increase font size
A range of ballast gear from French company Althimasse is now available from Giltrap Agrizone.
Labradors and Kiwi farmers love water, the former for swimming and the latter for ballasting tractors by filling the tyres with the stuff.
Granted water is cheap, but carting one tonne of it in each rear tyre when not required can be a drag on acceleration, degrade tyres and raise fuel consumption because, let’s be honest, once it’s in, it stays in.
Now comes a new range of ballast gear offered by Giltrap Agrizone, Cambridge, from the French company Althimasse; they offer interesting solutions slightly outside the norm.
For loader tractors – often the target of rear tyre water fills – a 900 or 1500kg cast steel counterweight will help bring things under control.
It will also allow the use of rear-mounted implements via its fixed, integral three-point-linkage system.
This added weight, plus a quick hitch, will allow a feed trailer to be towed, a workable solution around a feed pad.
The same units can also be used as counterweights for front-mounting to balance rear implements; they have hi-visibility extremity-marking panels.
Also designed for front-mounting is a neat system sculpted to fit between the tractor’s front link arms and embodying an adjustable mounting system. This has a base weight of 900kg and an extra cassette system to raise the mass by a further 300kg.
Further combinations can take maximum capacity to 2400kg.
Interestingly, the cassette can be picked up or dropped off quickly and safely from the tractor seat.
A group of eight Giltrap Agrizone customers travelled to Europe in July with managing director Andrew Giltrap, taking the opportunity to visit St Valentin, Austria, to see New Holland tractors being built.
Dairy farm effluent has a part to play in complementing inorganic fertilisers, particularly as prices have risen over the last few years as a result of global conflicts.
Released in Europe in 2024 and having just arrived in time for National Fieldays, Giltrap Agrizone will be exhibiting two new machines from Irish manufacturer Malone Farm Machinery.
Giltrap's newest forage wagons, the G-Max Series, is backed by more than five decades of experience that raises the bar to new levels.
Distributed in New Zealand by Giltrap Agrizone in the North Island and Cochranes of Canterbury in the South Island, HiSpec muck spreaders can handle a wide variety of manures, with the top-end Xcel 1250 capable of dealing with everything from burnt lime to chicken manure to effluent.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: The war of words between Southland farmers and Environment Southland over winter grazing inspections reflects a deep lack of trust…
OPINION: Milking It understands a formal disciplinary process is being conducted by Victoria University of Wellington on what one of…
