Implement & Tractor articles from September 2003

Implement & Tractor archives from September 2003

Dealer hospitality is genuinely warm.(I&T's editor's words)
September 1, 2003... Thanks to the folks at Waterloo Implement, a John Deere dealership in Waterloo, Iowa, for responding so warmly to a tour group of about forty Dutch farmers, farming contractors and equipment mechanics. The group was nearing the end of a busy...

John Deere launches machines for 2004: new or enhanced green models round out several John Deere product lines.
September 1, 2003... John Deere's "superpowers of harvesting"--the John Deere 60 Series Combines were the highlight of the company's recent media debut of new products. In addition to showing improvements to the existing line of combines (see chart below), the...

Case IH fills gap in product lines: investment by CHN is called a commitment to the industry.
September 1, 2003... In Jim Irwin's recent "State-of-the-Case IH Business" report to the media, he compared success in the ag equipment industry to a three-legged stool made up of the manufacturer, the dealer and the customer--all of whom must be committed to the...

AGCO plans acquisition of Valtra tractors and diesel engines.
September 1, 2003... * AGCO plans acquisition of Valtra tractors and diesel engines--AGCO Corporation, Duluth, Ga., has agreed to acquire the Finnish company Valtra Corporation from Kone Corporation for 600 million Euros. Valtra, a tractor and off-road engine...

CNH and Cat Logistics sign long term agreement.
September 1, 2003... * CNH and Cat Logistics Sign Long Term Agreement--Following 10 years of successful collaboration, CNH Global N.V. and Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc. (Cat Logistics) have signed a new long-term logistics services agreement. Cat Logistics...

Spray drift rules should meet agricultural needs.
September 1, 2003... * Spray drift rules should meet agricultural needs--An EPA spending bill now contains language that directs the Agency to make any spray drift rulemaking consistent with the needs of US agriculture. Language inserted into the bill by...

Small business health fairness act passes the house.
September 1, 2003... * Small Business Health Fairness Act passes the House--If the bill passes in the Senate, professional associations could set up health plans nationally for their members. The legislation states that association health plans (AHPs) would be...

Propane powers new tractor technology.
September 1, 2003... * Propane powers new tractor technology--The Southwest Research Institute has designed a clean-burning propane engine for off-road and agricultural vehicles. Funded by the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), the Texas Alternative Fuels...

Rabobank extends US agri-business finance capabilities.
September 1, 2003... * Rabobank extends US agri-business finance capabilities--Rabobank International, the corporate and investment banking arm of the Netherlands-based Rabobank Group, plans to acquire Lend Lease Agri-Business, a subsidiary of the Australian-based...

GE acquiring finance unit of Transamerica.
September 1, 2003... * GE acquiring finance unit of Transamerica--GE Commercial Finance, a division of General Electric Co., plans to acquire most of the commercial lending business of Transamerica Finance Corp from Aegon N.V., a Dutch insurer, for $5.4 billon. To...

Record high farm income predicted for 2003.
September 1, 2003... * Record high farm income predicted for 2003--The USDA predicts that the 2003 net cash income for US farmers will be a record high--$60.2 billion. Net farm income is forecast at $52.6 billion, an increase of 49 percent from 2002. If the 2003...

Gasoline differs with season.(I&T's Maintenance & Repair)
September 1, 2003... Q At a recent coffee break, a discussion came up about differences between so called summer and winter grades of tractor gasoline. Even though we are not in the tractor "fuel business," this is the type of query that our service folks can often...

Power increasing retrofits.(I&T's Maintenance & Repair)
September 1, 2003... Q In an effort to keep our shop reasonably busy during slow times of the year, we traditionally offer special seasonal pricing on major engine and transmission overhauls. From time-to-time, we get questions from a few customers regarding the...

