SPN

I'd suggest the UH Claas Quantum as an alternative to the JD SPFH. It is one hell of a model!

If you know somebody with a high quality printer, or even better, someone who does signwriting, they may be interested in swapping pints for access to their hardware. Alternatively, if you can get the design part right yourself, a printshop with high res printers (Xerox DocuCopy or similiar) should do the printing for you for a price.

€8.50 for that set is v. good value! The forage harvester with the red header isn't very common either. Usually they are black or silver IIRC. 10/10 to smurf for observation!

Like Q, I am an old school Britains collector. My main passion is for all things Blue, and one third of my tractor collection is either Fordson, Ford, County or New Holland. I got two UH models as Christmas presents and since then I have gone UH crazy - 7 tractors so far, and a pair of Fendt 818s on the way. The UH Claas Quantum is just about the best 1:32 scale farm model I have ever seen. Roll on the Kuhn Mower. In my dreams UH will bring out the NH TVT and TMA. That would just be the ultimate. In the meantime, is it too much to ask that nobody brings out new models in 2006 so that I have some money left to spend on adding the Blue artics - Steiger FW, Versatile Designation 6s, 9880, 9882 and various TJs - to my collection? The addition of the three ERTL Precision Tractors (and the Precision Combine), together with the Norscot Cat & Claas Challengers to the collection would also be greatly facilitated by a break in the relentless release of new models - especially new UH models. So many models, so little time!

My ZTX is due any day, and it is destined to become a Case MX270 in short order.

Smells like a UH MTX base model to me. Front of chassis could be a Siku 6920. Very clever conversion anyway. I like the 2wd 6010 in the background though.

Oooooh, the temptation to make a disparaging remark, and start a colour war. ha ha!! only kidding! (Roffle) Here's the same front mower (Tim), but with a pair of Siku mowers on the back. PDC does excellent quality conversions and decals at a reasonable price. I highly recommend his work.

FP, if you email Michael at the email addy on the website I'm sure he'd be happy to help with the learning curve. I've had that model in my hand. The "doing" is relatively straightforward. It's the planning that's the female spaniel.

Paddy Lee is still making trailers and driving his old Mercedes G Wagen. He went over to steel bodies a couple of years ago, but they are very rare. I really love the timber bodied tandem axles that he produced at the end of his heyday. They are a gorgeous trailer. I must call up to his workshop someday and grab a couple of pics.

I have never seen one for sale, but here are pics of Michael's one from Farmmodels.net

Dunno about the chassis, but the wheels look like the ones on a Renault Cergos. Is that a Chris Irwin conversion?

They are way too sensible and efficient! ha ha!! I'm on call for my annual joyride next Mon and Tue. I'll be chauffering a Case 895 and an 8 ton Lee trailer. The theme for the week will be : Keep her lit! Might even get a few pics if I think of it.

The contractor near Tralee has bought a 4th wagon for this year! I believe that skin and hair are flying in that part of the world. ha ha!!

A Pottinger Wagon will go places that an 18ft tipper won't go, mainly because the wheels are set so far forward. The drawbar can be raised and lowered hydraulically which enables the driver to raise the front wheels and have the wagon go the long way around, like a trailer, or put the weight on the front wheels and give it loads of tail swing. Whichever is appropriate to the situation. The floatation tyres on a wagon are way better than the super singles on most silage trailers. I heard of a contractor who went to a pair of wagons for grass silage, but kept his old SP for harvesting maize. When the going got really sticky at the maize he would use the wagons for carting instead of the Dooleys.

The grass came from Mark's Models near O'Connell Bridge in Dublin.

Pottinger are quite popular around here, and the importer is a friend of mine. I got PDC to do a number of Pottinger conversions for me, ploughs, stubble cultivators, front, two-gang rear and trailed mowers, grass rakes and the 4m combi drill. Three Europrofi 3 silage wagons will harvest as much silage as a self propelled with four following trailers with two less drivers and half the diesel consumption. I know of a couple of contractors who have gotten out of self propelleds and have gone over to silage wagons. Personally, I prefer the old fashioned way with 20 year old tractors with the pumps turned up blowing black smoke to the heavens as they chase the SP around the countryside. ha ha!!

4ft x 2ft x 6mm OSB Board for the base. Heki Gelandematte (FeldGrun) mat glued to board for base green effect (cut grass). Heki Wildgras used to make the uncut grass in front of the mower. 200gsm (or thereabouts) dark green card cut into strips used for the mown grass swarths. PVA applied and Heki Grasfaser Nr 3361 sprinkled over the glue (two or three times). Cardboard core from kitchen foil rolls cut into thirds used for the rowed in swarths. PVA applied and multiple coats of sprinkled Heki Grasfaser. I'm sure Woodland Scenics and others have similiar materials. My local train/model supplies sells the Heki range.

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Fendt 930 with a 3-Gang Pottinger Mower Steyr 9094 with a Pottinger Rake Fendt 716 with a Pottinger Europrofi 3 Silage Wagon JCB Farm Master on dual wheels and with Silage Rake. (Not pictured - Fendt 926 with Claas Quantum Silage Wagon and Fendt 818 with Pottinger Europrofi 3 Silage Wagon) (3 Gang Mower and Rake modified by PDC. Silage Rake for JCB made by Dave Towse)

I got a boxed Hesston 580 for $15 +P&P a couple of years ago. Kinda took away the pain of some other models I had paid slightly over the odds for.