Gerrit van der Scheer, CEO of Mechan’s parent firm Zweegers Equipment Group, with Toromont senior advisor Larry Moffatt (l-r). (Photo courtesy Mechan International)

Toromont to sell Manitoba Agco, Claas dealer chain

Dutch firm to buy AgWest

Reading Time: 2 minutes Canada’s Caterpillar equipment distributor for Manitoba and points east is set to sell a major Manitoba dealer of Agco’s farm equipment brands as well as the province’s exclusive dealer for Claas combines. Toromont Industries announced Monday it will sell its AgWest Ltd. arm to Dutch equipment distributor Mechan International, effective May 1. Neither company would […] Read more

(ClaasOfAmerica.com)

Claas sees more semiconductor chip snags in 2022

'It's going to be a tough next six months'

Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Agricultural machinery maker Claas said Thursday it expects difficulties in securing semiconductor chips to persist for the first half of next year, which could curb a surge in profits linked to booming farm demand. An upturn in orders from farmers, who are benefiting from high crop prices after several lean years, […] Read more


Claas’ current certified pre-owned inventory includes this 2020 Jaguar 990 self-propelled forage harvester, on offer in Nebraska for US$435,000 (about C$559,500). (ClaasUsedEquipment.com)

Claas retools certified pre-owned equipment program

'Claas Used' plan set up for Canada, U.S. markets

Reading Time: 2 minutes The North American arm of German aq equipment maker Claas has revamped the warranty and financing options it offers on sales of company-inspected pre-owned tractors, combines and forage harvesters. The new program, dubbed ‘Claas Used,’ will offer warranty protection on certified late-model units in Canada and the U.S., along with lower-rate financing through Claas Financial […] Read more

GenAg’s dealership at Portage la Prairie, Man. (GenAg.com)

Dutch distributor buys into Manitoba Claas dealerships

Reading Time: 2 minutes Corrected, Sept. 17 — A major Dutch farm equipment distributor is buying into the Manitoba equipment business, with a deal for Hepson Equipment and a partnership stake in GenAg. Royal Reesink announced Friday it has bought a controlling stake in Hepson and has a partnership deal in place with the Kehler family, owners of GenAg. […] Read more


AGCO’s new “IDEAL” combine will debut in Germany in November. Built on a global platform, it will incorporate the highest level of digital technology of any combine to ever wear MF, Challenger or Fendt nameplates.

Dawn of the ‘smart’ combine

Automated and self-adjusting threshing systems become the norm

Reading Time: 3 minutes Combine manufacturers have made giant strides toward machine automation. Yes, there still needs to be an operator in the cab (and we’re likely some distance away from changing that), but a growing number of today’s combines are making their own decisions about how to adjust their operations on the go for maximum threshing efficiency and […] Read more

It was last August that Claas of America introduced its latest entry, this time into the all-purpose tractor market. Claas is widely known for its Lexion combines and, with the Xerion tractor series, the company is forecasting it will achieve the same success in the high-horsepower market. Not only is the Xerion series powerful, it also provides speed for efficient transport, plus reduced compaction and overall enhanced manoeuverability. The company says its designers have worked hard to create something new specifically for the needs of North American farmers, which includes improved power transmission, dual wheels and enhanced hydraulics. The Xerion design includes three different models, all with a Mercedes-Benz engine: the 5000 and 4500 are equipped with a 12.8-litre engine and the 4000 comes with 10.6-litre engine, capable of running at 530, 490 and 435 hp, respectively. In spite of all that power, the Xerion line is still easy to operate, with six steering modes and three driving programs.

PHOTOS: Tractors with BIG horsepower

Machinery Guide looks at offerings from New Holland, Claas, Massey Ferguson, John Deere and Case IH

Reading Time: < 1 minute There’s really no telling how much bigger these machines will get. Just when it appeared that 500 hp was a safe upper limit, manufacturers pushed right through. Below, Machinery Guide looks at five big tractor series, some with tracked technology and others with cab or transmission enhancements for 2015. All boast big horsepower, which in […] Read more


Krone Easycut F 360 CR Glide

Forage equipment sees major technology boon

Machinery Guide looks at forage equipment from Krone, New Holland, Vermeer, Claas and John Deere

Reading Time: 4 minutes Don’t stop with the models we’ve highlighted from the five manufacturers below. We’re bringing you news on some of the most innovative and efficient models, but forage equipment as a sector is experiencing a major technology boom. Most manufacturers have unveiled multiple new designs in the past 12 months, particularly Deere, New Holland and Vermeer. […] Read more

Que. Caterpillar dealer to shed ag equipment arm

Reading Time: < 1 minute Caterpillar’s dealer for Quebec and the Maritime provinces is set to sell its Quebec farm equipment business to a chain of Agco dealerships. Hewitt Equipment — the authorized Cat dealer for Quebec and western Labrador and, through its Atlantic Tractors and Equipment arm, for the Maritimes — announced recently it will sell its ag division […] Read more


Gleaner S8 Series

A lean year ahead for combine sales

Innovation, improvement is making for the best new combines ever

Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s said that yield is the ultimate measure of a growing season, and if that’s true, then the combine is the ultimate device for measuring success. Sales of combines, like most farm machines, are admittedly finding the going tough these days. In its most recent assessment, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) reported that North […] Read more