March 2023 new product rollout

Photo courtesy of New Holland.

New Holland renews its industry-leading specialty tractor offering with upgrades to the T4 F/N/V and TK4 series

New Holland Agriculture is further consolidating its leadership of the specialty tractor sector with the introduction of the revolutionary VisionView cab on the T4 F/N/V series and a new, more powerful engine and compact hood on the TK4 series.

This series has already started to earn international praise, as the T4.120F won Best Specialized Tractor at the Tractor of the Year 2023 Awards. The coveted title, assigned by a jury of independent journalists specializing in agricultural mechanization, recognizes the best tractor in the market.

The revolutionary VisionView cab introduces the comfort of an open field tractor in the narrow T4 F/N/V Series, with a spacious environment and flat deck for all types of operators. The exclusive design of the front window, combined with the lowest and most compact hood on the market that is covering and protecting all the after-treatment systems, provides a unique style and best-in-class visibility. The one-piece side window and four-pillar design further improve visibility to the sides and rear, overcoming the challenge of increasing roominess in a constrained space.

The T4 series tractors are the perfect machines for contractors and small to medium orchards and vineyards with high-value crops who look for high performance, comfort and reliability in the best tractor sized for specialty applications. Thanks to the VisionView cab and to all the other technical features, this tractor is a finalist of Tractor of the Year 2023 in the category Best Specialized.

Photo courtesy of Firestone.

Firestone Agriculture announces distribution agreement with Shark Wheel for SWIFT air-free irrigation tire

Firestone Agriculture, a business of Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), announced an official distribution agreement with Shark Wheel, a manufacturer of non-pneumatic (or air-free) tire technology. The agreement allows Firestone Ag to sell Shark Wheel’s non-pneumatic irrigation tire, known as SWIFT, through Firestone Ag’s nationwide certified dealer network.

SWIFT, which stands for “sine wave innovative flotation and traction,” is an air-free tire for application on irrigation pivots. The air-free design prevents the downtime and costly repairs of flat tires in the field. The paddles of the tread design are comprised of spring steel with overmolded rubber. The modular design enables repairs and customizations to its high-traction paddles in less than 60 seconds.

The Shark Wheel SWIFT features a unique sinusoidal tread design that generates a helical, DNA-shaped travel path between the two out-of-phase wheels on the irrigation tower. This minimizes rutting by enabling the trailing wheel to fill in the ruts created by the leading wheel. The bidirectional tread pattern allows the wheel to work equally well in both directions, and Shark Wheel test data showed a reduction in rutting from 14 inches with a pneumatic tire to 1 inch with SWIFT.

Firestone Ag’s partnership with Shark Wheel aligns with the Bridgestone E8 commitment, which serves as an axis to drive management while earning the trust of future generations. Firestone Ag’s partnership with Shark Wheel aligns with the “economy” and “efficiency” value.

Photo courtesy of Case IH.

Case IH adds new models to Farmall family of tractors

Case IH is expanding the lineup of Farmall N series tractors with two new models — the Farmall 90N and 120N — in addition to existing 80N, 100N and 110N tractors. All five Farmall N models offer new styling and advanced displays, upgraded cab comfort and controls, and improved fuel tank capacity. Reinforcing the brand commitment to emissions reductions, these tractors are improved to now meet Tier 4 B/Final emissions. The Farmall N series tractor is known for wide flexibility and a narrow footprint where space is at a premium, such as in orchards and vineyards.

Now consisting of five models, the newly styled Farmall N series tractor lineup has engines ranging from 74 to 119 horsepower. The new Farmall 90N tractor boasts an engine with up to 85 horsepower and 75 power takeoff (PTO) horsepower, while the Farmall 120N tractor has an engine that reaches up to 119 horsepower and 102 PTO horsepower. With upgraded hydraulics and increased driveline to reduce fuel consumption, the Farmall N series tractors improve producers’ uptime and efficiency so they can spend more time in the field – where it matters.

Designed to precisely and comfortably service operations where space is limited, the Farmall series tractors have a sturdy platform construction with an ISO-mount that reduces noise and vibration and includes fatigue-fighting features such as a tilt and telescoping steering column to make long days in the cab more comfortable.

Photo courtesy of Kubota.

Kubota unveils the new LX20 series

The LX20 series boasts 35 and 40 horsepower options to meet a variety of needs. With increased travel speed, improved comfort, noise reduction and updated loader operability, the LX20 models are the answer to comfort, ease of operation and workability.

The 35-horsepower cab model also comes in a special utility (SU) option. It’s the perfect value option that offers an alternative choice if applications requiring mid-PTO, such as midmount mowers and front snow implements, are not needed.

A narrow model has also been introduced to the LX20 family lineup. With the width being less than 42 inches, it can easily move between trees that are 5 feet apart. It’s perfect for orchards, vineyards and nurseries.

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