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FARM MAINTENANCE

What to look for when buying a farmyard CCTV system

As 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,…

TRACTORS

Bluewhite driverless retrofit transforms sub-100hp tractors

An Israeli-American start-up has developed a retrofit kit that allows small tractors to work entirely autonomously, principally for spraying permanent crops such as vines and orchards. Given Bluewhite's focus is…

MACHINERY

Ukraine war: Government incentives boost farm machinery sales

An estimated 110,000 agricultural machines have been stolen or destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, leaving farms chronically short of equipment, staff and cash. As well as…

CEREAL DRILLS

Ultimate Guide to buying a trailed combination drill 2025

There are just a few changes to our Ultimate Guide to versatile trailed drills that deploy discs, tines or a power harrow to complete seed-bed preparation ahead of a bank…

FARM MAINTENANCE

Borders farmer takes drainage in-house with DIY tile plough

Chain 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…

CEREAL DRILLS

Ultimate Guide to buying a direct tine drill 2025

New drills, and all-new drill ranges, are among the headlines for this year’s Ultimate Guide to direct drills sporting tine coulters. Bramleys Seed Establishment and Grange Machinery feature as seeder…

Baling

NAAC contractor price guide 2024-25

See the latest NAAC latest survey of contracting prices.

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CEREAL DRILLS

Ultimate Guide to buying a direct disc drill 2025

The most noticeable absentee in this year’s Ultimate Guide to direct drills with disc coulters is surely the Cross Slot seeder, built in the UK in recent years using original…

CULTIVATORS

Lemken pushes Thulit flexi-tine harrow out to 12m

Lemken's high-spec Thulit flexible tine harrow for weeding in arable crops and grassland is now available in a 12.2m width to provide greater output than the current 9m and 6m…

FORAGERS

Claas Jaguar forager to offer rapid analysis of maize crops

In-field analysis of maize crop processing in a matter of minutes is a new feature that enables forage harvesting contractors operating Claas Jaguar choppers to consistently and accurately meet customer…

FERTILISER SPREADERS

Kuhn ramps up headland fert spreading accuracy

Kuhn has further developed its Optipoint fertiliser spread pattern control software for even greater accuracy at headland intersections. Available for the Axis range of twin-disc broadcasters, Optipoint Pro adjusts the…

FERTILISER SPREADERS

Kuhn ramps up headland fert spreading accuracy

Kuhn has further developed its Optipoint fertiliser spread pattern control software for even greater accuracy at headland intersections. Available for the Axis range of twin-disc broadcasters, Optipoint Pro adjusts the…

4X4S

On test: Low-cost Dacia Duster 4x4 finally gets its polish

We’re partial to a cheap off-roader on the Farmers Weekly Machinery desk. While top-end vehicles can hide behind their plush trim and expensive add-ons, the budget end of the spectrum…

MACHINERY

Major distribution changes for Sky drills and Hustler kit

Burel Group has decided to take UK sales and support for its Sky drills in-house after a long-standing partnership with Opico, with the Lincs-based distributor continuing to supply parts until…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Wiltshire dairy farm

The Wiltshire-based Leighfield family are in this week’s What’s in Your Shed hot seat. Oliver Mark poses the questions to Paul, Julie, Richard and Edward. See also: On test - Massey…

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What's in Your Shed?

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WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits a Wiltshire dairy farm

The Wiltshire-based Leighfield family are in this week’s What’s in Your Shed hot seat. Oliver Mark poses the questions to Paul, Julie, Richard and Edward. See also: On test - Massey…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits Barnes Contracting

Devon-based Barnes Contracting buys predominantly used or ex-demo kit and then hangs on to it... unless the purchase turns out to be a pup. Andrew Faulkner is given a yard…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? Worcestershire farmer reveals all

An eclectic mix of modern and classic kit is proving a reliable ally for Worcestershire farmer and contractor Rob Collins. See also: Fendt tractors: Common problems and how to fix them…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? Somerset farmers spill the beans

Working to a tight budget, Somerset farmers Martin and Michael Waldock aim to buy their kit well … and sell it even better. Andrew Faulkner gets the measure of the…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What's in Your Shed? visits Massey-mad YouTuber Tom Lamb

