Niels

Wiking aren't going to do a 724 are they? Or do you think the tractor under the cover is a 724 and not a 1050 (very unlikely?). I have just ordered UH's 724 S4! Julian: I meant are the models UHs updated version (724 S4) but I see from the windscreen wipers they are not.

That is a very impressive drilling outfit Alex. However, if you say the grain tank is the same size as your old Rapid it will be empty twice as soon which means double the amount of refilling. This will take up a lot of your time or are you not to worried? How much would one of these babies set you back, 150k? I do like the Horsch drills and their system but this machine will have an awful lot of maintenance as well I'd imagine. Plus all those packer wheels won't be much good in the wet? At least with no till there will be more crop residue on top so hopefully not as sticky. Will you be mounting a second GPS receiver on the drill then for the steering axle? Another nice video of a UK example in action. Very similar to your outfit actually:

Are these the new S4 versions then or the 'old' 724 still?

Pointless! Why would you do that. Also, it is putting out a wrong message to New Holland and other manufacturers. They give them away for free (less and less so) and then people go and make 'big' money on them. Markus: No brochure as far as I am aware? I have PM'd you about the brochures.

Well those didn't take long to arrive!

We've had two dry weeks so things started looking like spring. Lots of rain again now which will hamper early planting. Considering what amount of crop is left in store we need a late spring to ensure a market! Potatoes are especially bad. Carrots and onions are now shifting more and more but prices still marginal. Problem is stock farms won't take large volumes of potatoes and digesters don't really want them as well. I don't know what you should do. Sell them for fries and put pressure on the market or dry and find another market. Less potatoes here this year for sure. Certain shift towards more seed grown which also isn't a good thing really.

Nice one Paul. Shame JCB brochures are so hard to come by over here as only 1-2 new tractors sold per year..

A big shame but you have to get rid of them somehow! Are there stock farms taking such large amounts or will they go in a digester?

That is one massive drill! A real piece of artwork though. Planter looking good also. Roll on spring! Busy spreading and spraying as well?

Looks nice and dry! Plenty going on here as well.

With all due respect I find this a pretty silly statement (no matter who says it). If you lease a tractor it is in your books therefore you own it. Stacking up the figures in most cases rental or lease works out better. Rather than shouting I OWN a tractor I would focus on what costs me per hour. @Alex: Fair enough, spoiled drivers you have . And @Paul I reckon these tests will be done behind closed curtains A side line question: What do people find a normal price per hour for a tractor? Over here it used to be €10 (£9) per hour. If you could swap your tractor for a new one and stick to the 10 Euro rule you'd generally did a good job. However, with price increases in recent years, it has gone more towards €15-20/hr! Making it uneconomical to change every 3 tot 5 years. To add a little to the Fendt debate, two farming friends of mine recently purchased new tractors. The first compared a JD 6170R to a Fendt 720 spec for spec. The Deere was €17k cheaper. He then looked at resale values of a 7530 compared to a Fendt 820. This was €20k, therefore deciding to tie up his capital in the Fendt. Friend number two specced up a new Fendt 724 S4 and NH T7.270 BP. The price difference being €12K! I was flabbergasted. Bought the Fendt, somewhat needless to say.

Though that can always happen, even on a new Fendt? I can tell you enough horror story's and I am sure every make will be having them. 5.000 hours plus minus isn't exactly record breaking. Often you see farms where the older work horses actually do better than the newer one. I agree with you on the Fendt and JD debate. I have recently seen some Fendt, MF, JD and NH prices and it was shocking how much the red, green-yellow and blue machines have gone up in price, now matching Fendt. They have risen as well but not as much. However, from a price and reliability point of view, on a farm your size I might have a different approach. Have 1-2 luxery work horses that are used for important jobs and driven by full time employees. Then get 2-3-4-5 simple work horses. 150 hp, gearsticks/semi-PS, no gizmo's just to do their thing. The way you are kitted out they won't need to do any 'proper' work other than carting and the odd bits and bobs. Problem is finding a suitable work horse that ticks all boxes I think? Deutz-Fahr did the X710 but that wasn't much liked I believe. Have I gone completely lost the plot? Maybe makes such as Kubota can find a market in this sector. You see JD doing the same with their M range basic spec tractors as well.

