Equipment

A few simple tweaks ensure clean grain with minimal losses when harvesting this fall

It’s no secret combines perform best when they’re operating at their maximum capacity. However, the widespread drought is changing not only corn grain yield, but the volume of plant material that will be passing through combines as they harvest corn this fall. In addition, drought-stressed kernels will be smaller and more difficult to keep clean and intact, particularly in many of today’s larger combines.

With attention to detail and a few simple combine adjustments, growers can maintain kernel integrity, produce a clean grain sample and minimize grain harvest loss. John Keller, product performance manager for Gleaner® combines, located in Hesston, Kan., explains what farmers are up against and offers some recommendations for modifying combine settings to offset the unusual conditions growers are facing in 2012.

“Drought stress means corn stalks and ears will both be smaller than normal and small ears are especially difficult to feed,” says Keller.… Continue reading

MICHELIN® CerexBib™, North America’s first high-flexion, harvest-specific radial, launched this spring, is only the first of several ag tire innovation solutions coming from Michelin

Fresh off the successful spring introduction of MICHELINÒ CerexBib™, North America’s first Improved-Flexion (IF) and Very-High Flexion (VF) radial for harvest, Michelin North America is set to expand its ever-growing line of revolutionary Michelin Ultraflex Technologies at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.

Starting in 2005, Michelin was the first to market with IF-class and VF-class radials with the MICHELIN® Axiobib® radial for high-horsepower tractors, followed by MICHELIN® SprayBib™ radial for self-propelled sprayers, and most recently this spring, MICHELIN® CerexBib™ for combines.  Now, visitors to the 2012 Farm Progress Show in August will have the chance to see the fourth VF-class tire, the MICHELINÒ YieldBib™ radial.

But that isn’t all Michelin has planned for Farm Progress this year. Expanding its show exhibit space this year, this leader in ag tire innovative solutions will demonstrate soil compaction in ways that show how attachments can put different weight on the rear axle of a tractor, significantly altering a tire’s ability to bear the weight and, as a result, soil compaction.… Continue reading

JCB is the only leading equipment and engine manufacturer in the world to have met the Tier 4 Interim emissions standards by having no after-treatment. It has been achieved through the use of innovative in-cylinder technologies alone, rather than resorting to external exhaust after treatment or a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
Having invested more than $125 million dollars, and in excess of 110,000 hours of testing in 70 different machines, the JCB Ecomax engine offers power and torque ratings specific to construction and agricultural machinery, with low emissions and reduced fuel consumption.

In addition, this no after treatment approach makes it possible for JCB dealers to recalibrate the Ecomax engine for used equipment that is sold into lesser regulated countries with higher sulphur content fuels.

JCB’s Ecomax engine will be fitted into machines spanning the 74 hp to174 hp range, including JCB backhoe loaders, Loadall telescopic handlers, wheeled loading shovels, the JS excavators, rough terrain forklifts, skid steer loaders and compact track loaders.… Continue reading

Four finalists to be invited to 2012 ARA Conference; award is reward for long days, attention to detail  
AGCO Application Equipment is seeking nominations for the 2012 Operator of the Year. Agricultural retailers across North America are invited to nominate their best custom applicators who demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities on and off the field.

The services that custom applicators provide make them a key component in the success of the U.S. agricultural industry. Before, during and after the growing season, these professionals apply the fertilizers and crop-protection products that ensure a bounty of food and fiber for consumers. They spend long hours in the field driving sophisticated application equipment and racing the clock to ensure that applications are made accurately and in a timely manner.

From the nominations, four finalists will be invited to join AGCO as honorary guests at the 2012 Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Conference and Expo Nov. 27–29 in San Diego.… Continue reading

The latest generation of Loadall telehandlers for the agricultural market benefit from JCB’s high torque, low emission Ecomax diesel engines along with a host of detailed technological developments, each contributing to more efficient use, easier operation, lower running costs and ultimately, greater productivity. Developed to meet the US Tier 4 Interim emissions standards, the JCB Ecomax engine has no requirement for costly diesel particulate filters (DPF) or for exhaust after treatment fluids, resulting in low cost, efficient operation for customers.

