What are your favorite pieces of machinery/technology/equipment that you use on your farm?

[v8willy]

Mchale fusion 3 in a heavy crop of first cut silage on a sunny day
Milwaukee impact gun
Guillotine gate we recently fitted to the cattle crush

Any pics? I'm thinking of doing similar.

 

[Spud]

We'd miss if it wasn't here - pivot steer telehandler (eats the rigids for breakfast on most jobs)
Biggest job improver for those doing it - close call between spreadabale (instead of rolling round bales out) and evolution separator in the grader (instead of cleaning coils out every 10t)
Tech that's made a difference - autosteer (for drilling and ridging, especially in a dry time) and autosection on the sprayer.
Tractor improvements - endless - in my time - power steering - 4wd - air conditioning - clutchless gears - clutchless shuttle - ccls hydraulics - suspension - vario - autosteer.
Favourite job? Not many I don't enjoy, but spraying I do by far the most of - great for inspecting every inch of the crop while nurturing it to harvest, and getting over lots of acres in a short time. Autosection made it a doddle really.

 

[Speedstar]

Would have to be a mig welder , saves some much time and money

 

[v8willy]

Combi baler & mag drill.

 

[Phil P]

With all that lot, it doesn't sound like you are actually doing any work, the gadgets are doing it all for you while you watch TV!

The mini digger is certainly one of the most satisfying machines to use. Also, I enjoy most forms of cultivation and ploughing. There's just something about doing a job where you can see what you've done against what you have still to do.

I do love my tech, anything that reduces operator fatigue and stress, saves time, money and inputs has to be worth investment surely?

 

[Spud]

I do love my tech, anything that reduces operator fatigue and stress, saves time, money and inputs has to be worth investment surely?

I think there's a balance - too much automation can reduce the operators attention on the job in hand, with associated consequences. Equally, not all tech has quantifiable benefits - there is no point spending a quid to gain 90p

 

[Gerbert]

The Linde 2 pedal driving system. And it is something like 50 years old.

 

[mikep]

I do love my tech, anything that reduces operator fatigue and stress, saves time, money and inputs has to be worth investment surely?

Biggest stress relief for me was forgetting my mobile one day. Ten minutes of sheer panic then five hours of peace.

 

[Baker7810]

GPS autosteer, would never want to be without it now!

 

[roscoe erf]

Tec screws......been keeping my ford together for years .

 

[roscoe erf]

Not trying to be cheeky here, but would you actually grind to a halt.. or would a decent loader tractor with the right attachments not manage to do almost everything. What jobs is the teleporter essential for?

no comparison tele handler every time you would never go back

 

[7610 super q]

no comparison tele handler every time you would never go back

Always going back in the Manipoo. It doesn't like going forwards.

 

[Tompkins]

We don't have a round baler anymore but I have to agree with a few already, McHale Fusion is a dream to use!

 

[vantage]

We don't have a round baler anymore but I have to agree with a few already, McHale Fusion is a dream to use!

Apart from the film on film that doesn't work on short or damp grass. Also winds into the bale so is difficult to take off,more work needed by McHale I think.

 

[Tompkins]

Apart from the film on film that doesn't work on short or damp grass. Also winds into the bale so is difficult to take off,more work needed by McHale I think.

I've mainly used a Fusion 2, had a go with one of the early 3's but preferred the 2!

 

[vantage]

I've mainly used a Fusion 2, had a go with one of the early 3's but preferred the 2!

I've never driven a baler,merely commenting as a frustrated user of the bales from a Fusion 3!

 

[fiat 9090]

the milwakee impactor and cordless angle grinder

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Biggest stress relief for me was forgetting my mobile one day. Ten minutes of sheer panic then five hours of peace.

Imagine if we had an across the board week of enforced no mobiles / no social media / no email / no internet. Shock horror.

Maybe that’s what the country needs right now. Some mindfulness time to calmly reflect. And breathe!

 

[Clive]

Imagine if we had an across the board week of enforced no mobiles / no social media / no email / no internet. Shock horror.

Maybe that’s what the country needs right now. Some mindfulness time to calmly reflect. And breathe!

not sure about calm - I think there would be fighting in the streets within 48 hrs as shop shelves were empty, power shut down, planes grounded, trains stopped, banks broken etc


like it or not we are as dependant upon the internet today as we are fresh water !

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

not sure about calm - I think there would be fighting in the streets within 48 hrs as shop shelves were empty, power shut down, planes grounded, trains stopped, banks broken etc


like it or not we are as dependant upon the internet today as we are fresh water !

Yes but there are degrees of dependence on our integrated tech world would say. We certainly don’t depend on FaceBook, Amazon, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter a dare I say TFF for species survival. The world could actually be a calmer place without distractions like that even for a wee while.

Nuclear power stations will still work and water will still continue to flow (I bloody hope) should there be a massive internet outage tomorrow.

Supermarket shelves rely on their own internal logistics computing and networking infrastructure to maintain JIT deliveries from depots to stores. Granted. But Joe Public can still shop and survive without relying on Ocado and Tesco delivers.

We shouldn’t be led to believe we are critically dependent on the internet for survival.