Reduce tire pressure?(I&T's Maintenance & Repair)
September 1, 2003... Q We have a few customers who still do at least a portion of their spring plowing with a two-bottom integral mounted moldboard plow. With this arrangement, the right rear wheel is operated in the furrow from the previous pass and the left wheel...

When you're ready to sell, who is the right buyer?(I&T's Guest Editorial)
September 1, 2003... Consolidation in the agricultural equipment industry is a force that most experts expect to persist into the coming years. As manufacturers sell their companies to competitors or go out of business, manufacturers are becoming bigger, with...

Red River Equipment.(Dealer Connection)
September 1, 2003... * Red River Equipment, Case IH dealer in Steinbach, MB, Canada, recently added the Fendt line of tractors and Hesston Hay Equipment Line to its product offerings. A mid-summer open house at the dealership provided prospective customers the...

Green's implement.(Dealer Connection)
September 1, 2003... * Green's Implement, Hankinson, N.D., inaugurated its new 21,000 square foot building last spring. The dealership carries a line of agricultural equipment under the AGCO umbrella, including the Fendt line of tractors. Fourth generation owners,...

Eight scholarship recipients were named to receive the 2003-2004 Midwest Equipment Dealers Association (MEDA) Foundation Scholarship Award.(Dealer Connection)
September 1, 2003... * Eight scholarship recipients were named to receive the 2003-2004 Midwest Equipment Dealers Association (MEDA) Foundation Scholarship Award: Charles Thornton, LeRoy, Ill.; attending Lake Land College; sponsored by Heath's Inc., Monticello,...

Sowing seeds for the agricultural revolution: Jethro Tull (1674-1741).(Founders)
September 1, 2003... Jethro Tull, a name commonly associated with rock music rather than the agriculture equipment industry, transformed farming practices from subsistence to industrial in the 17th century by inventing a seed drill with a rotating mechanism that...

I&T's auction action.
September 1, 2003... It's always something. Back in 1997, it was flooding along the Red River in North Dakota and the Mississippi further south. The past few years have seen drought conditions in the West. There were bumper harvests last fall in the upper...

The Case IH combine design team was recognized for its achievement design on file AFX Series Axial-Flow combine by the Society of the Plastic Industry Inc.'s Structural Plastics Division (SPD).(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * The Case IH combine design team was recognized for its achievement design on file AFX Series Axial-Flow combine by the Society of the Plastic Industry Inc.'s Structural Plastics Division (SPD), with primary focus on the combine's curved body...

Midwest Forge LLC, Durant, Iowa, has purchased MacLean Forge, Havana, Ill, from MacLean-Fogg Co.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Midwest Forge LLC, Durant, lowa. has purchased MacLean Forge, Havana, Ill., from MacLean-Fogg Co. The Havana facility, which is the only forged steelguard manufacturer in North and South America, will continue to produce steel sickle guards...

Vermeer Manufacturing, Pella. Iowa, and Lely USA, Wilson, N.C., have formed an alliance to market Lely equipment in the US.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Vermeer Manufacturing, Pella. Iowa, and Lely USA, Wilson, N.C., have formed an alliance to market Lely equipment in the US. The operation will be consolidated and supported at the Pella location, and Lely's current distribution centers in...

Dixie Chopper.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Dixie Chopper, Coatesville, Ind., has constructed a new 16,000 square foot assembly facility. This is the fourth expansion of capacity within the last nine years for the mower brand.

Metals USA, Inc., is now traded on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) under the symbols MLT and MLT.WS.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Metals USA, Inc., is now traded on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) under the symbols MLT and MLT.WS. The company, a North American metals distributor and processor, provides a range of products and services in carbon plates and shapes,...

Deere & Co.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * For the fourth consecutive year, Deere & Co. was ranked in Business Ethics magazine's top five percent of the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies in regards to corporate citizenship. Deere climbed from number 30 to number 47 in a ranking...

