This year's National Ploughing Championships kicked off on Tuesday in Laois with a total of 75,500 people attending. The figure is up 11,250 people from the 66,250 who attended day one of the 2023 event, with the good weather this year playing a role.
This year's National Ploughing Championships kicked off on Tuesday in Laois with a total of 75,500 people attending.
The figure is up 11,250 people from the 66,250 who attended day one of the 2023 event, with the good weather this year playing a role.
Despite some machinery manufacturers opting not to exhibit at this year’s event, spectators were still treated to a flurry of shiny metal, with the Ploughing still a big shop window for Ireland's machinery importers and manufacturers.
In this article, we take a look at five of the larger agricultural machines on display.
The wide body machine sources its maximum power output of 979hp from a 24l Liebherr 12- cylinder engine.
Farmhand - the Irish importer of brands such as Krone, Amazone and Quicke - once again put on a cracker of a display.
For the first time at the Ploughing, Farmhand presented three flagship machines side by side.
Both its 2024 demonstration model Krone Big X 980 forager and Big M 450 self-propelled mower were on show, alongside an Amazone Pantera 4504 self-propelled sprayer.
Unique features of the Krone Big X range include six pre-compression rollers and independent rear suspension for optimum comfort, further aided by the optional height-adjustable cab.
The Big X 980 sits as the third-largest model within the Big X lineup. The wide-body machine sources its maximum power output of 979hp from a 24l Liebherr 12-cylinder engine.
Like its siblings, the Big X 980 has all the same features and technology such as the PowerSplit feature, whereby operators can select between Eco-Power and XPower when full engine output is called upon.
The range is powered by a 7.4 litre AGCO Power engine and married to an AGCO CVT transmission.
Clarke Machinery had a massive display of kit including Valtra’s flagship Q series model, the Q305.
Spanning 230hp to 305hp, the recently introduced Q series plugs the gap between the flagship T255 (235hp) and the entry level S274 (300hp). The Q Series is designed, engineered and manufactured in Finland.
The range is powered by a 7.4-litre AGCO Power engine and married to an AGCO CVT transmission. Valtra says the engine features the biggest displacement in the market for this size of tractor.
Maximum power is available at 1,850rpm, while it adds that maximum torque stays consistent in the range of 1,000 to 1,500rpm. Valtra's EcoPower principle has been applied to the entire Q Series range, with the aim of reducing fuel consumption. As a result, maximum driving speed is achieved at 1,500rpm.
The series weighs in at 9.2t, while its maximum gross weight comes in at 16t, offering a high payload for transportation. The Q Series is compact, has a low total height (3,337mm) and a long wheelbase (3,050mm), while offering a low centre of gravity.
The range comes as standard with Valtra's SmartTouch, while technology such as Valtra Guide, ISOBUS, Connect, Section Control and TaskDoc, etc, are available as add-ons.
The W190D was its flagship piece of equipment, and boasts an operating weight of 19,520kg and is fitted with a 234hp FPT engine.
Well-known Tipperary machinery dealership M&S Machinery put on an extensive display of New Holland wheel loaders, alongside a range of equipment from its other franchises, including MDE.
The dealer exhibited the W80C, W110D, W170D and W190D wheel loader models, alongside the L320, L321 and L328 skid-steers and a B115D backhoe loader.
The W190D was its flagship piece of equipment and boasts an operating weight of 19,520kg and is fitted with a 234hp FPT engine. This engine is married up to a five-speed 40km/h power shift transmission.
New Holland says when the loader is shod on Michelin Mega X-bib 750/65R26 wheels, forward speed is increased to 50km/h.
In terms of hydraulics, the W190D offers 236l/min of oil flow from a Rexroth closed-centre, load-sensing pump.
Meanwhile, the slightly smaller W170D weighs in at 11,800kg and churns out 197hp. It offers a hydraulic capacity of 206l/min.
The Strautmann Magnon 8-370 is a 36m3 forage wagon.
Kilkenny-based importer and distributor IAM Agricultural Machinery exhibited a wide variety of machines from the Strautmann, Bomford, Hardi, Farmdroid and Rabe brands.
This included the latest Strautmann Magnon 8-370 (36m3) forage wagon.
The Magnon 8 is equipped with all the welcomed features from the larger Magnon 10 range, including the CFS Flex-Load pickup and hydraulically swivelling front panel, which alone increases load capacity by a further 5m3.
Well known for its plastic tine pickup, the 2.25m-wide reel feeds the 44 double-sided knife Exact-Cut chopping unit. The result is a theoretical chop length of 35mm.
It features a new single-knife protection system which works similar to a knee joint, retracting when encountered by a foreign object before returning to working position.
Powering the Pantera 4504 is a 218hp Deutz six-cylinder engine and 50km/h hydrostatic transmission.
The first two new Amazone Pantera 4504 self-propelled sprayers were sold in Ireland earlier this year and Farmhand brought a third model to this week’s Ploughing exhibition.
Powering the Pantera 4504 is a 218hp Deutz six-cylinder engine and 50km/h hydrostatic transmission. The sprayers feature 24m to 48m booms, 4,500l spray tanks and 500l clean water tanks.
One common feature is the AmaSelect nozzle system, whereby the sprayer not only is capable of individual nozzle shut off (50cm part-width sections), but it can automatically alternate between four nozzle types on the move in order to maintain a target application rate based on live forward speed.
On the scales, the 4505 in its base unladen form weighs 9,000kg. List pricing for the model starts at €480,000 plus VAT.
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