Archive, Features

Gallery: AgFest 2018

Farm & Farm Machinery’s Harrison Hunkin made the trip down to Tassie for the Apple Isle’s premier field day, AgFest, and it didn’t disappoint

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John Deere 5100R tractor

With 100hp under the bonnet, that typical spacious Deere cab and a 3.6m turning circle (better than the John Deere Gator), who couldn’t love the 5100R tractor?

Well, according to Midland Tractor’s Jim Rhoades, not many.

“It’s been very popular with the vineyards, orchards, dairy farmers and even beef farmers – it’s an all-purpose tractor.”

The 5100R is also a terrific good loader tractor; the one we checked out featured the 543R front loader and a 4-in-1 bucket.

A good start to AgFest.

The John Deere 5100R tractor
An impressive little tractor

Vintage Scania 80 truck

This old beast belongs to Kerry Hingston from Hingston Transport and stumbling across it was an AgFest highlight.

This old 1971 Scania 80 was Hingston Transport’s first Scania truck. As part of Kerry’s 60th birthday celebrations, his sons decided to restore the truck and deliver it alongside a brand new 480hp Scania, the company’s 25th Scania truck.

The 1971 Scania 80
A lovely looking birthday present

Versatile Model 320 tractor

One word for the Versatile Model 320 tractor: huge!

The thing dwarfs most things and packs 320hp under the bonnet.

PFG Australia’s Adrian Findlay was kind enough to tell us a bit about the beast.

“This is the first Model 320 we’ve brought to Tasmania,” he says. “It’s a big-horsepower tractor, fitted with a Cummins engine and a powershift transmission.”

“This is a tractor for your broadacre guys as well as some vegetable growers with big power harrows.”

The Model 320’s cab is the biggest cab on the market and rivals that of my boss’s office; for that I’m happy to cough up $295,900.

The Versatile Model 320 tractor side on
We dig the Versatile Model 320

Challenger MT865E tractor

With a 16.8-litre engine and 550hp, the Challenger MT865E is the tractor equivalent of a tank!

Like the Versatile tractors, Challengers are rare to see at the field days so I had to check out this monster.

If anyone knows a farmer who owns a Challenger like this, please get in touch with TradeFarmMachinery.com or Farms & Farm Machinery magazine – let’s just say we want to have a bit of fun with it.

The Challenger MT865E side on
This is a beast

Green Climber LV 300 remote controlled mower

It’s green, it’s mean, and it’s ridiculously awesome.

The Green Climber LV is a remote-control mower that runs on tracks. Designed to remove the danger from mowing steep slopes and inclines, the operator just connects the remote control via Bluetooth and operates the Green Climber from a safe distance.

“The Green Climber handles anything from thick grass, shrubs, bushes such as blackberry, as well as bracken and regrowth,” SME Mowers Greg Smith says.

Tackling these kinds of conditions requires a hefty engine, hence why the Green Climber features a three-cylinder, 30hp Yanmar.

Made in Italy by MDB, the Green Climber is perfect for councils and contractors looking for a heavy-duty machine without the risk.

I might pitch the Green Climber to my local council.

The remote controlled Green Climber LV 300 mower
A mower on steroids

Valtra T234 tractor

Many would agree, including Gaffney Machinery’s Nick Butcher, that for many years Valtra tractors didn’t quite provide the complete package.

The new Valtra T series couldn’t be anything other than complete, winning the prestigious Machine of the Year award at Agritechnica 2018 as well as the Tractor of the Year and Design of the Year.

So when I caught a glimpse of the Valtra T234 tractor, I had to see what all the fuss was about.

The cab is gorgeous, that SmartTouch armrest is a class above, and that pearl white paint job is slick.

Butcher says the farmers have been really impressed by the Valtra T234.

“This tractor on display has been on demo for just over 50 hours and the farmers have received it very well,” he says.

“The comfort and ride quality, as well as the vision in that cab, is just incredible.

“There is plenty of power with its 250hp engine and driving it is so simple and instinctive.”

The Valtra T234 tractor
A slick looking tractor
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