Machinery top stories

SPRAYERS

Horsch VT and PT self-propelleds to get Claas X11 cab

Buyers of Horsch’s latest VT and PT self-propelled sprayers will get a quieter and more spacious workspace, courtesy of Claas. The X11 cab from the German firm's high-horsepower harvesters replaces…

PLOUGHS

KV adds in-furrow models to Ecomat shallow plough range

Kverneland has added a trio of new models to its Ecomat shallow plough range. The six-, seven- and eight-furrow versions are built for in-furrow use, whereas the existing eight- and…

SLURRY TANKERS

Vogelsang DoubleFlow halves trailing shoe row spacings

Slurry specialist Vogelsang has unveiled a retrofit Y-shaped pipe splitter that can double the number of rows on its UniSpread and Blackbird trailing shoe applicators. The DoubleFlow linkage halves the…

TRACTORS

Contractor ditches Deere Rs for more frugal 30-series

It was about six years ago that various electronics- and emissions-related gremlins started to rear their ugly heads on Jack Dowding’s 2011 John Deere 6930. Knowing that they were most…

4X4S

Truckman unveils 'mega drawer' for pickup load beds

Pickup owners willing to go to reasonable expense to keep their load beds tidy might find themselves tempted by Truckman’s second-generation Decked drawer system. It’s the latest item in the…

TRACTORS

16 must-have tractor accessories and upgrades

As swish as modern tractors are, there’s always room an upgrade or two. James Andrews eyes up a few options, some purely functional and others a little more frivolous... Stainless-steel…

contractors combining

NAAC contractor price guide 2023-24

See the latest NAAC latest survey of contracting prices.

MACHINERY

Central tyre inflation system retrofit qualifies for FETF grant

Farmers looking to manage tyre pressures on the go can get a substantial grant for a retrofit system under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund this year. A central tyre…

ROAD LEGAL

DVSA updates agricultural load guidance for farmers

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that it will be updating its load security guidance for farmers operating tractors and trailers, making it less onerous when it…

COMBINES

John Deere S7 combines get more power and updated cab

Single-rotor S7 combine harvesters from John Deere have been treated to a host of updates, including new engines, cabin and residue management systems. Power ranges from 402 to 533hp (436…

CULTIVATORS

Kuhn goes large with new 12.5m Optimer cultivator

Growers with serious horsepower at their disposal can potentially cut down on tractor wheelings with Kuhn’s biggest Optimer stubble cultivator. As such, the 12.5m-wide 12500 L is most likely to…

401+HP

Articulated John Deere 9RX tractor gets power hike to 913hp

John Deere has launched its most powerful tractor yet, cranking the output of its flagship 9RX artic up to a heady 913hp. The performance boost has been made possible by…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Beet lifting headaches in the Borders

Our second season of Contractor Comment kicks off with the first of four new contributors – Daniel Freeland-Cook of Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. See also: High kit prices and…

TECHNOLOGY

Paul-Tech soil monitoring station promises to cut fert bills

By simply inserting two probes into soil at differing depths, Estonian company Paul-Tech reckons it can help growers optimise their nutrient application. The firm’s soil station has been tested on…

MACHINERY

Fleet of five diggers bulks out contractor's winter workload

Lean winter months have been made profitable for York-based D&J Stead Contracting since investing in a fleet of tracked excavators paired with an array of timber- and hedge-taming attachments. Tools…

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WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits FW 2023 Contractor of the Year

Kevin Heywood, Farmers Weekly’s 2023 Contractor of the Year, reveals the best and worst decisions he’s made in assembling a distinctly green machinery fleet.  We head over to Cornwall to…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Cornish livestock farmer

Martin Harris, a 24-year-old Cornish livestock farmer, fencing contractor and sheep shearer, is the latest to open his shed doors. How did you get started? I went to Duchy College…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits an Oxfordshire contractor

The search for a neater high-horsepower tractor prompted Oxfordshire farmer and contractor John Walker to make the switch from John Deere to Fendt. We head over to Oxfordshire to find…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? Used kit key for Hampshire arable farm

‘Buy used kit and maintain it well’ is the machinery fleet principle applied by Hampshire farmers Bob Ives and his son, Dan. Diversification is also important to the business and…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? High-houred Valtras on Llyn Peninsula

Our latest machinery shed rummage unearths a fleet of well-worked Valtras on the Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd, one of which has clocked 32,000 hours. James Andrews puts the questions to William…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Herefordshire farm

Our latest ferret around the nation’s machinery sheds features Herefordshire farmers, contractors and hay/straw dealers James, Phil and Sarah Wildig. See also: What's in Your Shed? visits Oxon farmer Harry Metcalfe…

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4X4S

On test: Daihatsu's lightweight, high-spec Hijet 4x4

The success of modified Suzuki Jimnys at providing an alternative to costly UTVs has paved the way for another quirky method of off-road transport – compact Japanese pickups. Slotting into…

4X4S

On test: Ineos's £79,000 Grenadier 4x4

While small numbers of Ineos’ long-awaited Grenadier have been trickling out across the country, they’re still something of a rarity. Having tackled the inevitable rash of teething troubles that you’d…

SPRAYERS

Champion operator rates Chafer and Bateman self-propelleds

Buyers of the biggest self-propelled sprayers are being seduced by a seemingly ever-growing list of optional extras that promise to improve accuracy, spray efficacy and ease of use. The pinnacle…

ATVS AND UTVS

On test: Battery-powered Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic

The UTV might have taken the farming world by storm, but these compact off-roaders have several compromises to counter their convenience. Downers for ubiquitous diesels are sluggish acceleration and a…

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TRACTORS

Driver’s view: McCormick X6.413 P6-Drive

Fitted with a 4.5-litre FPT engine and an in-house six-speed semi-powershift transmission, the X6.4 is McCormick’s premium offering in the four-cylinder sector. This means buyers have access to a host…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Case IH Maxxum 125 ActiveDrive 4

A recent reordering of Case IH’s smaller tractor ranges has resulted in a slimming down of the popular Maxxum series to a trio of models. But with three transmission options…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: John Deere 6120M PowrQuad

John Deere rejuvenated its simpler M-series tractors four years ago, with the range restructured into short-, small-, mid- and large- chassis categories that contain a total of 10 models spanning…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Deutz-Fahr 6125 C

As with most tractor launches nowadays, it was inescapable emissions limits that drove Deutz-Fahr to replace its 6120, 6130 and 6140 with very similar 6 C models in early 2022.…

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CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Beet lifting headaches in the Borders

Our second season of Contractor Comment kicks off with the first of four new contributors – Daniel Freeland-Cook of Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. See also: High kit prices and…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

High kit prices and falling profits pinch contractor margins

The rains and winds of Atlantic depressions Isha and Jocelyn may have wreaked short-term havoc, but two metaphorical storms are causing South Lanarkshire contractor Jim Watt greater angst. Squeezed on…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Workshop and building projects maintain contractor's cashflow

Most agricultural contractors need a strategy for keeping the workforce busy and the bank account ticking over during the leaner winter months. And for Graham Hayllar, this is involves running…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Foragers parked as Lexion finishes maize

Rank autumn weather has made for a rotten maize harvest, but with a tracked combine and Conspeed header at his disposal, all was not lost for Tim Russon. Rather than…

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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…

TECHNOLOGY

Video: Retrofit Mojow tractor kit automates arable fieldwork

Mojow may have found the holy grail of fieldwork autonomy by devising a means of controlling tractors of any sensible vintage with state-of-the-art driverless technology. Better still, the Canadian firm’s…