Broco's GOWELD was selected by the United Stales Marine Corps (USMC) as the only welder included in the Battlefield Welding and Cutting Kit (BWACK) that is required equipment on-board tank recovery vehicles.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Broco's GOWELD was selected by the United Stales Marine Corps (USMC) as the only welder included in the Battlefield Welding and Cutting Kit (BWACK) that is required equipment on-board tank recovery vehicles. GOWELD is the first...

AutoFarm.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * AutoFarm, Division of lntegriNautics Corp., won AE50 Outstanding Innovations awards from ASAE, The Society of Engineering in Agricultural, Food and Biological Systems, for its GPS controlled AutoFarm AutoLevel, which controls land leveling...

Wiese Corporation has signed an agreement to sell the company to Empire Plow Company, Inc., Cleveland OH.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * The Wiese Corporation has signed an agreement to sell the company to The Empire Plow Company, Inc., Cleveland, OH. In business since 1899, Weise manufactures and distributes farm tillage tools throughout North America. Empire Plow is a member...

Engines Southwest.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Engines Southwest, ShrevePort, La., is now a distributor of Prime Line products, including engines, mower decks, drive parts and accessories. Engines Southwest serves Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico and Arkansas.

JLG Industries, Inc., McConnellsburg, Pa., has acquired the OmniQuip business unit of Textron Inc.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * JLG Industries, Inc., McConnellsburg, Pa., has acquired the OmniQuip business unit of Textron Inc., which produces the Sky Trak and lull branded telescopic material handlers for agricultural, construction and military markets. The purchase...

Gehl Company, West Bend, Wis., and Arnco, South Gate, Calif., have entered into an agreement to offer tires filled with Arnco's SuperFlex polyurethane flat-proofing material as optional on select Gehl Skid Steer Loader and Telescopic Material Handler models.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Gehl Company, West Bend, Wis., and Arnco, South Gate, Calif., have entered into an agreement to offer tires filled with Arnco's SuperFlex polyurethane flat-proofing material as optional on select Gehl Skid Steer Loader and Telescopic Material...

General Electric Commercial Finance plans to expand its finance area by purchasing Transamerica Finance Corp. for $5.4 billion.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * General Electric Commercial Finance plans to expand its finance area by purchasing Transamerica Finance Corp. for $5.4 billion. The deal includes Transamerica's units that provide distribution financing for manufacturers and dealers of...

Excel Industries.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Excel Industries, Hesston, Kan., manufacturer of Hustler Turf Equipment, plans completion of its new 40,000 square foot addition by late November. The company says the space, which will be used for a new powder-coat paint system and for...

Standen's Limited.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Standen's Limited, Calgary, AB, Canada, has been awarded QS-9000 quality standard registration. Standen's agricultural implement components, leaf springs, trailer axles and other specialty products are distributed throughout Canada and the...

Morris Industries, Ltd., Saskatoon, SK, Canada, has entered an exclusive, multi-year inventory finance program provided by Large Ticket Division of Textron Financial, St. Louis, Mo.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Morris Industries, Ltd., Saskatoon, SK, Canada, has entered an exclusive, multi-year inventory finance program provided by Large Ticket Division of Textron Financial, St. Louis, Mo. The program will assist resellers of Morris Industries...

McCormick adds transmission options to medium-duty models: CX 05 Series features new power shift speeds.
September 1, 2003... Visitors to fall farm shows in the US will be among the first to see McCormick USNs CX 05 Series tractors, which feature a new transmission and model numbers for the company's medium-duty line of CX tractors. As with the CX series, a 4-cycle...

Krause no-till attachment.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... Krause developed this exclusive design (patent pending) for no-till attachments for pairing with the 4830 Series In Line Ripper, a combination meant to manage soil compaction. Features include an independent wheel mount system, closing wheels...

Landpride Overseeder.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... This Solid Standard Overseeder, in 48" or 72", offers precise placement and a three-way seed-to-soil system that focuses on germination and emergence. The Overseeders also boast fluted seed cups and cast-iron packer wheels, and optional Slit...

