SPN

Here we are in 2006: The 7600 and 7840 are still going strong looking after the day to day needs of the Pig Farm and Beef Units. The 8670 was replaced with a TM165 in 2001. The TM165 and 8560 looked after all the ploughing, tilling, sowing and carting duties until 2006 when the demise of the Sugar Beet Industry called for a rethink, and the changeover to a min-till operation. The 8560 was therefore replaced with a TG305 which will power a Simba 330 Cultivator. A Pottinger Terrasem 3000 Drill System is on order for the autumn, together with a Fendt 818 which will replace the TM165. The Contracting operation replaced the 926 with a 930 in 2004, and the 716 was replaced with an 818 Vario earlier this year. Demand from the construction industry is so great that an additional 818 and two 20 Tonne dump trailers are on order. A second low-loader has been purchased so that the TG can bring in extra income when it isn't required on the farm. Two years ago the farm changed to a silage wagon system because of the reduced requirements for men, tractors, and diesel. The 7840 mowed out, the 7600 raked, and the 716 powered a Pottinger Europrofi 3. Last year, after the retirement of a local contractor, a second Europrofi 3 was purchased which allowed the TM165 or 8560 to assist at busy times, and to chop silage for a couple of neighbours. This year another local contractor went bust, so the decision was taken to get back into silage contracting for a number of local farmers, but with a system that compliments the other operations and provides flexibility. A Pottinger 3 gang mower was purchased and is powered by the 930. This combination can mow over 100 acres a day and is probably over-specced, but it does mean the 930 can be back at its day job very quickly. A Pottinger Jumbo silage wagon was purchased to go behind the TG305 or the 930 and it brings the capacity of the operation into the league of mid range self propelleds. The three silage wagons can be used together or separately, depending on circumstances, and the ability for customers to rake and/or buckrake themselves helps reduce their costs. The pics are from the first day of the 2006 season when the outfit was about to get stuck into 200 acres at Home Farm. pic 1) the TM, 818 and TG lined up in the yard. pic 2) A pair of Europrofi 3s and a Jumbo

Dave Purdue should have them at Fingal next weekend. He has a huge stock of bits n bobs for Britains.

HEY! It doesn't matter! It is BLUE Blue is more complex than red or green. Blue is BETTER than red or green. Changing the colour of the cab roof is a hell of a lot cheaper than trying to trade an unreliable piece of red or green against a tidy piece of blue. Lets enjoy the fact that somebody has taken the time to build an 8340, and not get bogged down in the little things. If we want to discuss little things we can discuss red or green!

Whatever about the content, the title is very appropriate ........ :D :D :D

The cab on the *000s and *600s was made by a scandinavian Ford subsidiary called FIECO. The "slanting backwards" cab you refer to is prolly the Duncan cab (horrible cramped noisy thing) and can be purchased in 1:32 from a number of people including [url=http://www.farmmodels.co.uk/spare-parts-farmmodels.html]Karen Harris for about ?9.00.

I saw these for sale in Zwolle years ago, and was always sorry I didn't buy them at the time. I finally managed to get my hands on an F130 kit about two years ago. Must get around to building it some day.

Pic5 & pic6: The JCB FarmMaster in action.

pic 3 & pic 4: Fendt 716 and JF FCT1050 harvester.

It's 1999. The world is going to end after midnight on December 31st because of the Millenium Bug, and classic 1:32nd scale models are cheap as dirt to buy. One of these days Meg Whitman is going to do something about that! On my featured farm (see 70s and 80s entries for the history) there is lots of new kit. On the Home Farm, the County 1174 was eventually traded for a Ford 8630 in 1991. The 1184 was traded for a Ford 8340 in 1992. The Fendt 309LSA and the 8630 were traded for an NH badged 7840 and a Ford badged 8670 in early 1996. The 8340 was traded for an 8560 in early 1998. On the pig farm, the 7600Q is still going strong (mainly because the 7840 gets drafted in to spread the slurry). The contracting operation replaced the DX110 with a second Fendt 615 in 1995. The original 615 was replaced with a 926 Vario in early 1998. The 926 spends most of its time shifting plant on a low loader as the contracting business now has a major focus on construction. The second 615 has just been replaced with a new 716 Vario. Because the construction business is booming, the silage harvesting has been cut back to just the needs of the Home Farm beef wintering yards, and the two ploughing tractors - the 8560 and 8670 - see regular duty under Dooley 20 Tonne dump trailers. This year the 7840 looks after the mowing with a Pottinger trailed mower. The new 716 is powering the JF trailed harvester. The 8560 and 8670 do most of the carting with the 18 foot trailers. The 7840 and 7600Q see duty with the elderly Lees for the longer draws. A JCB 414 FarmMaster on duals looks after the pit. pic 1: 7840 mowing out pic 2: The main carting crew.

pic 5: tipping up at the silage pit. pic 6: Massey 50D shows how it's done.

pic 3: 615 mowing out pic 4: Claas Jag chops, 1184 runs alongside.

