Farms and Farm Machinery Issue 381

Available from JCB dealers now, the third generation of JCB’s Loadall telehandlers has an additional lift capacity of 200kg, with a cab about 50 per cent quieter than the previous model. The company has added three new models to the agricultural telehandler range, a 7 metre 532-70, the 542-70 and 560-80, while its existing heavy-lift, bulk handling 560-80 model, with its 8m lift height and 5.5 tonne lift capacity will remain available. A new powershift transmission system will be used in the smallest model – with a 109hp (81kW) engine – in order to provide better performance and fuel economy, while the current six-speed transmission will be used on the 125hp and 145hp (93kW and 108kW) engines. Each of the new models will be available in Agri, Agri Super and Agri Pro variants…

Three new irrigation system control panels will make remote monitoring of the Zimmatic systems easier by becoming more accessible, manufacturer Lindsay Corporation says. Available in three versions – the 500C, 700C and 712C – the Zimmatic control panels are integrated with Lindsay’s FieldNet remote irrigation management software. Product manager Reece Andrews says the Zimmatic control panels will help operators improve productivity through increased access. “We know every grower’s situation is different. That’s why we offer a range of advanced Zimmatic controllers – all FieldNetready and prepared to go to work in your field,” Andrews says. “Over-the-air serviceability makes software and firmware updates and the addition of future feature enhancements easier than ever. “With advanced technology and an intuitive interface, they’re powerful but very easy to use,” he says. Each of the new panels comes with smart…

Planting seeds accurately while travelling at 20km/h will be possible with the Precea range of precision air seeders, set to be released locally by German manufacturer Amazone in Spring. Amazone will launch three models of the Precea seeder – a rigid-framed 3,000 model with 75cm row spacing; a telescopic 4500-2 model with row spacing from 45–80cm; and the Precea 3000-A, which is mounted onto Amazone’s KX or KG rotary cultivators as a one-pass seedbed option. The models will reach an operating speed of up to 12km/h with Amazone’s standard mechanical speed shaft drive system, but will be able to reach 20km/h using the ElectricDrive option. Craig Hopkins, the Amazone product manager for Australian distributor Claas Harvest Centre, says ElectricDrive can be controlled via any ISOBUS terminal including Amazone’s AmaTron 4 or AmaPad 2…

The ZED70 – an acronym for Zero Emission Drive 70 – runs a 100 per cent electric drivetrain that utilises a 700Nm electric ‘permanent magnet’ motor powered by a bank of lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 88kWh – although a battery capacity upgrade to 115kWh is available. Regenerative braking is utilised, and the battery life cycle is listed at more than 10 years. Zero Automotive claims a theoretical range of up to 350km, with a four-hour charge time. However, the Australian company says a one-hour full charge option will also be available shortly. To protect all the important bits, battery and motor subframes have been strengthened and are now more “structurally rigid”, while the batteries are housed in robust 3mm-thick boxes. Zero Automotive’s Tim Possingham says the ZED70 is ADR compliant and…

Claas, John Deere, Case IH, New Holland and Kuhn dominated the list of 2019’s most innovative designs in engineering products prepared by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). The society’s AE50 awards honour the 50 products judged as having the greatest impact on the food and agricultural engineers by a panel of international engineering experts. Claas won six of the awards for products commercially introduced to the USA in 2019 – the Lexion 8000-7000 series combine harvester, Jaguar 900 series forage harvester, Jaguar Terra Trac drive system, Axion 900 Series tractor, Orbis 750 header and the new Claas corn head. The new corn head has gear-driven left- and right-hand main row unit gearboxes designed to cut down on drive chain maintenance, while new non-greaseable knife rolls ensure consistent season long…

LandHQ, a Penrith-based John Deere Agricultural Machinery dealership backed by Hutcheon & Pearce managing director Arron Hutcheon, has acquired fellow NSW Deere dealer Agriquip Machinery. Managed by Russell Dunlop and founded by his family 43 years ago, Agriquip has two dealerships in Bowral and Queanbeyan, stocking Deere tractors, mowers and gators as well as a range of attachments. LandHQ is a partnership between Hutcheon and managing director James Evins, serving most of Sydney and the surrounding districts. In a statement, Evins says the companies will combine their expertise to bring new resources and improved parts and after-market support to the dealerships. “That kind of thing is important to us and we’ll leverage the strength and heritage of the Southern Highlands and ACT dealership to deliver complete solutions for farm, yard, turf and construction across…