Bourgault Air Seeder.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... The Model 6550 Air Seeder from Bourgault Industries has a 550-bushel capacity, four-tank design, self-resetting torque limiters, 10-inch diameter load and unload auger, flip-up hopper, large single or dual tires and a touch screen Zynx...

Woods Estate tillers.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... Woods' new Estate Series tillers, designed for weekend landscapers and hobby farmers, are manufactured in a 40" width for Cat 1 tractors up to 20 hp and 52" or 60" widths for Cat 1 tractors up to 30 hp. The tiller features an adjustable rear...

Bush Hog ZT mower.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... Bush Hog's new mid-mount zero turn mowers are designed for the largest of lawns. The pivoting front axle keeps all four wheels on the ground. The mower was designed with a deep-deck design, cast iron spindles, maintenance-free battery and air...

Bosch Rexroth servo drive.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... Bosch Rexroth's Electric Drives and Controls business unit introduces the ECODRIVE Cs, very compact servo drive in the low power range, from 100 to 750 W. The drives work on single-phase and three-phase supply systems with input voltages up to...

BLU-JET Subtiller III.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... BLU-JET Subtiller III was designed with Strip Till components: Summer-Till point, residue manager, disc hiller pair and rolling basket. Subtiller III is available as three-point and pull-type, odd or even row configuration and up to 12 shank...

Bear Vac/Bear Vac Pro.(Product Review)
September 1, 2003... Bear Cat's six-bushel capacity vacuum has five height settings to clear leaves and debris quickly, adjustable handlebars with cushion grips, a six blade radial fan, wide fan housing and ball bearing wheels. Bear Vac comes with two engine...

Electronic Distribution Networks, Inc.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Electronic Distribution Networks, Inc. (EDN), Newport Beach, Calif., a business-to-business software communications provider, has developed integrated partnerships with the following companies: Active Web Sevices LLC, Aurora, Ill., Butler...

Walbro Japan Inc.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Walbro Japan Inc., a unit of Walbro Engine Management, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded the "Excellent Company" award from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Industry Machine Division. Walbro's award was for supplying components for gasoline...

Fleetguard.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Fleetguard, Nashville, Tenn., is offering an integrated products approach to filtration, exhaust, coolant and chemical service and maintenance for oil and gas extraction, field machinery and petroleum refineries equipment. The approach...

Montana-based companies Positive Systems, Inc. and S&K Technologies have contracted with the Aerial Photography Field Office of the US Department of Agriculture to create digital images of aerial photomaps with tract and field boundaries, farm numbers, acreage and highly-erodible areas.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Montana-based companies Positive Systems, Inc. and S&K Technologies have contracted with the Aerial Photography Field Office of the US Department of Agriculture to create digital images of aerial photomaps with tract and field boundaries,...

Col-Met Spray Booths.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Col-Met Spray Booths, a manufacturer of spray booths, has begun construction of a new facility in Rockwall, Texas, with completion scheduled for spring 2004. Manufacturing space increases from 45,000 to 125,000 square feet, which houses two...

GKM Sinter Metals plants in Kersey and Emporium, Penn. were awarded "Partner" status by the John Deere Worldwide Commercial and Consumer Equipment Division.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * GKM Sinter Metals plants in Kersey and Emporium, Penn. were awarded "Partner" status by the John Deere Worldwide Commercial and Consumer Equipment Division. The award is part of John Deere's Achieving Excellence program that is designed to...

Perkins Engines Company Limited and Ishikawajima Shibaura Machinery Company Ltd (ISM) plan to open a new small engines manufacturing facility in Griffin, Ga., in summer 2004.(Industry Notebook)
September 1, 2003... * Perkins Engines Company Limited and Ishikawajima Shibaura Machinery Company Ltd (ISM) plan to open a new small engines manufacturing facility in Griffin, Ga., in summer 2004. The The facility will produce 10-60 bhp engines based on the...

