Niels

When you cut tall grass you often leave white stubbles like that. I think it is very realistic. Look up some aerial pictures on Google from mowing and you can see a similar result.

Ehrm.. MB-Trac.

Tractorman: I think it was because the UK farmers like(d) to do their own harvesting while this was more of a contracting outfit.

Here are some pictures from a model I have recently bought from a friend. He had bought the new Ropa beet harvester from Siku so this old girl was now surplus. I decided to give it a safe home. It is a modified Ertl Ford TW 15 model fitted with a homemade Franquet haulm topper and beet harvester. Franquet is a French firm from Guignicourt, near Rheims. Standen were the UK importers although I believe the two phase lifting system for sugar beet was never as popular in the UK as it was on the Continent. The model was build a good twenty years ago by a skipper. It was, and still is, the only agricultural model he has build. A total of five harvesters were constructed by him. Two of which went to collectors in the UK (wonder if there is any on this forum who has one?) and three stayed in Holland. The other two Dutch models have a Deutz-Fahr and Renault tractor on them. The model is built completely out of copper so it is worth a bit even for scrap iron . The TW 15 is not one of the best tractors. I wonder if the Imber Models front hitch, supplied with their 5640, might make it a little more realistic. Although the topper is a little 'rough' it is actually fairly playable and heavy. The tunnel/rake at the back is foldable. It was build exactly to 1/32th scale but the cleaning 'wheels' have one bar less than the real thing. This is a picture from the real thing. A local contractor who ran the same set-up only they used a Riecam (Gilles) topper on the front.

ha ha!, it's a small world .

Thank you all for your replies . So it IS for the Accord A frame. Probably a small problem with the casting then as it doesn't fit. A small file will sort the job. It's a shame really the ones supplied by Weise Toys don't fit . Despite the little bits and bobs it certainly is one of the best models out there atm and personally on the number 1 position together with Wiking. I fear the future 40 serie models will set me back a fair bit . My model supplier told me the 8340 is up next for late 2010, is this true? Also, one thing. I don't know if the owners of Imber Models read this topic? Judging by the times people wrote down their names I thought they maybe would. The problem is the box. It has a picture of a Dutch 2wd 5640 on the back from Van Zuylen Mechanisatie. Spoke to the owner from this company and he was not amused to say the least. It is not very clever to 'take' pictures from the internet without permision but may be this a leason for future times.

Sorry to kick this topic up from the dark depths of this forum but I happen to have one silly question about this model. Why is there two top links? One is slightly larger than the other but only the small ones seems to fit nicely on the front hitch. I wondered if it was maybe for the Accord type hitch but it doesn't even fit in the hole (here it doesn't at least). It is truly a lovely model and one that everyone had been dreaming of for many years. However I wondered if there were maybe a bit to much extras. The front hitch is fairly out of proportion IMO and would not be something this tractor would get kitted out with. After a bit of head scratching I used a small screwdriver to take the weight rack off which did the job. A small knife was needed to take the paint off the various attachments but I understand this is almost unavoidable for the manufacturer. You have to be careful though with the small pins as they easily drop out the holes again when you tilt the model. As said before. A truely brilliant model but a set of weights would have done it for me really!

Finally someone that sees the potential danger of such things! British government is right. Photographers are a wierd bunch of people.

Seems a nice sprayer Gav. Saw a lorry passing here last week going to the ferry with one of these, plus a self propelled one, on. Must have been yours then. They are gaining popularity here as well, Deere are really pushing them. Shame the booms either crack or fall off . But with 24m that shouldn't be such an issue hopefully. If you ever consider working in Holland for a while, don't spray. Most sprayers here have 13 sections .

Min till could be anything. Is a very very common name with different meanings. From Google: Minimum tillage involves reducing cultivation depth and can avoid the use of the plough i.e. non inversion of the soil. The technique enables cheaper and quicker establishment and is predominantly used for winter cereals and winter oilseed rape. The approach can involve a number of techniques including direct drilling, broadcasting into existing stubbles or adopting a strategy of reduced tillage. Often Wikipedia is the preferred source. More to be found about all sorts of tillage here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tillage That firm for instance doesn't even rule out the plough as a method of min-till. Though in common farmers knowledge min-till is working on a non-plough basis. 9 out of 10 people still class subsoilers and deep cultivators as min-till though. In my opinion min-till is adjusting your crop establishment methods to the current situation. I.E has it been a wet summer, bone dry, late, early etc.. Not just farming on auto-pilot which a lot of people do. The first step is often leaving the plough in the shed. The big issue is that min-till starts getting truly beneficial, in terms of soil life, after about 5 years. That is also the same year when a lot of people get their ploughs out again, which means you have to start all over again building up your soil structure and soil life.

7500kg is quite something! Our Grimme weighs about 5500kg, a fair difference. What is the water kit used for, spraying it on top of the tubers as they cross the spiral cleaning rolls? Seems to me, if you have a lot of problems with bulldozing, you might as well get rid of them? A small skid coupled to an electric sensor does the trick as well. Our main concern is compacting the ridges which won't sieve as easily. We previously used rubber sleeves over the steel rollers but in dry conditions they tend to tear within a day or two, costing around £100 it sets you back a fair bit!

What is the tank for on top of the harvester Gav? Looks a neat machine but it seems very heavy with little visibility IMHO but you are used to that of course. Very strange for me to see it suited for a PUH! Good luck with it, hope it does well. I quite fancied the tyres instead of the diabolo rolls for depth control but on this model they seem to have fitted a miniature steam roller! It is driven it seems as two hydraulics lines are beside it?

I like the idea but in all honesty I reckon it is to 'big' for 1/32th. The main beam must be nearly 1cm? That is 32cm, nearly 13", in real life and I have never seen such a heavy bale lifter! Same goes for the arms. If it was scaled better it would look a bit more realistic imo.

Sorry I was referring to the older model with the exhoust on top of the bonnet!

Nice model but I wouldn't change it to a 7421 by just adding different decals if I were you. Wouldn't do the model much good as it is totally different model. But good to see someone tackling also the less well known makes.

Nice model (with normal tyres). I doubt it'll pull the Superflow though .

I take it you are talking about this model: It was build by Norscot in 1/64th scale. Comes with standard header and maize one. They also did a CAT version. Prices for this model I believe around the €35 mark these days.

BOR, just to make your life a little easier. Whenever you want to show something from your computer you could also either download the picture (right click save as) or hit the printscreen button, paste in paint and upload? Saves a fair bit on photographing your screen .

Am I right saying Peters is charging €185 for one of these models? That is a bit steep. Nice model though.

Can't get much worse than the two you just named can it? Looking at previous Schuco products they will be fine. Btw, these models have been announced for nearly two years already.

I'd say £150.000?

That is root chicory for the English speaking part of this world. Processed for the use of inulin that is being used as a replacement for sugar, fat and flour in food.

That machine is a one off done for a Dutch contractor. The bunker is build by Bomech.

Very dry indeed Gavin, what variety were you lifting? Luckily the Baselier topper still does you proud. How wide is that harvester (the actuall web, 60" and lifting 72" beds or something?

Thanks for your reply. Have you got any idea on how much fuel you are using with the Terradisc and subsoil twice compared to ploughing? Or isn't that the reason you are min-tilling them? I take it the potatoes are grown on (very) light land so subsoiling early in the spring isn't so much of an issue or is all this and bed forming carried out in the autumn?