Profi June 2020

In the current circumstance it would be all too easy to dwell on the negative, but that does nobody any good. A bit of positive mental attitude can go a long way, it will not fix everything, but it will certainly help. The industry has done a magnificent job of adapting to a changing way of life, everyone from you, the farmers and contractors feeding the nations to the dealership staff and manufacturer representatives all working together to support each other. Even mother nature is doing her part with ground that has been soaked from months of rain now drying up, and dare we say it perhaps a small drop of rain would be welcome in some parts. While farmers and tractor drivers are well used to social distancing there…

New boss at Claas Cathrina Claas-Mülhäuser is the new head of Claas, which last year employed more than 11,400 staff worldwide and recorded a turnover of €3.8 billion. Cathrina is the third generation of Claas family to be appointed to chair the company’s shareholders’ committee, which sets the strategic direction of the business and works closely with the group executive board. She assumes the role from her father Helmut Claas, who after 25 years at the helm, is now honorary chairman. Under Helmut’s leadership, Claas intensified its international presence, and the official press communication highlights the new production and sales locations opened in India, the USA, Russia, China and South America. Helmut’s lengthy spell as head of the family business also coincided with the development of the flagship Lexion combine…

When it was originally launched in 2016, Kubota’s M7001 tractor range was the most powerful ever produced by the company. Spanning the all-important 130-170hp segment, not only were these flagship prime-movers complete newcomers to the market, they bucked the trend in sticking with a four-cylinder engine to provide all the muscle. Despite not offering a six-pot option, the Japanese firm saw some significant success with its biggest tractors and in a relatively short space of time they gained something of a name for themselves as pokey, nimble performers. But they have also undergone several revamps in a relatively short space of time. Just two years after their initial appearance the 7001-series was re-badged the 7002–ostensibly in the name of engine emissions legislation. Alongside a ZF-sourced stepless CVT gearbox, these second…

Parts one and two of this mammoth group test was all about the quality of work and user-friendly operation, but if you have missed these earlier articles the differences are illustrated using the individual bar graphs on the following pages (you can also read parts one and two on the profi.co.uk test centre). Each bar shows the machine’s average score in each test category and how this relates to the average result for the group. The length of each bar reflects the machine’s position within the group and is not an absolute score. The final category for all eight drills is pricing which is shown in the table on page 19. All the prices exclude VAT. The base specification prices. The cheapest machines in the group are the Horsch Pronto…

Doubles not only mean wasted seed, but the planted crop also has to compete for light and nutrients, while gaps translate to a loss in yield and increased weed pressure in the non-drilled space. This explains why accurate section control on a straight and angled headland is so important. It is something we almost expect from precision planters and the technology is now starting to filter across to cultivator drills for cereals and pulses. Up until recently the onus has been on the operator to get the on/off timing just right and most will lean on the side of caution and prefer to over drill. The wider the drill the larger the overlap on a slanted headland. Even with manual section control it can be difficult to get the on/off…

The UX trailed sprayers were first introduced in 2005 with only minor tweaks until the next generation 01 hit the market in 2017. The big changes happened around the operator zone and the control system for the boom which instead of the traditional damping systems bristles with sensors and hydraulic features. Enough changes to warrant a closer look and one of our in-depth practical tests. The supplied test machine was a rather well kitted out UX4201 Super with a 4,200-litre rated tank and a 27m boom. The spec sheet included the Super L2 boom with ContourControl, SwingStop, 25cm nozzle spacing, an ISObus Comfort Pack, AmaTron4 Terminal with AmaPilot+ multi-function joystick, GPS-Switch, GPS-Track…. Another noteworthy feature is the load-sensing control which is available with an extended accumulator charging function which has…