Know How / Farm maintenance Must reads How to build a quality machinery shed on a sensible budget John Deere makes it easier for owners to repair tractors Winter tyres on farm vehicles - should you fit them? Borders farmer takes drainage in-house with DIY tile plough Case studiesSee all WORKSHOP SKILLSHow workshop keeps 76 vehicles and 30 tractors runningIf you think you’ve got a lot of machinery to maintain, try stepping into Aaron Scott’s shoes. As workshop manager on the 12,140ha Lilburn Estate in Northumberland, he is charged… WORKSHOP SKILLSMade in Britain: Two UK ag engineering firms on the riseBehind many big-name machinery brands is the story of a fledgling engineering firm starting out from scratch. We meet two entrepreneurs with outfits on their way up. See also: High-end bespoke… CEREAL DRILLSYorkshire farmer assembles a pair of tine drills for £10kRecent autumn drilling campaigns have been a real slog for crop producers, with periods of extreme weather limiting work windows and leading to poor establishment. And that's all the more… FARM MAINTENANCEBorders farmer takes drainage in-house with DIY tile ploughChain trenchers, drain jetters and mole ploughs are quickly becoming the must-have accessories for arable farms contending with unrelenting rainfall events. But several UK growers intent on keeping their drainage… WORKSHOP SKILLSLincs grower’s bespoke harvester lifts 70k pumpkins a dayEach autumn, millions of pumpkins are plucked from their fields, carved into ghoulish lanterns and displayed with tealights flickering at their core. The process of getting these orange gourds from… FARM MAINTENANCEWhy Cambs farm invested in its own tractor-mounted trencherWhen a portion of their land began identifying more as lake than field during winter months, Stephen and Richard Mead were forced to invest in some drainage. Quotes were sourced… Practical adviceSee all WORKSHOP SKILLSTop tips for combine maintenance, repair and storageHaving cut his teeth at hire firm APH in the mid-1990s, Ben Painter knows a thing or two about CNH combines. Three decades on, he’s still in the game, keeping… FARM MAINTENANCEHow to build a quality machinery shed on a sensible budgetAs a general rule, farm machinery sits last in the pecking order when it comes to bagging precious shed space. And when it does get a roof over its head,… MACHINERY MAINTENANCE20-year-old John Deere telehandler gets perfect £20k refurbIt’s boom time for noughties farm machinery, with demand surging for mechanically sound workhorses devoid of the electronic and emissions-related aggravations of their successors. While John Deere, Case IH and… FARM MAINTENANCEWhat to look for when buying a farmyard CCTV systemAs the nights grow longer, darker and danker, so does the window of opportunity for unscrupulous ne’er-do-wells to pilfer from farmyards. Sadly, there’s no single answer to keeping undesirables out,… MACHINERY MAINTENANCELatest technology for putting out harvest machinery firesIt’s hard to imagine given the sogginess of the past 12 months, but there’s always a chance we could be in for a tinder-dry harvest, à la 2022. That year,… CULTIVATORSTips for picking the best cultivator wearing metalReplacing cultivator legs, wings and points can be a depressingly regular and ruinously expensive pastime for those working in the nation’s most abrasive soils. But instead of hunting around for… Machinery maintenance MACHINERY MAINTENANCETNS pitches for all-makes servicing with attractive discountsEastern counties farm machinery dealer Thurlow Nunn Standen (TNS) is pitching to handle servicing and repairs for older tractors of any make and model, not just the Agco products it… MACHINERY MAINTENANCEKramp streamlines online parts purchasesDirect shipping, as well as a click-and-collect service with local dealerships, are among features of a new initiative enabling farmers, contractors and others to place orders directly with Kramp, the… WORKSHOP SKILLSFarm implement control boxes: Who to call for repairsWhen metalwork twists, shafts snap and bearings give up the ghost, most farmers and contractors have the tools and know-how to get machinery up and running. But if modern electrical… MACHINERY MAINTENANCEJCB launches website for spare parts, lubricants and fluidsOwners of JCB machinery can now submit out-of-hours orders for service items and genuine spares through a new Parts Online platform. The website allows customers to search for bits, add… More articles Workshop skills WORKSHOP SKILLSTop tips for combine maintenance, repair and storageHaving cut his teeth at hire firm APH in the mid-1990s, Ben Painter knows a thing or two about CNH combines. Three decades on, he’s still in the game, keeping… WORKSHOP SKILLSHow workshop keeps 76 vehicles and 30 tractors runningIf you think you’ve got a lot of machinery to maintain, try stepping into Aaron Scott’s shoes. As workshop manager on the 12,140ha Lilburn Estate in Northumberland, he is charged… WORKSHOP SKILLSBlaney on the look-out for new machinery ideasUp to £50,000 of investment is on offer from Blaney Group to help farmers, landowners, contractors and anyone else working across the agricultural industry bring a smart idea, or even… WORKSHOP SKILLSFarm implement control boxes: Who to call for repairsWhen metalwork twists, shafts snap and bearings give up the ghost, most farmers and contractors have the tools and know-how to get machinery up and running. But if modern electrical… More articles VideoSee all WORKSHOP SKILLSConversion turns Discovery into off-road milk floatCharles Kinston’s off-road milk float took third place in the simple category of the Farmers Weekly Inventions Competition. Mr Kinston, a dairy farmer from Burton on Trent, is doing his… MACHINERYVideo:Getting the best from a Master mobile dryerThe mobile grain dryer is clearly now a viable alternative to a fixed dryer – their capacities and drying outputs have increased over the years so that there are models… MACHINERYGetting the best from... a loader tractorIntro Tip 1 Tip 2 Tip 3 Tip 4 Tip 5 Tip 6 Tip 7 Tip 8 Tip 9 Tip 10 The humble loader tractor gets some stick. It runs… MACHINERYHow to service a Honda ATVGeneral Fluids & filters Engine Transmission Brakes & Tyres Suspension They're one of the most used pieces of kit on any livestock farm, but when was the last time you… InsightsSee all FARM MAINTENANCE8 security items to help protect farms, tools and machineryThere’s no single answer to keeping farmyards, tools and machinery secure, but taking the proper precautions will minimise the risk of being hit. Making your premises look as uninviting as… TOOLSWhy farmers are installing ultra accurate CNC plasma cuttersA growing number of farmers are opting to tool up with engineering-grade workshop equipment to produce their own machinery parts. And when it comes to carving out perfect sheet metal… TOOLSHandy tools and equipment to ease farm fencing jobsA rich bounty of tools and equipment awaits those keen to ease the process of erecting agricultural fencing. Here are some of the options. See also: How to make fence posts…
