Machinery related to all aspects of feeding livestock and processing manure featured heavily among the exhibits at Agritechnica 25 held in Hanover, Germany.
In total there were 2,849 exhibitors from 52 countries showcasing their latest developments to the 476,000 visitors that attended the event this past November.
From massive cattle feeder wagons, precision manure spreading technology, to full scale robotic tractor units, Agritechnica had it all.
Some of the highlights of the show included;
1 Joskin Xtrem triple axel tanker
Joskin exhibited its Xtrem triple axel tanker with redesigned dorsal boom. Equipped with bigger 10” (250mm) hoses this machine fills faster and is more efficient in the field. A turbo-filler further boosts the filling flow, significantly reducing pumping times.
Entirely galvanised, the new boom arm features four joints, and is longer than previous models.
Adding an extra joint allows the arm to be folded up shorter if necessary, making it ideal for above-ground pits with high walls, while increasing its suction depth.
When pumping into an underground pit, this longer length also enables going lower in the pit. Mounted on a 270° rotating pivot (135° left/135° right), positioned at the front of the tanker, the dorsal boom provides optimal visibility.
2 Manitou 625e electric telehandler
Manitou unveiled its first electric telehandler for agriculture at Agritechnica. It is powered by a 35 kWh lithium ion battery, which can work for five hours in a typical farmyard, says the manufacturer.
One major benefit of the new electric machine is the 30 percent reduction in the amount of hydraulic oil used, made possible by two innovations.
The first is a 100 percent electric transmission that eliminates the need to use hydraulics for transmission, unlike the hydrostatic internal combustion version.
Secondly, the integration of an anti-emulsion filter in the hydraulic oil tank optimises the volume required. This design helps to simplify maintenance, which is already reduced as a result of the small number of components to be serviced.
3 New Holland TH Hybrid Power telehandler
New Holland exhibited its new TH Hybrid Power telehandler, fuelled on natural gas and electric. Hailing it as an industry first, New Holland says the machine can lift a maximum 4.2 tonnes and has a maximum lift height of 7-9m.
The machine is currently going through tests and features an electric drivetrain connected to a supplementary battery/electric power system.
It operates fully electrically for up to four hours on medium-heavy tasks and up to six hours on light-duty cycles. During heavy-duty work, a four-cylinder F28 methane gas engine from FPT provides supplementary power and simultaneously recharges the battery.
The 2.8-litre engine generates 75kW/100hp and there is 84kW/112hp rated output available at the hydraulic pump and 115kW/154hp rated available for traction. Field tests show up to 70 percent saving in energy usage compared to diesel alternatives, and 30 percent better performance.
4 Peecon Biga 64m3 feed wagon
With a price tag of around 215,000 euros the huge Peecon Biga 64 Mega Mammoet feed wagon certainly created a lot of interest on the Dutch company’s stand.
With four vertical augers and a load capacity of 25,600kgs, this machine is designed for the biggest dairy farmers in the world and needs a tractor with over 350hp to drive it.
This particular feeder was going to a dairy farm in Belgium that is increasing its herd up to 1,000 cows.
5 Siloking SelfLine 4.0 System 2000+
Referred to as the world’s most powerful self-propelled feed mixer, Siloking’s new SelfLine 4.0 System 2000+ has an impressive three augers, a mixing volume of 45m3 and driven by a powerful 510hp (375kW) Volvo engine.
Ultimately designed for the big dairy herds around the world with 2,000 cows or more, or big feedlots, this machine can feed up to 320 cows with just one mix.
Four heavy-duty steerable axles support the chassis of this mammoth machine, three of which are driven, to increase stability, manoeuvrability and traction, even under the toughest conditions. The machine is designed for a service life of 20,000 operating hours, indicating manufacturer confidence in reliability and performance.
6 Krone BiG Pack HDP II 1290 VC baler
Krone’s latest BiG Pack HDP II 1290 VC baler has a 51-blade cutting unit, achieving an extremely high density, especially when working with dry straw.
Crops are collected by the proven camless EasyFlow Active pick-up that has been tried-and-tested thousands of times. It now includes a crop press roller unit that can be infinitely adjusted in height from the comfort of the tractor cabin.
In the VC variant, the crops are then fed into the large cutting rotor with a diameter of 720mm. The rotor pulls the material through the blades with little effort and conveys the crushed material into the bale channel. Two variants of the VariCut cutting unit are available, the first with 26 blades for cutting lengths from 44mm, or the second with 51 blades for particularly short cuts from 22mm. The blades, which are individually protected against foreign objects, can be manually pre-selected on the machine in one of five possible groups depending on the desired cutting length.
7 Claas 1000 Series forage harvesters
Claas exhibited its powerful new Jaguar 1000 series self-propelled foragers ranging from 850hp to over 1,100hp at Agritechnica.
Four models complete the new series, namely the Jaguar 1080 (850hp), 1090 (925hp), 1100 (1,020hp) and 1200 (1,110hp), and all are powered by an efficient, transverse-mounted MAN V12 24-liter engine. These new machines can achieve harvest capacities of up to 500 tonnes per hour with the widest crop flow on the market.
Thanks to its 910mm width, the Jaguar 1000 now offers even more space and inertia for maximum throughputs and continuous crop flow even at the highest swath thicknesses. The crop is cut even more efficiently thanks to the steep knife angle of 10 degrees. This is not only noticeable in the excellent chop quality, but also in the reduced noise level.
The V-Flex chopping cylinder can be fitted with full and half knife sets as well as half-section knives. The knives, fastened from above with three screws, are fixed in the drum stars and automatically aligned.
Claas has also developed new front attachments for the Jaguar 1000, including the Pick Up 3000, 3800 and the new 4500 with independent variable drive and intake auger speed. •
