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.
Anyone who has been round baling and released a completed bale on a slope will remember the feeling of dread as the bale gathers speed and rolls off down the hillside, hopefully to be stopped by the hedgerow or the paddock levelling out.
In some cases, that dread is shared by passing motorists as the bales clear the boundary and roll across a road. Yep, been there, done that.
German manufacturer Krone has developed a clamp for its VariPack and VariPack Plus Series balers to prevent bales from rolling down slopes.
The speed of bale ejection with the VariPack, with the rear door opening and closing in less than five seconds, allowing operators to achieve high daily outputs, is viewed as a big plus.
Unfortunately, the drawback is that bales can roll away quickly if the operator is not paying attention. The hydraulically operated clamp is designed to prevent this by securing the bale and removing its momentum as it leaves the chamber.
In operation and before the tailgate opens, the bale clamp is closed hydraulically so that the round bale is braked and fixed in place within in the clamp, before being opened in a controlled manner to set the bale down safely.
Presented as an option at the Agritechnica 2023 Event, the system has been met with great interest, especially from customers operating in the mountainous areas in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. Krone is now offering the bale clamp as an option for all Vari- Pack and VariPack Plusmachines, with a retrofit kit available on request for existing machines.
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.