More than simply an engine upgrade, revisions to the Loadall line-up include:

• JCB Ecomax engines with up to 15% more torque and reduced fuel consumption
• High back-off brakes, contributing a 2% efficiency gain
• Button-style gear selection on servo joystick
• Transmission dump integrated into brake pedal
• Variable speed cooling fan, reducing noise and fuel use
• New aggressive styling with revised engine hood and pod
• Modern cab environment for reduced fatigue and enhanced ease of use

“JCB has looked at every aspect of Loadall performance, from the engines to transmissions and hydraulics.… Continue reading

30- and 41-foot folding toolbars take on a variety of tasks

Always committed to providing producers with the solutions they need, Yetter Farm Equipment is introducing versatile folding toolbars in two widths: 30 feet and 41 feet. Folded widths of 16 feet and 21 feet allow for easy transport.

Both toolbars’ center and wing sections are constructed of 7- by 7-inch bars with 3/8-inch
wall tubing. Wings are folded using 5- by 16-inch hydraulic cylinders.

Growers will love the flexibility the Yetter toolbar design offers. The 3830 30-Foot Toolbar and 3841 40-Foot Toolbar are designed to allow row-unit mounting as narrow as 14-inch centers and as wide as 65-inch centers. Choose from category 3, category 3 narrow and category 4 hitches.

The standard gauge wheels are adjustable with a ratcheting turnbuckle to control operating
depth.

“These toolbars can be customized for use for a variety of applications: strip-till, cultivating, or fertilizing,” said Jared Head, product specialist.… Continue reading

JCB has unveiled its new 3000 Series Fastrac tractors – offering customers even more productive and fuel efficient machines. The new model is the 3230 Xtra and it features:

• More fuel-efficient Tier 4i engines
• GPS Auto-Steer ready option
• New Road Performance Package and ABS braking system
• Larger tire size options
• Revised chassis for improved turning radius
• Improved operator and service access
• New fender design to keep the cab windows cleaner

JCB Inc.’s Agricultural General Manager Ray Bingley said, “These changes build on the P-Tronic Xtra transmission we introduced on these tractors last year to create one of the most sophisticated tractors available. These developments keep our most popular Fastrac model fresh and even more productive than before.”

NEW ENGINES

Earlier this year JCB unveiled SISU as the company’s chosen supplier of Tier 4i engines for its entire 8000 Series Fastrac tractor range. The new 3230 will also be powered by a SISU engine.… Continue reading

The Kenn-Feld Group is pleased to announce their First Annual Kenn-Feld Group Ag Focus Day.  All 10 Kenn-Feld Group John Deere Dealership locations are coming together to put on this event.

The Ag Focus Day will be held on Saturday, July 28, 2012 with a rain date of August 18, 2012.  The event will begin at 9 AM and will run through 3:00.  This 200-acre event is located on Charloe Trail (Road 138) just east of US 127 in Paulding, OH.  This is about a half mile northeast of the Liechty Farm Equipment location in Paulding.

Equipment will be on display along with factory field representatives from over 25 Venders offered by the Kenn-Feld Group in our show area. Field demonstrations of Tillage Tools including several strip and vertical tillage tools will be taking place along with other demonstrations which include Combine Guidance Systems and a dirt track where you can get in the seat and drive the new John Deere Gator Utility Vehicles.… Continue reading

StarFire 3000 Receivers offer improved accuracy for SF1 and SF2 customers

To give producers increased accuracy in precision-guided field operations, John Deere announces enhancements to its StarFire 3000 Receivers.
According to Holli Brokaw, product manager with the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, the enhancements give SF1 subscribers 9-inch pass-to-pass accuracy 95 percent of the time and SF2 subscribers can achieve 2-inch accuracy 95 percent of the time with the StarFire 3000 Receiver.

“We made some changes to the StarFire system software and now use GLONASS satellites on machine receivers and network reference stations,” Brokaw explains. “Field tests show our SF1 and SF2 customers using these receivers will see improved accuracy in the field.”
Brokaw notes that the changes to the StarFire 3000 Receivers do not impact those customers using StarFire iTC Receivers or those using RTK. “For producers requiring the highest level of precision, RTK provides the most precise, 1-inch repeatable accuracy,” she says.… Continue reading

New tool gives owners, managers, dealers ability to view operator’s display remotely

As farmers integrate more precision technology into their equipment and operations, the ability to remotely supervise and support those field operations becomes even more important to both farmers and dealers. To provide that support, John Deere introduces Remote Display Access, which allows users to view the operator’s display screen on their John Deere equipment.

