Stihl Launches BT140, Its First Battery-Powered Auger
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
Renowned as market leaders in the self-propelled forage harvester sector, Claas has used its experience of chopping a wide range of crops on farms worldwide to improve the heart of the machine – the chopping cylinder.
The new cylinder, known as V-Flex, claims to mark a new milestone in chopping cylinder technology.
Initially available on 900 and 900 Terra Trac Series machines as an alternative option to the V-Classic and V-Max cylinders, it is said to offer greater versatility when it comes to knife configuration. In combination with the new knives that it comes equipped with, Claas maintains that it has set new standards for smooth running and knife service life and enhanced chopping quality.
The new design enables higher throughputs, reduces noise levels and ensures smoother running with more consistent crop flow, especially for chop lengths over 12mm. The V-FLEX chopping cylinder is available in four versions, using 20, 24, 28 or 36 knives and can be configured as a full set of knives, half or one third the number of knives, to extend the length of cut, from 3.5 to 53mm.
High knife stability and the triple bolt fastening offers high knife stability, while also allowing the clearance between the cylinder and the shear bar to be reduced to achieve better chopping quality.
Meanwhile, Claas has also reconfigured the knife sharpening operation to make it more user-friendly with the control options for sharpening and shear bar adjustment, able be combined, with the cycle reduced to around one minute. The improvements are said to deliver greater efficiency with further reductions in fuel consumption per tonne of throughput.
Farms across the upper North Island are trialling different pasture mixes as part of a research programme that aims to build greater resilience into farming systems.
Election years are always a concerning time for farmers, according to DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are coming to the West Coast of the South Island.
Most dairy regions around the country have had a pretty good season so far says Tracy Brown.
Rural leader Mark Hooper has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board, bringing extensive farming, governance and advocacy experience to the role.
Opportunity says its land value tax (LVT) is unlikely to force farmers into a position where asset sales or increased debt are required.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.