Implement & Tractor articles from March 2005

Implement & Tractor archives from March 2005

Don't miss Frank Lee's sales columns.(I&T's Editor's Word)
March 1, 2005... Beginning with the May/June issue of Implement & Tractor, Frank Lee will write a sales column for ag equipment dealerships. Frank heads Sales Academy, Inc., a company that specializes in teaching sales behaviors that result in success. He...

I&T had "news to use" for this reader.(I&T's Editor's Word)
March 1, 2005... When I say Implement & Tractor prints "news to use," it's not just a slogan--as a note from this reader attests: I have been a subscriber to l & T for many years. Although I don't sell tractors or implements. I like to keep up on industry news...

A tribute to the Harvest Brigade: Massey Harris combines spearhead a unique wheat harvest during WWII.
March 1, 2005... Lenwood Holo's dream became reality, with the help of voluntary contributions, a lot of elbow grease and a list of sponsors--including farm equipment and agricultural tire dealers. He created a lasting tribute to the famed Harvest Brigade that...

Orbit combine reel eliminates reel-auger gap.
March 1, 2005... The Orbit Reel, which was designed as a replacement system to the standard combine reel, provides for the first time a proven way to control crops through the header auger, according to Carl McNair, president of HCC, Inc., Mendota, Ill. ...

New auto header control for standing grains fits most combines.
March 1, 2005... Headsight, Inc. has released an automatic header height control system for standing grains that fits oil most brands of headers and combines made in the last 30 years. Although automatic header height control has been available for soybeans for...

UAW workers ratify contract with CNH.
March 1, 2005... * UAW workers ratify contract with CNH--Approximately 650 CNH employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) returned to work the week of March 20, following ratification of a settlement agreement on Saturday, March 19. The agreement...

US barge fleet declines, pressure indices rise.
March 1, 2005... * US barge fleet declines, pressure indices rise--The number of inland barges in the US has declined more than 2,000 from an historical high in 1998. Although 510 new barges were added to the overall fleet in 2004, 942 barges were retired from...

Congress asked to continue ag education programs.
March 1, 2005... * Congress asked to continue ag education programs--The National Council for Agricultural Education asked the US Congress to continue federal funding for career and technical education by reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and...

Farm equipment exports increased in 2004.
March 1, 2005... * Farm equipment exports increased in 2004--The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) reported that US exports of agricultural-related machinery in 2004 rose for the third consecutive year in 2004 to nearly 19 percent, to almost $5.7...

2005 US farming income forecast at $64.4 billion.
March 1, 2005... * 2005 US farming income forecast at $64.4 billion--This 2005 predicted net income figure of $64.4 billion is down $9.2 billion from the estimated 2004 record of $73.6 billion, but it is still the second highest on record. The unprecedented...

Farm operator households' incomes forecast to rise.
March 1, 2005... * Farm operator households' incomes forecast to rise--Although the Economic Research Service forecast a modest 1.9 percent reduction in average gross farm cash income, the average income earned by farm operator households in 2005 is forecast to...

UK issues 2003 tractor market shares.
March 1, 2005... * UK issues 2003 tractor market shares--The following analysis of tractor registrations for 2003 in the UK shows the market shares for the major brands. Chris Evans, economist for A.E.A., said this detail of company information is in accordance...

John Deere institutes biodiesel plant-fills.
March 1, 2005... * John Deere institutes biodiesel plant-fills--Effective March 1, 2005, John Deere began using B2, a blend of two percent biodiesel fuel--ninety-eight percent petroleum diesel, as the preferred factory-fill at the John Deere Waterloo (Iowa)...

Rural America now has access to broadband Internet service.
March 1, 2005... * Rural America now has access to broadband Internet service--Although any rural area in the US that desires high-speed (broadband) Internet connectivity can get it, many people are still not aware there is universal access or the impact,...

Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who was instrumental in getting Congressional approval of the biodiesel bill, congratulated the John Deere Waterloo Works for taking a leading role in using biodiesel.
March 1, 2005... Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who was instrumental in getting Congressional approval of the biodiesel bill, congratulated the John Deere Waterloo Works for taking a leading role in using biodiesel. Then he climbed aboard and started one of...

Auction action.
March 1, 2005... It had been just over five and a half years since I'd seen a JD 8760 tractor sell for over $60,000 at auction. The streak ended on March 3, 2005, when a 1989 model JD 8760 with 2,355 hours sold on a farm auction in east-central Michigan for...

