Know How / Farm maintenance Must reads How to fix farm tracks with an adapted road grader Guide to ensuring electric fences are stockproof What to look for when buying and fitting a tractor dashcam How to build your own tractor autosteer system for £700 Case studiesSee all CULTIVATORSHow to adapt cut-price cultivators to low-disturbance systemWhen Michael and Will Scholey decided it was time to stop damaging their ground with high horsepower tracked crawlers and deep, intensive cultivation, they drafted in some expert help. This… WORKSHOP SKILLS5 home-built pieces of slurry kit which improved efficiencyArmed with a degree in mechanical engineering from Ulster University, Niall Murphy returned to the family farm and contracting business and set about making handy custom pieces of kit. His… WORKSHOP SKILLSNorthern Irish inventor reveals his best machinery creationsSince he was old enough to wield a welding torch, Albert O’Neill has been busy designing and building novel kit to improve the efficiency of his family’s dairy farm in… MUCKSPREADERSKent contractor develops driven-axle spreaderCompost, manure, lime, fertiliser, chicken pellets, fibrophos... you name it, Richard Moon’s home-built spreader can apply it – deposited in strips or chucked out in a 10m wide band. Based… WORKSHOP SKILLSVideo: Herts contractor builds self-propelled bale chaserFor years, farmers, contractors and machinery manufacturers have been dreaming up novel ways to make the job of hauling bulky straw bales more efficient. Their endeavours have spawned high-capacity grabs,… WORKSHOP SKILLSWinning Inventions Comp entry up for grabs in farm saleAfter 53 years, several million small square bales and dozens of farm inventions, Cotswolds contractor and farm-scale engineer Frank Henderson is calling time on his career – and his bespoke… Practical adviceSee all CULTIVATORSTips for picking the best cultivator wearing metalReplacing cultivator legs, wings and points can be a depressingly regular and ruinously expensive pastime for those working in the nation’s most abrasive soils. But instead of hunting around for… FARM MAINTENANCEHow to fix farm tracks with an adapted road graderBouncing along potholed farm tracks is an unpleasant business, putting unnecessary strain on tractors, implements and their operators. But with input costs through the roof and margins tight, shelling out… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTGuide to ensuring electric fences are stockproofChecking electric fence systems for faults should be a priority ahead of spring turnout to make paddocks and fields secure. From testing the flow of electricity to locating where overgrown… MACHINERY MAINTENANCEHow to get the best from a McConnel hedgecutterSince the launch of its first Power Arm trimmer in the early 1950s, McConnel has been a dominant force in the world of flail hedgecutting. From a starting point of… WORKSHOP SKILLSTop tips for upping the quality of workshop projectsEvery year, the Farm Inventions Competition unearths a horde of impressive workshop builds that provide ingenious answers to some of agriculture’s recurring conundrums. Traditionally, farmers and contractors have sketched out… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTRailway fencing safety: What livestock farmers need to knowFigures produced by Network Rail in 2019 show that incidents involved more than 800 animals through the year. Of these, about 80 were struck by trains. The downtime caused by… Machinery maintenance CULTIVATORSTips for picking the best cultivator wearing metalReplacing cultivator legs, wings and points can be a depressingly regular and ruinously expensive pastime for those working in the nation’s most abrasive soils. But instead of hunting around for… MACHINERY MAINTENANCEKeenan mixer wagon renovator offers repair tipsThe daily chore of chomping through tonnes of abrasive feedstuffs mean a mixer wagon’s innards only have a limited lifespan. Added to that, the tight environments in which they work… TRACTORSWorn-out tractor seats: How to refurbish or replace themThousands of hours subjected to bouncing backsides, grubby overalls and flatulence can take its toll on a tractor seat. But considering it’s such a crucial contributor to driver comfort, this… CULTIVATORSAgricast extends range of tough tungsten carbide pointsWearing parts specialist Agricast has extended its range of cultivator-specific tungsten carbide points to another four implements, and also expanded the choice of universal soil-engaging parts available. Like the company’s… More articles Workshop skills CULTIVATORSHow to adapt cut-price cultivators to low-disturbance systemWhen Michael and Will Scholey decided it was time to stop damaging their ground with high horsepower tracked crawlers and deep, intensive cultivation, they drafted in some expert help. This… WORKSHOP SKILLSNorfolk Show comp yields quirky crop of farm inventionsThe long-running machinery innovation competition run by the Norfolk Farm Machinery Club (Normac) returned to last month's Norfolk Show. Here are some of the highlights. See also: Farmer saves cash by… WORKSHOP SKILLSFarm-built bale unroller wins Highland Show innovation awardThe practical and “green” attributes of a simple farm-built bale unroller have been recognised by the judges of a technical innovation award to be presented at the Royal Highland Show,… TECHNOLOGYDairy farmer to sell home-built GPS and nutrient mapping toolUninspired by the array of off-the-shelf tractor guidance systems, County Tyrone dairy farmer Andrew Wright set about building one to suit his own requirements. A key reason for him going… More articles VideoSee all MACHINERYVideo: 15 tools we wouldn't be without - part 2Intro Clever spanner Ratchet wrench Retrieval tool Nifty water pipe tools We’ve been asking a few of our machinery-minded contributors to nominate their favourite get-out-of-a-fix bits of workshop kit. In… Speedy tyre bead breakerA pneumatic tyre bead breaker designed specifically for agricultural tyres could significantly speed up tyre changes, according its manufacturer. The GTABB-01 from American firm Gaither is a one-piece, air-powered tool,… MACHINERYVideo: Electric chainsaws on testThe test Bosch Husqvarna Makita Oregon Stihl Verdict All the main players in the world of woodcraft are now offering cordless, battery-powered chainsaws. But what’s wrong with a good two-stroke… MACHINERYVideo: 15 tools we wouldn't be without - part 3Intro 12-240-Volt inverter Hole-saws Bearing fitting kit Auto-ranging multimeter We’ve been asking a few of our machinery-minded contributors to nominate their favourite get-out-of-a-fix bits of workshop kit. In part one,… InsightsSee all MACHINERY MAINTENANCEKeenan mixer wagon renovator offers repair tipsThe daily chore of chomping through tonnes of abrasive feedstuffs mean a mixer wagon’s innards only have a limited lifespan. Added to that, the tight environments in which they work… FARM MAINTENANCEMobile diesel tank options and prices for farm machineryOptions for getting fuel to thirsty machinery out in the field range from purpose-built trailed bowsers to a tank in the back of a pickup, strapped on to a flatbed… TOOLSLatest tools and workwear for the farm workshopHowever well stocked a farm workshop becomes, there’s always space for a couple more tools. We look at some of the latest goodies on offer. See also: Video: On test –…