Farmer, digger fleet owner and budding YouTuber Tom Lamb gives us the lowdown on his business. See also: Owner rates Massey Ferguson 8S.265 tractor with Dyna E-Power transmission Farm facts A…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

What’s in Your Shed? visits a Cumbrian farming family

Tractor paint colour matters little to Cumbrian farmers and contractors Vaughan, Karl and Ryan Hodgson, who run a mixed fleet of Fendts, JCBs and John Deeres. See also: Direct drills revisited:…

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4X4S

On test: Low-cost Dacia Duster 4x4 finally gets its polish

We’re partial to a cheap off-roader on the Farmers Weekly Machinery desk. While top-end vehicles can hide behind their plush trim and expensive add-ons, the budget end of the spectrum…

401+HP

First impressions: Claas Xerion 12.650 takes on US artics

To the casual observer, Claas’ Xerion 12.650 looks like any other articulated crawler – just a Quadtrac, 9RX, or Versatile Deltatrack dressed in a different outfit. Yet it’s nothing of…

TELEHANDLERS

On test: Stacks of power in diddy JCB 530-60

JCB’s engineers have successfully completed telehandler themed Tetris by cramming almost all the components from the largest Loadalls into a package condensed in all dimensions. That makes the diminutive 530-60…

TRACTORS

Fendt's four-cylinder, 224hp 620 – small engine, big power

Four cylinders? 224hp? It’s hard to believe just what can be wrung from a relatively small engine these days – one that finds itself propelling the successors to Fendt’s uber-popular…

Driver's view

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COMBINES

Combine app allows drivers to share and view threshing setups

Trevor Scherman, inventor of the Schergrain grain pan, now not only has a means of alerting combine operators to excessive crop losses, but the ability to suggest threshing settings that…

TRACTORS

Driver's view: Why Norfolk grower runs trio of Deutz 7250s

Deutz-Fahr tractors are now the go-to prime movers for Norfolk-based potato grower Ian Mason Farms, primarily because of their keen up-front costs and driver-friendly controls. The business runs four of…

201-300HP

Driver's view: Leics farm rates McCormick's 240hp X7.624

Shifting fewer than 100 tractors a year at the last count makes McCormick one of the lowest volume tractor brands selling in the UK. But what the Italian marque lacks…

TRACTORS

Driver’s view: McCormick X6.413 P6-Drive

Fitted with a 4.5-litre FPT engine and an in-house six-speed semi-powershift transmission, the X6.4 is McCormick’s premium offering in the four-cylinder sector. This means buyers have access to a host…

Contractor Comment

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CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Arson attack ends baling campaign

Borders contractor Daniel Freeland-Cook faced a battle with the elements this summer, with both fire and water conspiring to scupper his straw baling campaign. Relentless rain meant crop moisture remained…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

'Laughable' tractor prices force expensive switch to hiring

Eye-watering tractor price inflation threw Derek and Linda Keeble’s purchasing regime into disarray this season, forcing them to re-examine costs and bolster their fleet with costly hire machines.   For years,…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Is Covid to blame for kit breakdowns?

Long Covid seemingly isn’t an ailment exclusive to the human race, with mounting evidence that pandemic shutdowns are to blame for a ruck of mechanical maladies among the nation’s farm…

CONTRACTOR COMMENT

Contractor Comment: Holding on to tractors until prices drop

Rain, rain, and more rain. No prizes as to what’s dominated the Cropmech calendar since our previous visit back in March. “In May we ended up calling in two diggers…

Video

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HARVEST

Video: Classic machinery brings in the spring barley harvest

A fleet of British-built classic machinery dating back to the early 1970s was bringing in the spring barley harvest at a farm on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border this week. Two Ransome…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

FORAGE WAGONS

Video: Lely revolutionises zero grazing with autonomous Exos

Dutch firm Lely has put the finishing touches to its self-propelled grass harvester and feeder, which is set to go on sale in the Netherlands next year. The battery powered…

WHATS IN YOUR SHED

WIYS: Contractor ditches new kit for retro fleet

Mark Bowran, 2003 winner of Farmers Weekly’s Tractor Driver of the Year competition, opens the doors of his MBC Services contracting business. Machinery editor, Oliver Mark asks the questions and…

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