Hotsy 795SS hot water pressure washer.(For The Dealer's Shop)
March 1, 2005... * Hotsy 795SS hot water pressure washer--The new 795SS model electric-powered, diesel-heated hot water pressure washer delivers 2000 psi (pressure) at a flow rate of 3.5 gpm (gallons per minute) and comes in 230-volt/l phase and 208-volt/l...

New battery gives more power and run time to cordless tools.(For The Dealer's Shop)
March 1, 2005... * New battery gives more power and run time to cordless tools--Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation's new line of tools using V28 lithium ion battery technology includes a hammer-drill, circular saw, Sawzall reciprocating saw, impact wrench,...

Dealers offered refrigerant identifier trade-in.(For The Dealer's Shop)
March 1, 2005... * Dealers offered refrigerant identifier trade-in--Neutronics Automotive, Exton, Penn., introduces its new advanced Ultima ID Refrigerant Identifier with a special "Trade In / Trade Up Program." For a limited time, any make or age model...

Shark SK-5 series parts washer.(For The Dealer's Shop)
March 1, 2005... * Shark SK-5 series parts washer-Shark Pressure Washers' new washers feature a unique flushing action for rental market. The solvent-free, automatic parts washer line, designed for in-shop cleaning, includes a new 39" high top-load model for...

AutoFarm introduces open-standard steering system.
March 1, 2005... The new AutoFarm RTK AutoSteer System 2005 is interoperable with other precision farming applications, allowing seamless integration with any brand and model of tractor, sprayer or harvester. Customer requests for such a product led to the...

World Ag Expo 2005: billed as the world's largest ag equipment show, this annual event draws thousands of visitors.
March 1, 2005... Weather was great for the 2005 World Ag Expo, billed as the "world's largest ag equipment show," held each February. Reasonable temperatures and some sunshine every day brought out the crowds and made the exhibitors happy. To kick off the...

Case IH dealers can now offer compact track loaders.
March 1, 2005... Dealers who drove the new Case IH compact track loaders told Implement & Tractor they were impressed with the track technology and ease of handling these machines. Through a series of competitive task-related activities at the Case IH proving...

Modern mowing equipment is legacy of Wood brothers.(Founders)
March 1, 2005... The legacy of the three Wood brothers who revolutionized mowing is visible in a neatly-trimmed ditch at the edge of a corn field, in a freshly-mowed waterway in the back of a field or in a miles-long highway median void of tall weeds and...

New Vienna Metal Works, Inc. is the new name of Gerry's Welding & Fab., Inc.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * New Vienna Metal Works, Inc. is the new name of Gerry's Welding & Fab., Inc. The company remains at 6869 Columbus St., New Vienna, Iowa 52065, phone 563-921-3445.

John Deere Ag Management Solutions has partnered with AgriSolutions software company to update JDOffice 1.4 with a accounting plug-in that enables users to integrate with the AgManager accounting software and simplify data input in a seamless connection with the program.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * John Deere Ag Management Solutions has partnered with AgriSolutions software company to update JDOffice 1.4 with a accounting plug-in that enables users to integrate with the AgManager accounting software and simplify data input in a seamless...

Titan Tire Corporation plans to purchase the North American farm tire business of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for approximately $100 million, subject to government approval and agreement with union members at the Goodyear facility in Freeport, Ill.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * Titan Tire Corporation plans to purchase the North American farm tire business of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for approximately $100 million, subject to government approval and agreement with union members at the Goodyear facility in...

Eaton Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, has purchased the agricultural powertrain business, Pigozzi S.A. Engrenagens e Transmissoes, located in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, for approximately $30 million.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * Eaton Corp., Cleveland, Ohio, has purchased the agricultural powertrain business, Pigozzi S.A. Engrenagens e Transmissoes, located in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, for approximately $30 million. Pigozzi manufactures rotors, transmissions and other...

Alamo Group Limited, the European subsidiary of Alamo Group Inc. has acquired Spearhead Machinery Limited, of Pershore, Worchestershire, England, for $6 million.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * Alamo Group Limited, the European subsidiary of Alamo Group Inc. has acquired Spearhead Machinery Limited, of Pershore, Worchestershire, England, for $6 million. Spearhead produces tractor-mounted mowers, cutters, swipes and other vegetation...

