culture July 2020

Pleasetake one!

AFGRIculture July 2020

Wubin farmers praise Equalizer pair after strong seeding programAfter a virtually trouble-free 12,000 hectare crop establishment completed in seven weeks, east Wubin farmers Colin and Ruth Cail and their sons Michael, Darren and James, had great praise for their second Equalizer seeding bar. The new bar purchased for this season joined their similar 60-foot model on 300mm spacings, purchased for the 2019 season. Michael

said the purchase of the second bar was the right move, highlighting no issues with seed depth control as a big factor. “We’ve had spring tyne and hydraulic breakout bars in the past and had trouble with seed depth control and the hassles of adjusting them to get the right seeding depth,” Michael said. “With the Equalizer, seed depth control is easy and takes less than two minutes to adjust and the seed is always where you want it, regardless of point wear or bar frame status. “You can set the press wheel pressure to suit soil conditions. “The big point for us is that the bar, which is strong and sturdy, handles all soil types, even in dry sowing, and seeding depth is consistent. “The tyne layout also shone as we had no problems going into shin height stubble whereas with our previous bars, stubble blocking was a huge problem.” Michael said having the two bars in operation

enabled the program to be completed during the ideal seeding window. Equalizer operations manager Bert Badenhorst said Equalizer bars can be optioned to suit a variety of soil and stubble conditions. “One of the stand-out features of this machine is the semi-independent parallelogram system,” Bert said. “The tyne assembly, which carries the fertilizer hose – a stainless steel tube is positioned in front making it liquid-ready – has a measure of distance to break out independently of the seeding assembly and for bigger obstructions, there’s automatic breakout of the whole assembly.” The Cail family also opted for a 4500L Equalizer liquid tank fitted on the drawbar. The tank can also be fitted for extra seed or granular fertiliser capacity. For more information on the Equalizer range, contact your local AFGRI branch today.

AFGRI Equipment add another jewel with new Albany premisesAFGRI Albany have relocated to fantastic new premises with state-of-the-art facilities and increased shared space, providing the opportunity to continue to exceed customer expectations. The new address at 10 Locke Street, is a short two-minute drive from the old premises at 144 Chester Pass Road. AFGRI Albany branch manager Max Kerkmans said the new premises were a significant step-up from the previous building. “The sheer size of the new premises allows us to achieve more and continue to provide a high level of service to our customers,” Max said. “We now have a 1000 sqm state-of-the-art workshop, approximately 5 times the size of what we had before as well as 600 sqm parts store, roughly around 10 times larger than our previous store. “We also have a fantastic new showroom to display our range of residential and lifestyle equipment, toys, clothing, merchandise and other accessories. “We’ve always had

a good quality team in the workshop and in parts, and the new premises mean we now have the latest facilities to be able to support our staff in making sure they can continue to service our customer’s machines.” Despite also having a larger yard than the last premises, having the extra space in the workshop means the majority of work can now be completed indoors in a sheltered, clean environment away from the elements. AFGRI commercial director Wessel Oosthuizen said the new branch was a testament to the new standard clients can expect. “The new branch provides an excellent platform to continue our growth in the Albany region,” Wessel said. “The new facilities represent a great improvement on the previous premises, and shows our continued investment in local communities.” Having moved across at the start of this month, Max said the premises are already going down well with employees and customers

alike. “We have received a fair few comments from customers, congratulating us on the new showroom and facilities and they look forward to continuing to do business with us,” he said. “Our team are really excited to be in this new top-class facility and continuing to do their part to ensure customers’ needs are not only met, but exceeded.” If you haven’t been into the new branch just yet, be sure to head in to see the new showroom and facilities today.

STATE-OF-THE-ART: New showroom & facilities.

DELIGHTED: Wubin’s Darren & Michael Cail.

PHOTO CREDIT: Farm Weekly.

