Know How / Farm maintenance Must reads How to fix farm tracks with an adapted road grader Guide to ensuring electric fences are stockproof What to look for when buying and fitting a tractor dashcam How to build your own tractor autosteer system for £700 Case studiesSee all 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… WORKSHOP SKILLSHow a Wiltshire-based mechanic built his own hedgecutterLuke Compton likes a workshop challenge, so when he needed a new hedgecutter he decided it would be far more satisfying to build rather than buy one. Complex geometry and… FARM MAINTENANCEStaffs contractor rates Shelbourne's 'head memory' hedgecutterCrafting a pitch-perfect hedge is an art many attempt but not all master. Thousands of tiny tweaks must be made to keep the flail head at the desired angle as… Practical adviceSee all 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… FARM MAINTENANCEHow to fix farm tracks with an adapted road graderBouncing along potholed farm tracks is an unpleasant business, putting unnecessary strain on tractors, implements and their operators. But with input costs through the roof and margins tight, shelling out… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTGuide to ensuring electric fences are stockproofChecking electric fence systems for faults should be a priority ahead of spring turnout to make paddocks and fields secure. From testing the flow of electricity to locating where overgrown… Machinery maintenance MACHINERY MAINTENANCEJohn Deere makes it easier for owners to repair tractorsAdditional resources making it easier for owners and independent workshops to carry out maintenance and repairs on John Deere equipment are being made available. The move largely expands repair options… 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… MACHINERY MAINTENANCEAgricast and Kuhn develop longer-lasting metal optionsSpare parts specialist Agricast has launched a new low-disturbance grassland point, reckoned to be its strongest ever. The GLX Ultra is a tougher version of the standard GLX, which quickly… MACHINERY7 common agricultural engine remapping questions answeredMore farmers are choosing sophisticated agricultural engine remapping technology to increase power, torque and work efficiencies from their tractors, combines and farm machinery. Avon Tuning HD has been offering professional… More articles Workshop skills WORKSHOP SKILLSHome-built heating system uses rotting muck to warm workshopLincolnshire farmer and engineer Tom Lamb has set himself the challenge of building a low-cost heating system powered by farmyard manure. To do so, he’s exploiting the exothermic properties of… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2025: Handy home-made fencing kitIn this year's Inventions Competition entries, fencing inventions featured prominently. These innovative gadgets and designs provide plenty of ideas to make the job of fencing fields easier and more efficient… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2025: Low-cost sprayers, spreaders and cultivato...Contractors and farmers reveal their cunning plans and projects to save on the budget with some clever sprayer, spreader and cultivator inventions. We take a look at some of the… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2025: Workshop builds to ease stock handlingThe livestock kit invention's sent into this year's Inventions Competition, showed off the ingenuity of farmers across the country. We look at some of the best entries. See also: On test:… More articles VideoSee all MACHINERYVideo: How to fit trailer air brakesWe’ve shown how you can get your hydraulic trailer brakes up to stratch, but if you want ultimate stopping power you should consider updrading to air. Why air? Installation: part… MACHINERYFence post driver buyer's guideIntro Falling weight type Vibrating type Self-propelled Specs & Prices For a job as seemingly simple as knocking in a fence post, there is a remarkable number of features, options,… MACHINERYVideo: Electric chainsaws on testThe test Bosch Husqvarna Makita Oregon Stihl Verdict All the main players in the world of woodcraft are now offering cordless, battery-powered chainsaws. But what’s wrong with a good two-stroke… MACHINERYVideo: Guide to fitting a load-sensing trailer brake valveIt's all very well having razor-sharp trailer brakes when you're fully loaded, but when you're empty it inevitably means the wheels lock up and you're left with clouds of smoke… InsightsSee all 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… MACHINERYMajor trimming hedges and fuel costsYou could say that when it comes to hedge-cutting, Michael Tomlinson is a bit of a perfectionist. He’s been doing it since 1982 and serves a wide range of agricultural… MACHINERY MAINTENANCERetrofit options for managing and securing diesel tanksControlled access, consumption records, fill-level alerts and protection against theft and contamination are all available to help farm businesses manage their fuel supplies this harvest. Farmers Weekly have rounded up…