Thomas Equipment Inc., of Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, recently reached an exclusive global supply agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries Construction Equipment Division headquartered, a market leader in manufacturing and distribution of excavators and wheeled loaders, headquartered in Ulsan, South Korea.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * Thomas Equipment Inc., of Centerville, New Brunswick, Canada, recently reached an exclusive global supply agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries Construction Equipment Division headquartered, a market leader in manufacturing and distribution...

The Agricultural Products Division of Lechler, Inc., St. Charles, Ill., will be the exclusive Master Distributor for North America of the GEOline brand of agricultural sprayer accessories, made by Tecomec S.p.A.(Company)
March 1, 2005... * The Agricultural Products Division of Lechler, Inc., St. Charles, Ill., will be the exclusive Master Distributor for North America of the GEOline brand of agricultural sprayer accessories, made by Tecomec S.p.A. A strategic alliance between...

North American Case IH Agricultural Business.(People)
March 1, 2005... * Frank Anglin III succeeds Jim Irwin as vice president for North American Case IH Agricultural Business. Anglin was most recently vice president of Case IH and New Holland agricultural business for the Australia, New Zealand and Oceania...

Hall Manufacturing.(People)
March 1, 2005... * Robert Hall, President of Hall Manufacturing, North Little Rock, Ark., was recently named chair of the Industry Committee of the Arkansas Science and Technology Board. The Committee's primary role is to provide direction to Arkansas...

MachineryLink, Inc.(People)
March 1, 2005... * Tyron Wallgren has joined MachineryLink, Inc., as regional sales manager for Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas, responsible for equipment needs of grain producers. He has more than 14 years of sales and machinery experience, most recently...

Jim Irwin Retires After 40 years with Case IH.(Industry Notebook)
March 1, 2005... Jim Irwin, vice president of Case IH, North American Agricultural Business retired on January 31, 2005, after 40 years in the ag equipment industry. He began as an in-store office clerk in International Harvester's Omaha office. That...

Alemite.(People)
March 1, 2005... * Mike Rowe, Chief Financial Officer, and Ray Niemczura, Sr., Director of Engineering, have joined the Alemite management team. With more than 20 years of experience both in public accounting and as a chief financial officer, Rowe was most...

CNH Global N.V.(People)
March 1, 2005... * Harold Boyanovsky has been named interim CEO of CNH Global N.V., following the move of Paolo Monferino to Iveco S.p.a., which is part of Fiat Group's Commercial Vehicle Sector. Boyanovsky is president for Construction Equipment Business of...

Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).(Association)
March 1, 2005... * The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has opened the AEM Canada office in Ottawa, Ontario, in order to be near the Canadian Parliament and federal government offices. AEM says the goal is to raise the profile of the equipment...

Beall Mfg.--100 years.(Anniversaries)
March 1, 2005... Founded in 1905 in East Alton, Ill., Beall first made pick axes and shovels for the local coal mining industry. Today the company is a leading manufacturer of steel shanks and bearing hangers for the agricultural industry, and also produces a...

Kinze Manufacturing, Inc.-40 years.(Anniversaries)
March 1, 2005... In 1965, Jon Kinzenbaw used his 53,655 bank loan to purchase a few new tools and some welding equipment and a building on contract so he could open a small repair and custom metal fabrication shop in Ladora, Iowa. Forty years later, he heads up...

Converting gasoline engine to LP gas--is this a good idea?(Maintenance & Repair)
March 1, 2005... Q Currently in our area, LP gas price is once again regarded as being cost competitive with gasoline for tractor fuel. Predictably, we are starting to get questions from a few of our regular customers about conversion kits they recall being...

Do torque converters always waste fuel?(Maintenance & Repair)
March 1, 2005... Q At a recent coffee break, the subject of torque-converter transmissions and their affect on tractor fuel consumption came up. Predictably, this led to a variety of views--both pro and con, most of which can be (charitably) described as based...

How can hotter cooling systems cool engines better?(Maintenance & Repair)
March 1, 2005... Q The service staff at our dealership is well aware that current and most recent-model tractors have pressurized cooling systems that must be treated with somewhat more "respect" than was required by earlier simple non-pressurized circulating...

Taking care of "senior citizen" tractors.(Maintenance & Repair)
March 1, 2005... Q We have a customer with a very early model tractor that predates the experience of any of us here at the dealership. The tractor has the early six-volt electrical system with a generator to supply electrical power to keep the battery charged....