Importance of connectivity highlights Deere’s continued investment in tech

New AutoTracTM integrated option available for Deere 5R & 6M tractors

AFGRIculture July 2020

New shipment of John Deere round balers coming in for busy hay season To ensure we have enough stock for our customers, AFGRI have a new shipment of John Deere 460M round balers arriving just in time for the hay season ahead. The John Deere 460M round baler is a 4ft wide, 6ft tall baler with specifications that ensure it optimises performance, uptime and costs in operation. A key benefit for performance is the baler’s MegaWideTM

Plus pickup, an optional hydraulic pickup lift that offers a low-profile design and also comes with Mega ToughTM pickup teeth with great strength and durability plus a self-adjusting roller baffle for smooth crop flow into the forming chamber. The 460M also comes standard with slip-clutch protection that alerts the operator in the cab when the baler is plugged. The baler is available in 540 rpm or 1000 rpm. This new driveline system features 30-hour service intervals and an easy-to-connect design. Two grease banks with four zerks on either side of the machine eliminate the hassle of getting those hard-to-reach zerks. It also has larger #9 and #11 shafts and bearings due to those rolls receiving the most wear and stress as they have the most surface area contact with the belts. It also has DiamondToughTM

Deere & Company chairman and CEO John C. May has emphasised the importance of continuing to invest in technology, despite the global economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “In light of the current circumstances, we see it as an obligation to continue investing in precision technologies that support customers and keep them running,” May said. Connectivity has proven imperative during the pandemic allowing both farmers and Deere to

belts that are self-cleaning, staggered to reduce the loss of fine material and are closely spaced to contain the fast, easy starts. John Deere belts also enclose 91 percent of the bale chamber to reduce loss of fine material. John Deere 460M balers are also designed to use John Deere CoverEdge™ netwrap. CoverEdge™ covers 15 percent more surface area of the round bale, eliminating fluffy bale edges, protecting the edges of the bale and help prevent rain penetration and moisture issues with bales stored outside. All John Deere M Series balers that run netwrap come equipped with an improved net wrap braking system, a band brake system that should not need to be replaced for the life of the baler. The brake system will cut the net cleaner, leave less tails, is not sensitive to dust, has better loop formation for the next start and has better tension on the steel, leading to a more reliable application of the net and reduced net issues for the operator. The baler also comes standard with a BaleTrakTM Pro monitor with a twin graph for bale shape monitoring and variety of other convenient controls to set bale size, twine or net, and other options

manage operations remotely, without additional travel or any associated risks. May expanded on the practical impact of data connectivity and automation across Deere’s agricultural range. “Not only have these tools allowed customers to practice social distancing guidelines, they’ve also decreased downtime and cost of their operations,” he said. This impact has led to a significant recent increase in the adoption of connected services such

right from the cab. AFGRI Moora branch manager Josh Schreurs, who specialises in John Deere balers, said the 460M features a simple design refined over 4 models since the early 2000s, through the 7, 8, 9 and now M series baler. “They are no-nonsense machines that provide reliable uptime in the paddock when time is essential,” Josh said. “Good honest machines for farmers looking to produce their own hay, producing neat bales, especially when used with John Deere CoverEdgeTM.” AFGRI also supply a wide array of hay machinery from bale wrap combos to mower conditioners and large square balers. For more information, contact your local AFGRI branch today.

as Remote Display Access, Service Advisor remote and Expert Alerts. John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) director Nancy Post said since 2011, connectivity is the standard on all of Deere’s large agricultural equipment. Post also stated Deere have an internal goal for complete autonomy, with no operator required on the machine. “We have a target but not a target that we’re sharing publicly and it’s not long into the future.” Watch this space.

WELL-EQUIPPED: Forward orders open now.

PRODUCTIVITY: Deere 460M baler in action.

An exciting option of an integrated AutoTracTM automated guidance system has been made available to Deere’s

lineup of 5R and 6M utility tractors. AutoTracTM enables hands-free steering by utilising GPS to control the tractor helping operators increase precision and reduce fatigue. John Deere tactical segment marketing manager Fraser Scott said as opposed to buying a separate screen, the screen can now be built in making it easier for customers. “Customers can now order 5R or 6M tractors with an AutoTracTM guidance screen built into the corner post display to access the many benefits of the technology without additional complexity,” Scott said. Once a John Deere StarFireTM receiver is

added to the tractor and the AutoTracTM activation has been completed and set up, operators can start using hands-free steering straight away. The system is simple to use and understand, allowing for operators of all levels of experience. “Reducing input costs and having access to simple-to-use but highly effective technology are two of the most important priorities for our customers, so we’re very happy to announce this update which meets both of these important needs,” Scott said. Forward orders on 5R and 6M tractors are open. For more information, contact your local AFGRI branch today.