How to calculate your tractor's fuel efficiency
Written by admin on April 6, 2012 – 10:50 am -I posted this article several months ago and got alot of response so as harvest time approaches I have decided to post it again. Farm Industry News asked Nebraska Tractor Test Lab Director Roger Hoy and Assistant Director Dave Morgan what factors to use to compare the fuel efficiency of different tractors. You can use these parameters to determine how your models rank. 1. Go to http://tractortestlab.unl.edu. Click on “Test Reports.” The Web site shows all makes and models tested at the lab since 1999. (Hard-copy reports for tractors tested before 1999 are available for purchase. Contact Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory, Box 830832, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0832, 402/472-2442, tractortestlab@unl.edu.) 2. Click on... more
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10 Tips to Cut Combine Breakdowns
Written by admin on August 13, 2011 – 11:21 am -Corn and Soybean Digest John Pocock You can dodge most major machinery breakdowns by regularly inspecting, cleaning and replacing essential components, says Dean Potter, a mechanic at Haug Implement, Litchfield, MN. "About 80% of the equipment failures I see are due to lack of maintenance or lack of thorough inspection and could have been prevented," he says. "On combines, bearings are the most common things that cause problems." In addition to checking bearings, Potter recommends inspecting chains and belts on a daily basis. "Look at chains and belts and give them regular adjustments," he says. "Greasing and changing oil are also important. Some farmers are meticulous about that and others aren't." Those farmers who tend to be the most meticulous... more
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Getting the Most Out of Every Dollar Spent on Horsepower
Written by admin on March 8, 2011 – 7:19 pm -Routine tractor maintenance may not make a top 10 list of favorite farm jobs, but neglecting the regular intervals of servicing a tractor's critical fluids and filters not only can decrease a tractor's overall useful service life, it can be robbing producers of the hard-earned dollars spent for horsepower (hp). "Honestly, the biggest things that I see when it comes to increasing a tractor's life expectancy are the routine maintenance issues," says Mark Hanna, Extension agricultural engineer at Iowa State University. "Things like fluid and filter changes may not be a glamorous job, but they are the most critical aspect of getting the most out of your equipment." And Hanna says it's not just the engine that producers should pay attention to. "The... more
Tags: Farm Economy
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How to Calculate Your Tractor's Fuel Efficiency
Written by admin on March 8, 2011 – 7:15 pm -Farm Industry News 1. Go to http://tractortestlab.unl.edu. Click on "Test Reports." The Web site shows all makes and models tested at the lab since 1999. (Hard-copy reports for tractors tested before 1999 are available for purchase. Contact Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory, Box 830832, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0832, 402/472-2442, tractortestlab@unl.edu.) 2. Click on make and model of tractor. This will bring up the corresponding test report. 3. Check "Chassis: Type" to determine tractor category (2-wd, front wheel assist, 4-wd, or track). This information is included in the narrative text next to the charts on the site. We ranked tractors in two categories: row-crop tractors (2-wd/front wheel assist) and high-horsepower... more
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2011 crop margins and costs
Written by admin on February 26, 2011 – 9:27 pm -Jeff Caldwell, Multimedia Editor for Agriculture.com and Successful Farming magazine. It's going to cost you more to grow your corn and soybean crops this year, but with the general trend in the grain markets lately, that added expense should be worth it, according to new crop margin data from Purdue University. Two Purdue economists find rising input costs -- namely fertilizer and fuel -- have the average per-bushel production cost for corn around $4.19 per bushel. That's up 30 cents from a year ago. The jump in soybean production costs is around 33 cents per bushel at $9.73. The numbers, say Purdue ag economists Craig Dobbins and Bruce Erickson are based on "average-quality land" that's capable of raising 161-bushel corn and 49-bushel soybeans. Last... more
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Keep corn heads calibrated to prevent yield loss, disease
Written by admin on September 24, 2010 – 8:42 pm -by Jeff Caldwell Multimedia Editor for Agriculture.com and Successful Farming magazine. If your combine's leaving corn on the ground in your fields this fall, you're doing more than just losing yield. You may be creating ideal conditions for a disease that's run rampant through fields around the Midwest this year. In this year's corn fields that will become next year's soybean fields, corn kernels left on the ground this year could help sudden death syndrome (SDS) get a head-start next year, says one ag engineer. "Leaving corn in the field during harvest always results in a yield penalty. A recent soybean SDS article shows data that suggest corn kernels may be one of the most likely sites for survival of SDS pathogens with potential to harm... more
Tags: Farm Economy
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Meaner, Cleaner, Leaner Engines
Written by admin on September 24, 2010 – 8:39 pm -by Dave Mowitz Last February, Caterpillar president Stu Levenick put impending EPA Tier 4 pollution restrictions in perspective. He said they’d caused his company to take on “the most aggressive and expensive product development initiative in Caterpillar history.” This comes from the firm that innovated the crawler tractor. Modifications made to diesels since emissions restrictions took hold in 1996 rival any advance made to machinery since Rudolph Diesel’s introduction of a compression-ignition engine in 1892. “Deere & Company spends about $2.5 million a day on research and development,” says Steve Meinzen of that firm. “In recent years, a significant share of that enormous investment has gone to developing Tier 4 interim... more
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Predicting Tractor Diesel Fuel Consumption
Written by admin on August 27, 2010 – 12:08 am -Robert “Bobby” Grisso, Extension Engineer, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech; John V. Perumpral, Professor Emeritus, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech; David Vaughan, Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech; Gary T. Roberson, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University; Robert Pitman, Superintendent, Eastern Virginia Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech General relationships capable of predicting tractor diesel fuel consumption are very useful for budget and management purposes but may not have the ability to compare fuel consumption for several potential engine configurations, such as turbocharging and air densification components. The objective... more
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AGCO Unveils New Products For 2011
Written by admin on August 17, 2010 – 8:32 pm -Industry-leading technologies in AGCO application, row-crop and tillage equipment add up to significant advantages in machine performance and operational efficiencies Source: AGCO News Release DULUTH, Ga. (August 5, 2010) — AGCO has introduced a variety of new products for tech-savvy professional producers and agricultural retailers. The new products offer innovative features created through AGCO’s customer-driven research and development efforts. Each piece of equipment is proof of AGCO’s commitment to bringing agriculture customers advanced technology and innovative products that will help each of them be efficient, productive and profitable. These new products will be on display at industry events and farm shows this fall. AGCO Introduces... more
Tags: Farm Economy, Massey Ferguson Tractors, tractor fuel efficiency
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AGCO Introduces New, Advanced Tractor Engines
Written by admin on August 17, 2010 – 8:19 pm -While the Tier IV engine emission standards for off-highway diesels aren't scheduled to take effect for a few more years, AGCO Corp. unveiled its new engine technology on February 3. The company says the technology has already been proven in Europe and by introducing it early, AGCO customers will have the opportunity to reduce their fuel use and improve their overall productivity. It also gives the number three largest farm equipment maker a head start on its competition. The company says it plans to begin shipping the new units to its dealers in March for all three of its brands of high-horsepower tractors - AGCO, Challenger and Massey Ferguson - in the 270-350 horsepower range. The company is branding the new off-road diesel engine technology... more
Tags: Farm Economy, Massey Ferguson Tractors, tractor fuel efficiency
Posted in AGCO Tractors, Events, Farm Economy, Massey Ferguson Tractors, Tractors | No Comments »