soil compaction and higher yields. A recent Harper Adams University study demonstrated a 4 percent yield increase with Ultraflex tires compared to standard radial tires.

The expanded line-up of MICHELIN farm tires include:

.       The MICHELIN® VF480/80R50 179D SprayBibT is an expansion of Michelin’s popular VF (Very High Flexion) high-clearance sprayer tire offering.… Continue reading

Additions offer producers increased productivity and efficiency 

To better meet power and equipment needs of high-volume hay and forage producers, Case IH beefed up its forage lineup this month with the new Optum tractor series. Fulfilling a new horsepower segment, the Optum tractor joins the company’s complete line of hay and forage equipment, which includes updates across its tractor lineup. Elevating baling productivity, Case IH also announced a new ISOBUS Class 3 enabled Feedrate Control system available for select LB4 series large square balers.

“Case IH is proud to offer a full line of hay and forage equipment,” said Dave Henderson, Livestock Marketing, Case IH. “From hay cutting and handling equipment to balers and tractors, Case IH offers a lineup of innovative equipment to harvest and handle this important feedstuff, along with a broad mix of tractors designed to meet producer’s individual needs — no matter how unique or specialized.”

New Optum tractor series delivers heavy-duty, year-round performance.… Continue reading

ExactEmerge conversion components fit newer 1770NT, 1790 and DB planters

John Deere is making it easier for customers with late-model John Deere planters to increase planting speed while improving accuracy and performance with the ExactEmerge Retrofit Kit. This conversion kit provides corn and soybean producers with the latest performance-enhancing ExactEmerge technology that allows them to significantly increase productivity and crop yields through more timely and accurate seed placement.

“Producers realize that seed depth accuracy, spacing, and population are critically important. Crop residue management and timely planting also help to achieve maximum yield,” says Adam Sipes, product specialist with John Deere Seeding Group. “By retrofitting their late model John Deere planter with ExactEmerge components, customers can expect up to a 100% increase in planting speed, at least a 10 percent improvement in seed spacing accuracy, and improved performance on side hills, all without impacting depth control.”

The ExactEmerge Retrofit Kits are available for model year 2011 and newer 1770NT CCS and 1790 planters as well as model year 2012 and newer DB Series planters.… Continue reading