New Holland

New Holland dealers Brian Keys Tractors Ltd had a stunning T7.210(above) on display. Painted in black, this tractor really stood out from the crowd. The T7.210 will be used as a demonstrator and will certainly grab the attention of prospective buyers. This tractor produces 165hp normally and boosts to 210hp when required for PTO or road haulage work. The power comes from a six-cylinder tier 4b engine. The T7.210 was part of a display covering most of the New Holland tractor range at the Fintona show.

Case IH tractors

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On the Walmsley tractors stand there was a Case Puma 175 CVX with a difference. This version was produced to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the founding of the company that became today’s Case IH Agriculture. The jubilee edition also marks 10 years’ production of the Puma line, the St Valentin, Austrian-built seven-model range which spans from 150hp to 240hp. The Puma 175 CVX Jubilee Edition is finished in a distinctive ‘Viper Stryker’ pearlescent red inherited from the Case IH Autonomous Concept Vehicle (ACV). It also carries unique 175th anniversary decals, only 175 were built so it was nice to see one of these rare tractors in Fintona.

Shaffer

The latest telescopic loader from Shaffer was on display on the H Fulton tractors stand. The 9640 is powered by a Deutz Turbo Intercooled diesel engine with four cylinders. It is water-cooled, produces 136hp and meets the very latest Tier 4 final emissions regulations. The lifting capacity is rated at 4.2t to a maximum height of 5.4m. It weighs between 8.4t and 9.7t depending on ballasting. Load-sensing hydraulics are standard with a flow rate of 145l/min. The hydraulic system also uses a flow sharing system including proportional control of the telescopic arm. This machine adds power to the Shaffer range and hopefully the Irish Farmers Journal will have a full test in the near future.

Pöttinger

At Millstreet the main attraction was the Irish debut of the Pöttinger Impress baler, the model on display was the 125 F Master, which is the slightly smaller of the two F machines with a horsepower requirement of 80hp making it ideally suited for small to medium farmers and contractors.

The Master can produce a bale diameter of 1.25m and a width of 1.2m of highly compressed forage thanks to its 18 chain-driven rollers. The crop being baled is fed into the fixed chamber via a controlled floating pickup which is available in 2.05m and 2.30m working widths. Behind the floating pickup sits Pöttinger’s patented “Lift Up Rotor” which, as the name suggests, lifts the crop up into the chopping system which is situated above the rotor.

This allows for a natural crop flow into the chamber while also reducing any material losses as any loose material falls back into the intake. The 125 F can be fitted with 0,8,16 (Master) or 32 knives (Pro). The Flexcut 32 short-chop system features up to 32 “twinblade” reversible knives which allow for a full working day without having to sharpen knives and can achieve a chop length of 36mm across the entire rotor. All this specification makes for a very exciting entry into the baler market and with the introduction of a combi version at Grass and Muck in May it will be interesting to see how these machines take to Irish conditions.

Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson had the latest round baler on display at Fintona. This is the first sighting in Ireland of these Lely-based machines following on from their launch at Agritechnica.

These balers have now been seen in Fendt and Massey colours. The model on display was the range-topping fixed chamber baler, the RB 2125 FPR. It creates a 1.25m diameter x 1.23m wide bale using 18 rollers. This model also comes with a 25-knife chopping unit.

Looking around the machine it seems to be very similar to its Lely relative with the exception of the different coloured panels. This is not a bad thing as the Lely/Welger baler that it is based on was a very well-liked and widely used machine in Ireland.