It's 1988, and some things haven't changed. Others have: the 9600 was replaced by a 9700 in 1979, and this year the 9700 was traded for a very high tech Fendt 615, complete with front linkage. In 1980 the Doe 5100 was traded for a Ford 8100, in 1985 the 8100 was traded for a Deutz DX110 2wd. The tillage operation still has the County 1174 bought in 1978, together with an 1184 bought in 1984 and a shiny new Fendt 309LSA. The pig farm now has the hand-me-down 7600Q. The farm has built two large 18 foot trailers in-house, primarily for the haulage operation, but they are also useful at silage time as the trailed harvester has been replaced by a Self Propelled. This year the new 615 is running front and rear mowers. The two Countys are the main silage haulers with the 18 foot trailers, and the 309LSA, Deutz and 7600Q act as backup with the 2 Lee 8tonners and Lee 10tonner. The MF50D Elite packs the silage at the pit. pic 1: The two Countys parked up with the 18 foot trailers. pic 2: close up of the 1184 and trailer.

and finally....... pic 5: the Doe tips the second load at the pit, while the 764 sits to the side. pic 6: the 1004 comes racing in through the yard with a load.

Here is the 6600 mowing, and the 7600Q chopping and blowing into the Lee 10 tonner hauled by the 9600.

It's 1978, the farm is 2000 acres and is made up of four enterprises. The Home Farm is a tillage and beef operation. It operates a County 1004, County 764 and Ford 7600Q. There is a County 1174 and Kverneland 6 furrow plough on order (replacing the 1004 and 5 furrow Ransomes), but it won't arrive until the autumn. There is a large Pig breeding and fattening operation on a nearby outfarm. This operation runs a Ford 6600, primarily for slurry spreading. With the large demand for feed for the beef and pig operations, the farm has its own grain storage, milling and feed blending operation. This aspect of the business is growing quickly and sells to other farmers in the region. The final enterprise is a contracting business which is primarily focused on hauling feed out to the mill's customers, and in winter, hauling sugar beet to the nearest factory. This operation runs two big six cylinder tractors, a Doe 5100 and a Ford 9600. The farm cuts its own silage, about 400 acres each year, and also cuts another 400 acres for some adjoining dairy farmers. This year the 6600 is mowing with a Fahr mower, the new 7600Q is driving the Claas Jaguar harvester (the Q cab making this job a lot more bearable) and the carting is being done by the three six cylinder tractors - the 1004 and Doe hauling Lee 8 tonners, and the 9600 hauling a Lee 10 tonner. The County 764 on the pit is an export model bought at the right price when a big export order was cancelled. It replaced a Roadless 65. It will be fitted with a Fieco or Duncan cab in the autumn. ..... and now for the pics. pic 1: The three silage trailers lined up in the yard waiting to start pic 2: close up of the Doe 5100

HINT!

Take them by the hand, and bring them round to see the contractor with the fleet of TMs/60s. Down with this deviant John Q nonsense. Ulster says NO!

Never mind the John Qs, what about the Fendt and the Mex VI? Would give most SPs a run for their money!

Thanks Nigel! From where I am now (shabby paint job) how do I get back to the metal and start again? If (when!) I get another pair (or three), do I use ordinary soap & water to wash them prior to priming them? The other question I have relates to tidying up the edges (between the studs where the centres meet the rims). What are the right tools to use, and what technique tips would you give?

I have a pair of Scaledown 14x30 wheels which I want to paint white to go on a Ford 5000. I have Humbrol #22 gloss white, but it doesn't seem to want to "take" to the metal. What am I doing wrong, and what should I actually be doing to get the best results?

Happy Birthday D. Buy you a beer in Lusk in a couple of weeks. S:

It gives you something to hide behind so people can't see who the loser on the J Qeere is!

Maybe we should set a calendar of competitions through the year. People will have loads of time to prepare, but only a small amount of time to submit. How would one competition per month work?

Go to Farmphoto.com and put 3130 into the search box on the left. There's even pics of two OPU Qeeres from Lord PDC of Scaniaville

That TX is a wonderous thing of beauty! In the pic of the 8070, notice the Case 70 series in the background. It looks fabulous for its age.