Menu

Machinery top stories

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Summer scorcher sets off baling frenzy

Searing summer heat saw Dan Fabb’s baling fleet thrust into action earlier than ever, forcing a rush on baler prep and hasty arrangement of his six harvest hire tractors. Crops…

SLURRY TANKERS

More carrying capacity for 530hp Vervaet Hydro Trike

A larger tank and new cab are among the improvements to Vervaet’s Hydro Trike 3.0. As before, the third generation of the Dutch firm’s light-treading self-propelled slurry applicator is available…

CEREAL DRILLS

Erth Panbuster Drill gets low-disturbance legs with coulters

Erth Engineering has unveiled a new combination drill that is inspired by the work of Northern Irish farmer Alistair Craig. A couple of years ago, he cobbled together a versatile…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

How workshop keeps 76 vehicles and 30 tractors running

If you think you’ve got a lot of machinery to maintain, try stepping into Aaron Scott’s shoes. As workshop manager on the 12,140ha Lilburn Estate in Northumberland, he is charged…

TOOLS

Jefferson Tools unveils lightweight 140A Mini Arc Welder

Jefferson Tools has added a lightweight, portable 140A Mini Arc Welder to its product range. It runs on 230V single-phase power and draws just 13A, so will happily operate through…

CEREAL DRILLS

Pottinger Aerosem M air drill gets divided hopper option

A divided tank that enables simultaneous sowing of seed and fertiliser is one of several new options for Pottinger’s Aerosem M pneumatic piggyback drill. Available in 3m, 3.5m and 4m…

LOADING SHOVELS

Claas Torion 537e gets battery-electric powertrain

Battery power has reached Claas' Liebherr-built Torion 537, signified by its "e" designation and flash of blue across the bonnet. The zero-emissions mini shovel has a 32.2kWh pack as standard,…

MACHINERY

Dealer update: CNH dual-brand strategy causes a stir

CNH’s relentless dual-branding strategy hits the headlines again as agricultural machinery dealer franchises remain in a state of flux. See also: Dealer update: Pecks leads flurry of distribution changes Agricar…

RAKES AND MERGERS

Krone adds Pro spec option to compact 12.5m Swadro rake

Advanced control and automated features currently found only on Krone’s two biggest four-rotor grass rakes are now available on the smaller Swadro TC 1250 with the introduction of the new…

ATVS AND UTVS

On test: Much to like about Can-Am's Outlander Electric ATV

The steady thump of a single-cylinder petrol engine has long provided the soundtrack to a livestock farmer’s day. Now, Can-Am is offering to turn down the volume. By ditching internal…

4X4S

BYD targets pickup market with 430hp Shark plug-in hybrid

Chinese carmaker BYD has revealed full details of its first double-cab pickup, promising heady performance and a stacked spec in return for £47,290. The Shark is of the plug-in hybrid…

MACHINERY MAINTENANCE

TNS pitches for all-makes servicing with attractive discounts

Eastern counties farm machinery dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) is pitching to handle servicing and repairs for older tractors of any make and model, not just the Agco products it…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Compostable bale net accompanies Case IH baler updates

A solution to the age-old issue of how to conveniently – and responsibly – dispose of bale net is on its way from CNH in the form of biodegradable netting.…

SPRAYERS

Bigger, quieter cab for Amazone Pantera 4504 sprayer

Amazone hopes to lure more sprayer operators into its Pantera 4504 self-propelled by introducing a bigger and quieter cab. Inside, there has been a thinning of physical controls on the…

4X4S

Trusty Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial looks a safe bet

When Toyota introduced a Commercial version of the Land Cruiser last year, the legendary off-roader suddenly became more affordable. This wasn’t just down to the tax savings, either. By pairing…

4X4S

Reinstating rear seats in commercial-spec 4x4s - the rules

When HMRC reclassified double-cab pickups as cars for some taxes, it made it more expensive to run a work vehicle that could also carry passengers in the back. Those needing…

4X4S

Land Rover Discovery Commercial is slick but complicated

Few manufacturers have embraced the commercial SUV concept as consistently as Land Rover. And the Discovery is one of its best-known examples, with thousands of models making the transition to…

4X4S

New 3.2-litre, six-cylinder Steyr engine option for Ibex 4x4

Foers Engineering’s hard-as-nails Ibex range is now available with a 3.2-litre diesel engine from Austrian manufacturer Steyr Motors. This compact six-cylinder block apparently has a particularly high power-to-weight ratio that…

CEREAL DRILLS

Lemken ups Saphir XMR box drill capacity to 1,500 litres

More seed carrying capacity is the stand-out improvement to Lemken’s latest 3m Saphir box drill. The new XMRs pick up where the old 10s left off, but with the standard…

4X4S

Isuzu creates Commercial version of latest D-Max pickup

Isuzu’s UK importer has engineered a tax-saving two-seat Commercial version of the latest D-Max double-cab diesel pickup, which sports a 2.2-litre engine in place of the long-running 1.9-litre version, and…

TRACTORS

Claas pulls the wraps off revamped 264-313hp Axion 8 tractors

As part of an update programme across its entire tractor range, Claas has launched revamped versions of its 800-series machines. Three new variants – the Axion 8.240, 8.270 and 8.290…

TOOLS

Stihl AllPro tabless batteries recharge to 80% in just 9min

Stihl has introduced a new range of tool batteries that charge quicker, last longer and deliver more power. These sweeping improvements are thanks to some clever tabless technology in the…

More articles

What's in Your Shed?