Grouser "F" series track.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... The new Bar Track "F" series, which replace the E series, have two-inch wide bars with more than 30 percent more material for longer life, wider traction bars for improved track-to-tire grip and improved sidewall design that helps accommodate...

CenterLine guidance system.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... In addition to parallel modes, this manual guidance system from Midwest Technologies now includes a curved AB mode to allow operation in any guidance pattern. Automatic guidance information to the closest swath and countdown of the distance to...

Armorcoat Epoxy Floor Coating.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... Expect Armorcoat Epoxy Floor Coating Systems from Vanberg Specialized Coatings (VCS) not only to provide an attractive shine like this repair bay, but also exceptional durability and virtually maintenance free. The floor coating system produces...

Split-top grapple rake.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... Worksaver designed this split-top grapple rake to pile limbs and pick up brush and other debris, while leaving the dirt on the ground. The dual independent upper grapples clamp and hold uneven sized loads of material and the self-cleaning teeth...

Alemite 340078 Tank Sentry.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... Alemite 340078 Tank Sentry--Alemite is expanding its waste fluid handling product line with the 340078 Tank Sentry, a tank-mounted valve that prevents oil overflow in tanks. An air valve, which is separate from the waste fluid tank itself, is...

L1500 Single Disc Spreader.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... Lely's L1500 Single Disc Spreader was developed specifically for farmers with larger field or sod areas for the application of fertilizers, granular chemicals, grains or seed in bulk. An optional mesh-grid prevents foreign matter such as solid...

Antelco Micro Mate.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... Antelco has released a new addition of low-volume irrigation products. The Micro Mate product line features a simple "press fit" design to allow for ease of installation, cleaning or head change out while significantly reducing the time during...

GreenStar Universal AutoTrac Kit.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... GreenStar Universal AutoTrac Kit--By late 2005, John Deem plans to market a retrofit kit for the GreenStar AutoTrac assisted-steering system to be used on older model John Deere equipment. The kit will be available for John Deere row crop...

Bourgault leading 6450 air seeder.(Product Review)
March 1, 2005... This L6450 model is the largest production leading air seeder tank in the world, the company says. It's four internal tanks hold a total of 450 bushels, and tanks can be diverted through the use of inter-connect ports. Rear tires available are...

Agromek 2005 continues the tradition of quality, organization and variety of products.
March 1, 2005... For the past five or six years that I've attended the annual Agromek Exhibition in Herning, Denmark, I've always come away impressed with the quality of the show and its organization. The largest such show in Scandanavia, Agromek focuses on...

Sorbisense method measures leaching of nitrate and phosphorous.
March 1, 2005... One of the new products which had its world-wide introduction at the 2005 Agromek show was the Sorbisense testing equipment for measuring nitrate and phosphorous utilization and leaching from agricultural areas. The equipment includes a steel...

Lykketronic CAN-system used to control hydraulics.
March 1, 2005... The Danish electronics company, Lykketronic A/S, specializes in development and production of electronics for field machinery and implements, including slurry trucks, combi-harrows, manure spreaders and field sprays. Lykketronic MP (Multi...

"Mulch and mow" just got easier.
March 1, 2005... WOLF-Garten's line of "mulch and mow" mowers has three models: the Compact Plus 34E, the Compact Plus 37E and the Power Edition 37E Compact Plus--which, thanks to the CCM-Stystem can be used for mulching or mowing, all with with a simple twist...

AL-KO PowerLine features quick ejection to mulching changeover.
March 1, 2005... The AL-KO PowerLine lawn tractor, model T 15-102 HDS Bio Combi, has a side ejection and mulches with a newly developed blade. The changeover from side ejection to mulching is operated with a single handle, no tools required. With a durable...

Asa-Lift develops new cabbage harvester.
March 1, 2005... The MK-1000 is a new type cabbage harvester for the fresh market and the industry. It's simple construction and easy operation results in reliability and low running costs, according to the company. It works by keeping the cabbage standing...

Michelin Xeobib is made for both field and road.
March 1, 2005... Michelin Xeobib '60' series tire allows a wider section-width to be fitted while maintaining the same diameter as more normal '70' or '65' series tires. It can operate at much greater levels of deflection at speed. The Xeobib is rated to carry...