By using an Internet-connected device, users with Remote Display Access can view the operator’s GreenStar™3 2630 Display screen, which helps them to identify any problems, assist the operator in navigating the steps needed to resolve an issue or ensure correct settings and machine operation. According to Dave Mulder, product manager, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, as part of the growing suite of JDLink™ telematic products, Remote Display Access improves communication and offers faster resolution of problems to increase equipment uptime and operational performance in the field.… Continue reading

Online toolbox gives producers central site to manage farm equipment & operations

To help agricultural producers manage their equipment information, production data and farm operations from a single website, John Deere introduces MyJohnDeere.com.  Developed as part of the John Deere FarmSight™ strategy, the MyJohnDeere toolboxes gives customers a centralized online portal to access, view, archive and manage a wide variety of business information.

Nathan Greuel, product manager, John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, says users can log into MyJohnDeere.com and access key applications such as JDLink which allows them to view real-time information about their farm operations, field locations and important performance data from their equipment. Other applications include AgLogic™, JDParts, John Deere Financial, Stellar Support and My Equipment.

“This will be a new suite of technology to help producers plan, run and analyze their operations through the entire farming cycle,” Greuel says. “The user can access their MyJohnDeere site to view the information that is most important to them, as well as allow access to their dealer, farm manager or other third-party individuals.”… Continue reading

Constituent Sensing allows producers to check crude protein and other feed variables

Beef and dairy producers will have the ability to determine corn silage nutrient quality when using the John Deere HarvestLab starting in July of 2012. In addition to dry matter content, which HarvestLab has traditionally been used to measure, the expanded Constituent Sensing capabilities will be able to predict crude protein, starch and fiber (ADF/NDF, which are important nutrient factors in livestock feed.
According to Steve Siegel, product manager for John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group, HarvestLab uses Near Infrared Technology to determine the constituent characteristics of corn silage and has proven to be highly reliable under tough field conditions over the past six years. The device is used on John Deere Self Propelled Forage Harvesters (SPFH) to monitor corn silage at harvest and can be disconnected for use as a stationary unit to evaluate silage nutrient quality at the time of feeding.… Continue reading

Case IH, a global leader in agricultural equipment, and Great Plains Division of Great Plains Manufacturing Inc., an innovator in planting, seeding and tillage technology, jointly announced the creation of a supply agreement. Under the agreement, Great Plains will supply Case IH with twin row planters to be sold through Case IH dealerships under the Case IH brand beginning in 2013.

“This agreement allows Case IH to expand our offering while continuing to support and expand our existing Early Riser® planter lineup, which is recognized throughout the industry for delivering better stands, more uniform emergence and accurate populations,” says Bill Preller, Senior Director, Case IH Specialty Business. “Case IH is pleased to partner with Great Plains, a leader in twin row technology.”

With this agreement, Case IH dealers will have the opportunity to expand their current planter offering to serve a new market projected to expand in the coming years.

Twin row cropping is growing in popularity in some regions of the United States.… Continue reading

The all-new BPX9000 Bale Processor from Vermeer combines simplicity, durability and versatility to meet the needs of today’s cattle producers. The easy to operate machine is built tough with a unique, T-style frame, the bed design and offset rotor produce even and consistent feed with minimal maintenance, and an optional large square bale kit includes enhancements to effectively process a variety of bales. The BPX9000 is built to maximize bale processing and minimize operator stress.

“When developing the BPX9000, we started by listening to producers and then designing
the machine to fit their needs. They told us they wanted a simple, durable and versatile
machine, and that is what Vermeer built,” says Phil Egging, Vermeer Product Manager.
“From the T-style frame to the slat and chain bale rotation system and offset rotor, the
components of this machine provide producers a machine that’s easy to operate, easy to
maintain and built to last.”… Continue reading

Producers often utilize spraying to achieve maximum yields, but how does one know the perfect time to spray, or how to minimize drift in less-than-ideal conditions? To help farmers Be Ready this growing season, Mark Burns, Case IH Marketing Manager for Application Equipment, addresses these questions.

“Many factors contribute to the decision of when – or when not – to spray,” says Burns. “Ideally, producers want the chemical application to take place at the right agronomic moment. That ‘right moment’ is when the chemical applied will preserve the yield potential for a particular field, providing the opportunity to maximize productivity.”

Competition for nutrients and moisture between plants and weeds increases every day during the growing season, explains Burns. In addition, the infestation of pests takes an increasing toll on a plant’s ability to produce grain, seed, feed or fiber.

“Environmental conditions such as wind and rain also significantly impact the spraying window,” he states.… Continue reading

By Heather Hetterick, Ohio Ag Net

VanTilburg Farms, located outside of Celina, knows the benefits of utilizing cover crops. They tried several different methods of getting the cover crops in the ground, including a drill and flying on cover crops with an airplane.