See all

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Somerset mixed farm

A mix of owned and shared equipment resides at Graham Weeks’ farm near Bath. Manager Patrick Benney guides Farmers Weekly around the 310ha business’s machinery sheds See also: On test: Fendt’s…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What’s in Your Shed? Lancs dairy farm bucks the stereotype

Dairy farmers John and Will Tyrer are bucking the livestock sector stereotype by keeping their kit in pristine mechanical and cosmetic order. What's in Your Shed? visited their Lancashire farm…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits Kaleb Cooper Contracting

Four different tractor brands feature in the fleet owned by contractor and star of Clarkson’s Farm, Kaleb Cooper.  What's in Your Shed? heads over to Oxfordshire to find out what…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a fledgling contracting business

In the latest in our What's in your Shed? series, we visit Harry Kennedy’s fledgling Hants-based contracting operation, HK Agri. The business relies on second-hand kit bought for sensible money…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a mixed-fleet Gretna contractor

The diverse range of machinery littering the yard of Dumfriesshire outfit G Rae Contracting includes five of the UK’s top 10 tractors brands. Farmers Weekly puts the questions to frontman…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Surrey straw contractor

Straw and forage contractor Church Farm Services operates both within and beyond the M25 ring. Farmers Weekly ambles around the Surrey-based firm’s machinery sheds, guided by proprietor Nick Fuller, son…

contractors combining

Contractor prices calculator

Quickly estimate your contracting costs for the year with our new tool

Try it now

contractors chopping grass

NAAC price guide 2026-27

Our roundup of the latest survey of contractor charge rates by NAAC

Read more

Explore machinery Know How

  • Business advice
  • Essential guides
  • Practical tips
  • Case studies
Reviews and tests
Technology
Maintenance
Tractors
Road legal
Explore all topics

Value tractor promo

Imagine having a thousand machines in your pocket, ready to tackle any task on your farm!

You do now with Farmo - a simpler way to find trusted contractors.

  • The right contractor
  • The right equipment
  • The right time
Download Farmo
phone displaying farmo app
 
 

Latest reviews and tests

See all

ATVS AND UTVS

On test: Much to like about Can-Am's Outlander Electric ATV

The steady thump of a single-cylinder petrol engine has long provided the soundtrack to a livestock farmer’s day. Now, Can-Am is offering to turn down the volume. By ditching internal…

4X4S

Trusty Toyota Land Cruiser Commercial looks a safe bet

When Toyota introduced a Commercial version of the Land Cruiser last year, the legendary off-roader suddenly became more affordable. This wasn’t just down to the tax savings, either. By pairing…

4X4S

Land Rover Discovery Commercial is slick but complicated

Few manufacturers have embraced the commercial SUV concept as consistently as Land Rover. And the Discovery is one of its best-known examples, with thousands of models making the transition to…

TELEHANDLERS

First impressions: Tougher boom for Manitou MLT 630 115V

It might not look that different, but a host of nifty design tweaks can be found lurking under the familiar skin of Manitou’s MLT 630 115. These so-called “evolution” upgrades…

Driver's view

See all

SPRAYERS

Driver’s view: Tom Franks’ Chafer Sentry trailed sprayer

Having fallen into financial difficulty last year, Lincolnshire sprayer maker Chafer has been brought back from the brink by a trio of new owners. Trading as Nexus Chafer, they plan…

SPRAYERS

Driver's View: Ed Glover's Knight KT2060 trailed sprayer

Knight Farm Machinery unveiled the first example of its KT2060 trailed sprayer at the Lamma show, not only to passing tyre-kickers but also its eventual owner, Ed Glover of Andover-based…

SPRAYERS

Driver’s View: Neil Hall’s Landquip InTrac trailed sprayer

The InTrac is Landquip’s contribution to the world of high-output trailed spraying, armed with polyethylene tanks of up to 8,000 litres and booms as wide as 44m. The latter are…

LOADING SHOVELS

Driver’s view: The good and bad of JCB’s 435S loading shovel

JCB’s self-proclaimed “king of the clamp” underwent some subtle surgery last winter, giving it more power, more torque and a nifty new lever-steer system. An early example of this latest…

Contractor Comment

See all

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Summer scorcher sets off baling frenzy

Searing summer heat saw Dan Fabb’s baling fleet thrust into action earlier than ever, forcing a rush on baler prep and hasty arrangement of his six harvest hire tractors. Crops…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Harvest headaches for R&L Anthony

Late June’s searing heatwave pushed David and Emma Anthony’s big square balers into overdrive as customers started cutting grass on an industrial scale. With the mercury comfortably in the mid-30s,…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Stone crusher proves fruitful side hustle

Farmers Weekly heads to Northern Ireland to meet up with Ballymena-based DJ McKay and Son, headed by David and James McKay. We find out about the contractor's main enterprises, kit…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Staffs firm is fuelled up ready for action

A familiar face from last year’s What’s In Your Shed? series, Matt Brewster returns as this year’s Midlands-based Contractor Comment contributor. See also: Driver’s view: Tom Dirom’s Valtra Q285 Business data…

Video

See all

HARVEST

Video: Classic machinery brings in the spring barley harvest

A fleet of British-built classic machinery dating back to the early 1970s was bringing in the spring barley harvest at a farm on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border this week. Two Ransome…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

FORAGE WAGONS

Video: Lely revolutionises zero grazing with autonomous Exos

Dutch firm Lely has put the finishing touches to its self-propelled grass harvester and feeder, which is set to go on sale in the Netherlands next year. The battery powered…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

WIYS: Contractor ditches new kit for retro fleet

Mark Bowran, 2003 winner of Farmers Weekly’s Tractor Driver of the Year competition, opens the doors of his MBC Services contracting business. Machinery editor, Oliver Mark asks the questions and…

Most popular this week