Gallery: Wimmera Machinery Field Days 2018

The 2018 agricultural field days kicked off last week with the 55th annual Wimmera Machinery Field Days at Longerenong near Horsham

Here are five machinery highlights from this year’s event.

AMAZONE CONDOR 12001 SEED DRILL

The standout was the Wimmera Field Days 2018 Machine of the Year – the Amazone Condor 12001 seed drill.

The crew at the Claas Harvest Centre tent were keen to show us around the Condor seed drill, which is the first in Australia.

“The Condor has garnered great interest here at the show and at the demonstrations it’s been at,” Claas Harvest Centre – Lake Bolac representative Steffen Berkemeyer says.

The machine is designed specifically for use in stubble and is offered in working widths of 12m-15m.

We’re told the Condor is a hit over in Russia … interesting comrades.

 

CLAAS LEXION 770 COMBINE HARVESTER

There’s something about a combine harvester that is so appealing. Perhaps it’s the size of the machine or simply because they look ‘cool’. Whichever, both definitely apply to the Claas Lexion 770.

Pro’s: the Lexion 770 has an impressive top speed of 40km/h and more than 500hp under the bonnet.

Con’s – the bloody thing is so big I couldn’t take a good photo of it!

Standout features include its Vario cutterbars in widths up to 12.27m; and its APS threshing system that provides up to 20 per cent more throughput.

 

JOHN DEERE S780 COMBINE HARVESTER

From the outside, the new John Deere S780 combine harvester doesn’t look to dissimilar from its predecessor the S680, but Emmetts Horsham branch sales manager Patrick Fox says the gold is found inside the cab.

Inside the cab the S780 features a redesigned, multi-functional handle as seen in the R series sprayers.

“Three of the big features on the S780 is the Gen 4 ‘command centre’, ‘active yield’ (a new yield calibration system), and ‘combine advisor’ (a suite of technologies designed to maximise harvesting profits).

Like all Deere’s, everything inside and out of the S780 is slick.

 

MAHINDRA PIK-UP UTE

TradeFarmMachinery.com.au has covered the new Mahindra Pik-Up ute a fair bit lately, but it stood proudly on display at Neale Goad Mahindra Ballarat’s site.

Goad says the new Pik-Up is the perfect farm ute.

“It’s the perfect farm ute because of the gearing,” he says. “It suits farms and farmers, especially when they are feeding livestock off the back of the ute – you find a lot of modern utes are geared to high, making it hard for the farmers to walk beside the ute,” he says.

“The old Pik-Up was good, it was extremely rugged, but what they’ve done with this new one, even though it’s quite similar, is they’ve taken it lightyears ahead of the old one in terms of the interior, the new gearbox and its quietness.”

Goad and his Mahindra Ballarat business were recently crowned Mahindra’s best overall performing tractor dealer.

See the full test review here.

 

CASE IH STEIGER 500 QUADTRAC

Front and centre at the O’Connors Case IH site was the Case IH Steiger 500 Quadtrac.

With a 500hp FPT engine and its classical bold Case red paint job, the Case IH Steiger 500 is a beast.

It also has a completely new transmission and the Case IH AFS Pro 700 on-board computer system.

This Steiger is the first retail production unit in Australia.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL ‘RED DEVIL’ PULL TRACTOR

For us the highlight of the show was the spruced-up International 1246 pull tractor.

Purchased from Germany last year by Chris and Lisa Hicks, the Red Devil began its life as a humble farm tractor in the 1970’s pushing out a top speed of 35km. Now the converted International tractor under its new pseudonym, the Red Devil, has a top speed of 60km/h and more than 2000Nm of torque.

The Red Devil is sponsored by RJ Batteries, Wilken Grain and O’Connors Case IH.

Photography: Harrison Hunkin