The battle for bigger and more powerful tractors seems to be heating up, reports Profi, a leading agricultural technology magazine in Europe. They say there are multiple pictures circulating of what appear to be a new and more powerful Case IH Quadtrac and John Deere RX.

“While there are lots of talk of smaller autonomous vehicles working in swarms, there is still very much global demand for extra horsepower to pull wider working kit. Only a couple of weeks ago, Claas unveiled its biggest ever tractor range, the two model Xerion 12 with the flagship having a 15,6-litre Mercedes-Benz motor peaking at 653 hp (486,9 kW).

“As part of the development of the new Xerion, Claas quizzed current and potential customers and one of the questions asked was how much power they wanted. The consensus was 650 hp was sufficient, but it seems Case IH and Deere users are demanding even more power.

“There is nothing official from either Case IH or John Deere, but both manufacturers appear to be preparing to smash through the 700 hp barrier.” In Germany “spy” pictures were taken of a Case IH with the numbers 715 on the bonnet. There is even talk of the new king Quadtrac delivering 780 hp (581,6 kW).

Some faraway grainy pictures are also circulating online of what appears to be a John Deere with larger tracks, frame, and bonnet than the current John Deere 9RX640. Speculation is that there can be a 10RX with an 18-litre engine in the making.

Profi reports: “We are unable to confirm anything concrete at the moment, but the new Quadtrac will reportedly break cover at the Farm Progress Show in Illinois at the end of this month, followed by the European premiere at Agritechnica in November.

“We will have to wait and see if John Deere has mapped out similar launch venues for the new, bigger RX, although one tractor of the trio we confidently expect to see at Agritechnica is the new Claas Xerion.” (Source: Profi)

New Holland cares: TL5 for wheelchair users

New Holland has developed a TL5 that is accessible for people with lower limb disabilities.

New Holland may be the first mainstream manufacturer to develop a tractor that is accessible for wheelchair users.

Produced at CNH Industrial’s Curitiba plant in Brazil, the TL5 Accessible was created in cooperation with mobility company Elevittá, Arteprima and Senai, with assistance from a New Holland customer who uses a wheelchair.

It is optionally available on new 80, 90 and 100 hp (59,6, 67, and 74,5 kW) models. The platform can be retrofitted to tractors from 2019 onwards.

How it works:

The joystick operated lifting platform enables the operator to enter and exit the tractor unaided. He can then access the tractor seat and use the adapted machine controls. The internal space is said to be the same as a standard TL5.

“People with disabilities, including those who live and work in the countryside, want to remain as independent as possible,” commented Eduardo Kerbauy, Vice President of New Holland Agriculture for Latin America, who added that the modified TL5 will help eliminate barriers that today make it impossible for many farmers to get onto a tractor. (Source: CNH)

LEMKEN: Work 10 m wide with the new Rubin 10

LEMKEN rounds off the top end of its range of the proven Rubin compact disc harrows working ten metres wide, with a disc diameter of 645 millimetres. Like the smaller Rubin 10 models with up to seven metres working width, the Rubin 10/1000 boasts a symmetrical disc arrangement for fuel-efficient operation without side draft.

This new compact disc harrow can be hitched via a ball coupling or drawbar eye, and hydraulic support is available to make attachment and detachment easier. The two rows of serrated concave discs allow thorough incorporation across the full surface width from a soil depth of only seven centimetres.

The 14-centimetre line spacing ensures blockage-free work, even with large volumes of organic matter. Each concave disc of the Rubin 10/1000 is equipped with damped kickback for overload protection, which reduces loads on the frame.

The new Rubin offers many more advantages, for example its working sections feature a pendulum type suspension to ensure optimal following of the field contour. On very uneven terrain or when working on slopes, the optional iQ-Contour pendulum compensation guarantees optimum surface adaptation. In addition, the hydraulic depth adjustment makes it possible to respond to changing conditions, and the working depth can be changed while driving.

During the turning process, the implement is supported by the roller, which has particularly strong bearings. Thanks to its wide contact area, the machine is firmly supported and minimises soil compaction.

The machine is folded in from the cab to a transport width of three metres. (Source: LEMKEN)

New endurance record for Bednar

769,36 hectares. That is the area cultivated with the Bednar Swifterdisc XE 18400 MEGA cultivator and a John Deere 9RX 640 tractor during a 24-hours record attempt in Romania. The tractor-cultivator combination covered a substantial extra 125,36 hectares more than the 2007 record.

This 24-hour record was achieved during an event organised by Bednar in cooperation with the Romanian Bednar and John Deere distributor, IPSO Agricultură.

Romania was chosen due to the extensive fields. To show the real use and potential of the combination, the record attempt took place in six different fields where wheat, winter canola and peas have been harvested recently. The largest field covered an area of 161,36 hectares. The net operating time was 23 hours and 36 minutes.

Field conditions and machine settings

The average working speed was 32,6 hectares per hour, and the fuel consumption was 3,1 litres per hectare during the operating time of 23 hours and 36 minutes.

During that time, the set travelled a distance of 450,7 kilometres, and the total fuel consumption reached 2 355,6 litres. The working depth set on the disc cultivator was 7 centimetres. Downtime required for essential maintenance and refuelling was only 24 minutes. The drivers swapped during work, for example, when the machine was turning at headland.

Large working width

Bednar has specialised in the production of large working width machines from the very beginning. The first such a machine was in 2003: the wide span Swifter SM seedbed cultivator.

“We can see the increasing interest for such machines, which led us to introduce the Swifterdisc XE_MEGA series in 2021,” says Ing. David Ryčl, Marketing Director of Bednar. “It currently comprises of three models with a working width from 14,4 to 18,4 metres. I am very pleased and proud of what we managed to accomplish with our machine during the 24-hour operation. It does not only confirm the machine quality that resisted such a high load, but above all, the high productivity and effectiveness it enables us to achieve.”

The machine turned fast at headlands thanks to the ability to lift the disc working section. It turns using the rear packers, the front support wheels, and the transport axle. During work, the first axle is lifted to achieve a higher down pressure on the disc section. (Source: World Agritech)

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