“We’d been playing with cover crops for the past five years,” said Matt VanTilburg. “We decided if we’re going to go with this, we need a machine to just plant cover crops.”

VanTilburg, along with Larry Pingry, the head engineer for VanTilburg Farms, went to work creating one. They have been experimenting with a very unique set-up of a post sprayer with a liquid tank on it featuring five mounted 12-volt seeders on the boom.

They liked what the modified sprayer did, but there were some challenges with it.

“We could turn the seeder on and off, but couldn’t stop the flow,” VanTilburg said. “We were constantly running out and we needed a guy just to dump seed in the seeders.”… Continue reading

Vermeer’s 605 Super M Cornstalk Special Baler makes baling cornstalks as easy as baling hay – and now enhanced with the optional Inline™ Ramp, picking up cornstalk bales is even easier. The Inline Ramp positions bales so you can pick them up along the rows without the need to drive over ridges and cornstalks, helping you save time in the field and making the bale loading process smoother. In addition, the updated Cornstalk Special includes a new, durable O-ring chain in high-wear locations to withstand the harsh conditions of cornstalk baling.

“The Cornstalk Special baler is built to make cornstalk baling easy from start to finish. Not
only is the baler designed to efficiently bale cornstalks and withstand the conditions of
doing so, but now the optional Inline Ramp makes the loading process more efficient as
well,” says Phil Chrisman, Vermeer Baler Product Manager. “Driving through the field over
ridges and rows to pick up bales can be a slow, difficult process.… Continue reading

Rainfall data collected by a network of radars operated by the National Weather Service will be integrated into an application that helps farmers forecast corn yields throughout the growing process.

The Optimizer 2.0 application, developed by Advanced Ag Solutions LLC, now includes a feature that accumulates Next-Generation Radar (NEXRAD) rainfall data for unique fields. NEXRAD is a system of high-resolution Doppler weather radar stations operated by the National Weather Service.

Daryl Starr, president of Advanced Ag Solutions, said integrating rainfall data into Optimizer 2.0 has been a company priority.

“Feedback indicated that users wanted rainfall data for every field, which we now can deliver,” he said. “We expected to launch the app with this feature, but we had to be certain how receptive growers would be to a site-specific yield model. The addition of more than 450 users since the spring 2012 launch indicated it was time to move forward with adding rainfall data.”… Continue reading

More than 500 on hand for grand opening of Visitor Center and Expanded Manufacturing Facility

AGCO, Your Agriculture Company (NYSE: AGCO), celebrated the grand opening of Intivity CenterSM and the 75,000-square-foot expansion of its Jackson, Minn., manufacturing center June 7, 2012. The investment brings production of Challenger® and Massey Ferguson® high-horsepower wheeled row crop tractors to North America — a decision that was announced in early 2011.

The manufacturing center expansion will contribute more than $17 million dollars and 200 jobs to the local economy, bringing the total number of professional, support and skilled manufacturing positions at the facility to 1,050. Intivity Center, a 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art visitor center, is AGCO’s first welcome center in North America, and showcases the farmer-focused innovation behind the brands upon which the company has been built.

Intivity Center offers an extensive collection of historical artifacts — many never before seen by the public. In addition, it includes a glimpse of the future of agricultural equipment through interactive displays demonstrating equipment technology in development at AGCO.… Continue reading

Patz Corporation recently announced the addition of the 3600 Series II Triple Screw Vertical Mixer to their Vertical Mixer Series. With a mixing capacity of 1,400-1,580 cu. ft. (39.6-44.7 m³), this huge mixer is the largest in the series.

Regardless of batch size, the 3600 Series II handles a wider variety of ingredients, including alternative feeds. Three patent pending Vortex™ Screws and patented baffles promote fast mixing without compromising batch quality. The thorough, consistent TMR produced minimizes sorting and reduces refusals.

Featuring six super single truck tires, the mixer’s self-steering axles improve turning radius and minimize tire wear, stresses on axles, hubs, spindles, and suspension. Also contributing to this mixer’s low maintenance design, its primary PTO driveline features an automatic cutout clutch, eliminating the need to replace shear bolts.

Engineered for optimal performance, the 3600 Series II includes a 2-speed drive package with an oil cooling system. Another standard feature, a Bull-Pull™ articulating implement hitch prevents backlash for precise control.… Continue reading