Tractor Technology Keeps the Industry Moving

By Geof Fowler

More horsepower, higher flow hydraulics, electronic wizardry, more creature comforts, a new take on old technology and new sources of power all coming your way.

With productivity demands pushing large Ag tractor horsepower numbers to the point where peak ratings as high as 660 in 4WD machines and 389 in row-crop machines are no longer unheard of, the big news coming your way is ‘bigger isn’t better’ is out. Already, hydraulic flows as high as 113 gpm, 3PH lift capacities in excess of 10-tons, GPS guidance, field mapping telemetry options, and automated steering are solidly redefining farming today.

2012 will be no different, but what will be particularly interesting to follow is how the trickle down of these technologies will impact smaller utility tractor market all the way down to everyday lawn and garden machines. Read on and we’ll discuss some of the trends we expect to come in 2012 and beyond.

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Our Favorite Tractors of the Year

By Geof Fowler

Although the final numbers aren’t in, 2011 is shaping up as a good year for the tractor industry. Leading the increased demand is the large farm tractor segment which after a year of postponed purchases attributed to the added cost of Interim Tier 4 engines (as much as a 9% increase to sticker prices) has bounced back. High horsepower, high flow hydraulics, GPS, field mapping and telemetry options, automated steering and 4WD all are in demand. It won’t be long before we see the trickledown of these new improvements to the Utility (UT), Compact Utility (CUT), Subcompact Utility (SCUT) and even Lawn and Garden (LGT) and Garden Tractor (GT) industry segments. We can hardly wait to see what 2012 will bring.

In 2011 we were treated to a taste of new designs as well as machines from manufacturers who understood they had a good thing going and didn’t tinker with the recipe. In that vein, we introduce you to our pick for the Top Ten Tractors of 2011.

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New Holland wants to know what you would do with a new Boomer 30 tractor and loader. Dig a pond? Plant a food plot to attract the biggest buck? Till a prize-winning garden to feed the hungry? Make your neighbors jealous?

To find the answer, New Holland announced its Boomer 555 Contest. The contest is already underway and runs through the end of November, 2011. The winner of the contest will get a five-year lease of a New Holland Boomer 30 compact tractor and loader.

Visit the contest’s website at Boomer555.com to enter and describe how you would use a New Holland compact tractor. Unique ideas and inspiring stories count! Qualified entrants, 18 years or older, can enter by submitting their most dynamic, creative entry in words, photos or video. Entries can also be submitted via e-mail to boomer555@newholland.com or mailed to Boomer 555 Contest – MS # 208, c/o New Holland Agriculture, P.O. Box 1895, 120 Brubaker Ave., New Holland, PA 17557.

“Boomer tractors are well-equipped to make quick work of all sorts of jobs,” says Ken Hough, New Holland Tractor Marketing Manager. “We’re looking forward to seeing some very imaginative entries.”

Winning entries will be chosen based on originality, quality, inspiration and creativity. Only one entry per household may be submitted. To be eligible, entries must be received by midnight EST on November 30, 2011.

The inspiration for the contest is New Holland’s new 5-year Boomer Guard5 limited warranty on all Boomer 30/35/40/50 deluxe compact tractors.

“This five-year limited powertrain warranty is the best in the industry,” New Holland says in a release. “It includes the two-year limited “bumper-to-bumper” warranty and adds three more years to powertrain components, for a total of up to five years of protection.”

New Holland is celebrating 50 years of producing self-propelled forage harvesters.

According to New Holland, the history of self-propelled forage harvesters began in 1961 when New Holland decided to transform its famous pull-type forage harvester into a unit with its own engine and controls.

“From that moment on, the pioneering and innovative spirit that has always marked New Holland has been expressed uninterruptedly,” New Holland says in a release. “Giving rise to a series of real inventions that have revolutionised the sector, New Holland’s self-propelled forage harvesters enable farmers and contractors to increase productivity, quality, efficiency, safety and driving comfort.”

To help celebrate this golden anniversary New Holland is launching a FR9000 50th Anniversary Limited Edition model.

A list of New Holland innovations including in the equipment of the FR9000 can be found below the jump.

To help celebrate the upcoming Royal Wedding, New Holland is offering a complimentary Union Flag bonnet to all customers who buy a tractor from their range during April.

“British royal weddings are always a really special occasion, not just for Great Britain, but for millions of people across the world,” says Richard Spencer, New Holland marketing manager. “This is a truly historic event and New Holland – a manufacturer that is proud to build in Britain – recognizes its significance. We want to be there waving the Union Flag in April as we watch British history in the making.”

New Holland is already flying the flag for Britain – last year its plant in Basildon was awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ at the prestigious Manufacturer of the Year Awards 2010 – the first year New Holland has entered.