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All articles about Grassland and maize equipment

From grass tedders to the most powerful forage harvesters; from forage wagons to big balers; from buckrakes to wheeled loading shovels; from bale wrappers to clamp covering materials, we cover every aspect of the forage harvesting and silage clamp filling process.

Advice and tips

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to avoid costly silage losses from damaged wrap

Birds are a major source of damage to baled silage, but tears can occur at the baling and gathering stages, too. If a hole is not patched, air will seep…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Ultimate guide to buying a big square baler 2021

New models promising further increases in bale weights, greater versatility and easier operation feature in this year’s Ultimate Guide to big square balers. The choice of models, features and specifications…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Ultimate guide to buying a round baler 2021

With Isobus electronics becoming increasingly popular for its common display format across different types of machines, this year’s Ultimate Guide to round balers highlights the machines on which this added-value…

RAKES

Buyers guide: Second-hand four-rotor rakes

The challenge of keeping the latest high-capacity foragers fed in lighter cuts of grass has forced many farmers and contractors to switch to four-rotor rakes. Over the years, various manufacturers…

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Case studies

RAKES

Driver’s view: Dick Barnes’ Kuhn Merge Maxx 950

Kuhn's Merge Maxx burst onto the scene at Agritechnica 2017, offering farmers an alternative method for rowing up crops in front of foragers and balers. One of the first to…

GRASSLAND AND MAIZE EQUIPMENT

Undersowing maize: Trials, tips and all you need to know

Undersowing maize crops with grass to keep valuable nitrates in the soil can help growers reduce losses caused by late-season harvesting and compacted ground, but getting it established correctly is…

RAKES

Video: Abimac front rake helps solve contractor’s labour short...

A North Yorkshire farmer is running an Italian-built front-mounted rake combined with a baler on the rear to make his rowing and baling operation a one-pass affair, curbing the reliance…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Farmer builds ingenious twin-chamber double square baler

Keen to increase the pedestrian pace of small-bale hay production, Virginia farmer Rusty Inskeep designed and built a baling system that almost tripled the farm’s output. The slick setup allows…

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Community

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Inventions Comp 2021: Mowers, rolls and harrows for grassland

Entries into grassland category of this year’s Inventions Competition centre on ways to improve the efficiency of resowing, rolling and ridding fields of weeds. Scroll down to see some of…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Inventions Comp 2021: Feeding and bedding tools

Feeding and bedding livestock can be a time-consuming job, but the entries into this year’s Inventions Competition show there are plenty of ways to speed the process up. See also: Tips…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Inventions Comp 2021: John Phizacklea’s seeder harrow

Cornish farmer and contractor John Phizacklea has built a neat, low-cost seeder harrow for patching grass in small fields and paddocks. His creation mounts to his front loader, which ensures…

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Inventions Comp 2021: Mitch Platts’ single-pass McHale Fusion

In a bid to make use of surplus grass from mowing butterfly meadows and sites of special scientific interest, Nottinghamshire contractor Mitch Platts built a single-pass mower, baler and wrapper…

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Insights

FORAGERS

Buying a trailed forage harvester - the options

A new wave of precision chop forage harvesters could reinvigorate the market for trailed models, even now that most established manufacturers have abandoned production of their designs. For many producers,…

FORAGERS

Stalkbuster hacks down maize stubbles while harvesting

Header maker Kemper has developed a chopping system that fits beneath a regular maize header to cut stubbles tight to the ground. The Stalkbuster is designed to obliterate the habitat…

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News

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Krone expands wrapper range with larger trailed model

A trailed model has joined Krone’s wrapper range, offering greater capacity The 165T runs offset to the tractor in the field, allowing the operator to pull alongside the bales, rather…

MOWERS

Massey Ferguson debuts mowers, rakes and E-Loader

Massey Ferguson has bolstered its range of hay and forage kit with a brace of four-rotor rakes and a new generation of butterfly and front-mounted mowers.  The RK 1254 TRC…

FORAGERS

New 9000-series foragers get 18-litre John Deere engine

John Deere has fitted its new inline six, 18-litre engine in two forage harvester models – the 700hp 9500 and 750hp 9600. Though their output is some way short of…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

New Claas Quadrant models offer improved output

Claas has added several Evolution models to its existing 4200 and 5000 series Quadrant square baler range that are equipped with a new pick-up and redesigned bale chamber to improve…

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Test and reviews

GRASSLAND AND MAIZE EQUIPMENT

Driver's view: Norfolk contractors' Claas Torion 1812 shovel

We get the lowdown on the Claas Torion 1812 loading shovel run by Norfolk contracting outfit Spring Farm Partnership. A pair of long-in-the-tooth loading shovels – a Volvo L110 and…

LOADING SHOVELS

Driver's view: Starfitts Farms' New Holland W170D shovel

JCB might be the dominant force in the loading shovel market, but New Holland is intent on muscling in. We get the lowdown on the W170D loading shovel run by…

LOADING SHOVELS

Driver's view: Swinnerton Agricultural Contractors’ JCB 435S

We get the lowdown on the 435S loading shovel run by Shropshire contractor Mikey Swinnerton. Mikey Swinnerton runs a contracting business that centres around the needs of dairy farmers and anaerobic digesters…

BALERS AND WRAPPERS

Driver's view: McHale Fusion 3 Plus baler-wrapper

We get the lowdown on the McHale Fusion 3 Plus baler-wrapper run by Powys contractor Paul Brute of DS, DA & PD Brute, Gwndwnwal Farm, Llan-Talyllyn, Brecon. What made you…

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Video

WORKSHOP SKILLS

Video: Time-saving feeding and bedding kit inventions

Clever feeding and bedding kit is helping livestock farmers shave hours off their daily routine. We've picked out some of the best ones from the many entries to our 2020…

RAKES

Video: Abimac front rake helps solve contractor’s labour short...

A North Yorkshire farmer is running an Italian-built front-mounted rake combined with a baler on the rear to make his rowing and baling operation a one-pass affair, curbing the reliance…

GRASSLAND AND MAIZE EQUIPMENT

Video: The best bits from Scotgrass 2019

Scotgrass 2019 took place at the Crichton Royal Trust in Dumfries last Wednesday (15 May) under some scorching mid-May sunshine. The triennial event was well attended despite there being plenty…

MOWERS

Video: US farmer smashes eight-hour world mowing record

A Colorado-based farmer has smashed the world record for grass cut in an eight-hour period. Tate Mesbergen from Mesbergen Farms, Greely, Colorado, set about the challenge on 1 July and…

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