Reading Time: 3 minutes In late January, John Deere introduced the new 344L compact wheel loader at an industry show in Las Vegas. Although this machine comes out of the green brand’s yellow construction side, it is also being marketed as an ideal fit for an on-farm fleet. “The 344L is a quick, nimble machine that is optimized for […] Read more
Lift and load
Three new loaders designed for on-farm handling
Cross slot seeding
Maybe it’s not a brand new idea, but this technology from New Zealand allows for revolutionary no-till seeding, fertilizer banding and uniform emergence
Reading Time: 6 minutes A common view in agriculture these days is that crop yields jumped more in the past 10 years than they did in the previous 30. And it isn’t just yield. There have been similar spurts too in the design of multi-hybrid planters, variable-rate seeding and newer transgenics. Yet at the same time, a few older […] Read more
Versatile debuts new machinery for 2018
Winnipeg-based manufacturer shows new combine, anniversary tractor
Reading Time: 3 minutes The regional Manitoba Ag Days indoor farm machinery show in Brandon takes place every January, but isn’t exactly known as the kind of event where major manufacturers debut new machines — with one notable exception. Versatile, whose manufacturing plant is just two hours down the highway, has embraced the event as a place to show […] Read more
Farm equipment sales evolve for 2018
Rocky Mountain Equipment exec Jim Wood talks about Canadian ag machinery sales trends
Reading Time: 4 minutes As U.S. and Canadian farm equipment dealerships wrestled with their hangover from the half-decade of hyper sales activity that ended a couple of years ago, the job of finding new homes for a large number of used machines may have been their biggest problem. For the most part, that trouble has now faded from view, […] Read more
Deere strengthens its tractor promise
More models and a unique fuel guarantee to boost Deere’s European presence
Reading Time: 3 minutes Several years ago, John Deere was one of the earliest brands to give the digital component of its equipment a strong emphasis. Without a doubt they were ahead of all the major brands, which have since recognized the growing importance of that technology. Now, Deere is again getting ahead of curve by using the data […] Read more
Conventional thinking
Machinery manufacturers are offering European farmers new options for in-crop weed and pest control
Reading Time: 5 minutes Walking the 15 kilometres or so of aisles at Agritechnica in November, one trend was hard to miss. It was in the tillage segment, where the number of options and the sophistication of that technology is obviously on the rise. Efficiency has always been the driving force behind farm machinery evolution, but it’s clear that […] Read more
And the Oscar goes to…
Brands claim top design awards at home and abroad
Reading Time: 4 minutes The Agritechnica machinery show in Germany, which takes place every two years, has its own set of Tractor of the Year awards. A group of European journalists pick what they collectively think are the best tractors in each of four different categories, including best field tractor, best utility, best speciality and best overall design. This […] Read more
Re-energizing electric drive
Today’s concept tractors may never get beyond the prototype stage, but that isn’t going to stop electrification
Reading Time: 6 minutes It was one of those great opportunities that I savour. I was with two very senior executives from one of the full-line manufacturers, and we were having a casual and candid conversation over lunch. We were in a private dining room on the grounds of the Agritechnica machinery show in Germany. Eventually the conversation drifted […] Read more
‘Xaver’-ing success
AGCO’s MARS project lands a new name ahead of its market release
Reading Time: 3 minutes Several months ago Country Guide reported on the field robot project called MARS, which is an acronym for Mobile Agricultural Robot Swarms. It began as a joint research project between the European Commission and AGCO’s Fendt brand. At the Agritechnica machinery show in Hanover, Germany, in November, AGCO revealed the project has moved beyond the […] Read more
It’s a new market
Get ready for some repair bills, says Case IH vice-president Jim Walker, who predicts farmers are going to have to change how quickly they cycle new machinery through their operations
Reading Time: 5 minutes When Case IH invited farm writers to Ames, Iowa to see their new line of equipment for 2018, the company’s vice-president Jim Walker was also there. At an evening dinner on the last day of the event, he presented his thoughts on the state of the ag equipment industry, and hinted at his strategy for […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