Southern Equipment Dealers Association.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Pat Christie, past President of the Southern Equipment Dealers Association, 1987-88, passed away this spring at the age of 74. Christie opened Cobb County Tractor, a Ford dealership, in 1959 and remained active at the business until his...

Green gets mean.(I&T's Politics in Perspective)
September 1, 2003... The race to the White House next year is going to be different. Unlike the last two elections, moderate "swing voters" have lost their clout with both parties. Instead, the thinking now is the candidate that does the best job appealing to their...

SAME Deutz-Fahr North America, Inc.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Mark Sharitz has been appointed CEO of SAME Deutz-Fahr North America, Inc., Stone Mountain, Ga. Shariz was previously product and brand marketing manager for the commercial and consumer equipment division of Deere & Co.

S&T Distributing Co.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Ralph Booth is the new Parts Manager for S&T Distributing Co., the US warehouse for Tonutti Farm Machinery. Booth, with 20 years experience in farm and industrial parts distribution, will provide services to Tonutti distributors.

Lindsay Manufacturing Co.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Doug Twyford was recently hired as Vice President of International for Lindsay Manufacturing Co., Omaha, Neb. His division is responsible for international exports, customer service, business development and sales. He was previously vice...

Shaver Manufacturing Company.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Roger Thompson has joined Shaver Manufacturing Company, Graettinger, Iowa, in the area of sales and special projects. Thompson, of Lucerne, Ind., has 26 years experience in the farm machinery equipment industry.

Construction Technology Inc.(People)
September 1, 2003... * George M. Drott was appointed to National Sales Manager of Construction Technology, Inc. (CTI), Denver, Colo. In this newly created position, he will be responsible for outside sales and product development. He previously held sales and...

Cummins Inc.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Marsha L. Hunt has joined Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind., as Vice President--Corporate Controller. She was most recently with Corning Incorporated and was previously with Arthur Andersen LLP.

Redball LLC.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Dan Connolly has been selected for the newly created position of Quality Assurance Administrator for Redball LLC, Benson, Minn. Connolly has been a long-time associate in the company's engineering group.

Tonutti Farm Machinery.(People)
September 1, 2003... * Carlo Tonutti, CEO of Tonutti Farm Machinery, has been appointed Vice President of UNACOMA (Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer Association) for a three-year term (2003-2006). UNACOMA represents 247 Italian manufacturers of...

2004 Ag equipment show directory.
September 1, 2003... Date Show January 4-6 Dakota Farm Show 6-8 Keystone Farm Show 6-8 Topeka Farm Show 7-8 Corpus Christi Farm 7-8 National Illinois Farm Show 7-8 ...

US/Canadian tractor & combine sales.
September 1, 2003... US/Canadian Tractor & Combine Sales US UNIT RETAIL SALES--JULY/AUGUST 2003 AEM Farm Wheel Tractors 2 WD 2 WD 2 WD 0-40 HP 40-100 HP 100+ HP...

GT series joins AGCO's STs and LTs.
September 1, 2003... AGCO's tractor line is completed with the new GT series with 45 hp to 75 hp PTO. The multiple task GT series joins the LT utility series (70 hp to 80 hp PTO) and the ST compact series (20 hp to 55 hp PTO). Available in 2WD or 4WD with cab...

New Holland introduces multi-use tractors: these units feature low-to-mid horsepower ranges, operator comfort and better viewing.
September 1, 2003... New Holland has its eye on a busy segment of the tractor market: low-to-mid horsepower ranges that still need operator comfort and a full day's production capability. This market includes farmers doing loader and haying work, row-crop...

Modern manpower: new models and trends in the skid steer industry.
September 1, 2003... Skid steer sales continue to rise, even in a floundering agricultural economy, with manufacturing of the popular compact equipment reported at an annual increase of 10 percent. Over the past four decades, skid steers have developed into...