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.
Orizzonti is well known in the viticulture and orchard sectors for its specialised range of mowers and mulchers.
The brand has been distributed in New Zealand for more than five years by Agtek Tractors & Equipment.
With more than 40 years’ experience in design and manufacture, Orizzonti places a great deal of emphasis on the quality of its products. The company also likes to forge relationships with its customers.
Centred around a heavy-duty frame, the mulchers feature a 5mm outer cladding, alongside a replaceable inner 5mm liner. The latter is easily exchanged to extend the working life of the machine.
Standard equipment includes a hydraulic side-shift system that offers 50cm of offset.
Externally, the machines are manufactured to incorporate bevelled panels and rounded sides, meaning the machines can work closer to plants, without fear of ‘hook up’ or damage.
The driveline takes the form of a centrally-mounted, double flange gearbox with an overrun clutch. This, in turn, sends drive to a side-mounted transfer case that uses four SPBX transmission drive belts to power the rotor.
Capable of handling materials up to 100mm in diameter, the heavy-duty rotor has 10mm thick walls. These carry 20mm thick flail hangers, which move 20 heavy-duty hammer flails, secured by 20mm diameter bolts. (Power 200, 2m cutting width). Throughout the machine, oscillating, double roller bearings incorporate a labyrinth and subsequent steel dust seals. This prevents sand, soil or foreign objects entering the assemblies, thereby prolonging the machine’s working life.
Balanced to remove vibration, an ideal finish is achieved by using two rows of ‘U’-shaped counter blades and one changeable counter blade, to achieve a very finely mulch.
Weighing in at 725kg, the HD Power 200 machine is equipped with a 194mm roller set-up that incorporates a cleaner/scraper, which is said to remove the need for side skids that can be prone to collecting debris.
“It’s easy to see these mulchers have a heavy-duty construction, alongside great features like the HD rear roller assembly, the hydraulic side shift operating on long-life self-lubricating bushes,” Agtek managing director, Gayne Carroll says.
“Mulcher and mower performance is principally dictated by tip velocity, rotor rigidity and discharge capacity – all areas in which Orizzonti excels.”
Minister of Conservation Hon Tama Potaka has appointed Susan O'Regan as Chair of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust (QEII) for a three-year term.
Red meat farmers are welcoming Labour’s plan to review the Emissions Trading Scheme and not to campaign on pricing agricultural emissions.
Where any worker in the kiwifruit industry is mistreated, we expect the authorities to take action.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
Seed and grain companies share the concerns of arable farmers about the viability of their sector, says Seed and Grain New Zealand chief executive Dr Sarah Clark.
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) says unnecessary changes to New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) will seriously erode investor confidence and result in significant reductions in forest planting rates.

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