Thank you Alex, that is a very nice hedge cutter! I'm am curious what the Deere's will replace! Have you got a short list yet?

So no snow fell in your neck of the woods then? Good luck with 'spring' action. Have you got a picture of your hedge trimmer outfit as well?

My (soon to be) wife works at our local Fendt, Valtra & JCB dealership where she does the accounts and marketing. I had a cup of coffee there yesterday and helped myself to some of their brochures. First: Fendt 200 Vario old and new brochure which were missing from my collection. Also the new Valtra T4 and S3 series. Second: Stack of Kuhn, Rauch & Lemken brochures which they also sell.

Looks very nice indeed! Lovely.

Is the first picture a self propelled Standen potato harvester Mark? Have never seen that before!

Interesting pictures Gav! You've had a perfect season I reckon for drilling straight into stubbles like that? Wheat does look good.

@JEP: Yes that is a nice one. I had some Bamford Volvo BM brochures (also of the S950) but not a Dutch one. Volvo importer was very near me, so still some legacy left. @John: Sorry I didn't see your reply any earlier! I used to live near Eye (Wickham Skeith) but have now immigrated back to Holland . Though for my work I am still regularly over there. Meanwhile, another show another brochure.. -4 Kaweco brochures of the Radium silage wagon and slurry tanks. -Monosem maize drill NG Plus 4 and Meca V4 beet drill. -Claas Jaguar 900 & 800 Tier 4, maize headers and GPS systems from Claas -Volto tedder, Liner rake, Disco mower and the new Cargos forage wagon. -TYM tractors and a converted model for use in dairy sheds. -Finally range of Garford brochures and one from the electrically driven Multitooltrac tool carrier.

Interesting video certainly! Well put together and interesting to hear their thoughts. I think if there was an Oakley Farms video it would probably be nearly the same? Except for potatoes. Same here Alex. Even farms half that size are likely to have much more crops. By focussing on cereals and rape it does make life a whole lot easier. You can combine large scale farming (anything over 300ha IMO) with a more intensive cropping but it will require a LOT more work, machinery, investment etc.. You won't be able to focus as well on a certain crop or subject. I notice this as I travel round in my country speaking to farmers. However, when it comes to things like weed control, income, soil fertility etc.. I think more crops definitely has the edge.

Alex, nice update once again as usual. You write you have cancelled orders for 2 new tractors. Is this something that you can do without further issues or do you have to pay a penalty? I have worked in the trade myself for 2 years and never had it happen but if someone would cancel his order we would get seriously p*ssed off . You've put down your autograph so have to buy the thing? Out of interest, who did the storage system of your cold store for potatoes? I was speaking to the guys from Dutch firm Omnivent last week. They recently did quite a project for P.J Lee's in the Fens. 11.000t 30.000 box store for potatoes. New shed is already being developed so they will be back to install a new storage system this year. All done from Holland with Dutch personal. It's not really far of course, especially East Anglia.

Oh that is interesting John! Must be really pleasing writing the text for such a document and then seeing it spread across the world. More a sort of history document than a magazine would be? Also quite difficult I'd imagine as it needs to be written from a marketing point of view. I'm a freelance writer for independent magazines and always find it difficult. I've visited our local annual LCN club meeting yesterday. Some people were also selling brochures and I've increased the collection a little ). -Deutz-Fahr Agrotron MK3 series -NH/Fiatagri G series -Valmet 2005 & 2105 -Valmet Mega Power 8000 series -Ford Series 10 Gen II (7610, 5610, 6610) -Ford 4100 & 4600 -Ford 5600 -MF 8400 series combines USA (the Dominator models discussed earlier on here. I had 1 brochure but have now found another very nice one!) -JD 9020 series again USA. This is of the later life as it sports the 9620 model that was later launched. Initially the 9520 was the top dog. -BM Volvo S950 -Arbos combines from Italy All in all not a bad find and what is best: Reasonably priced!

This looks like a thick book Paul?

I'm not Alex but why you should contract the land out to Oakley: -Purple wheat is wrong. Wheat is green or yellow. If it's purple you need to put some phosphate on. -Paddocks are small patches of grass. Wheat grows in fields. (and a kissing smiley)

Something special in it's own as brochures these days don't go cheap!