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Exploding tractor tyre kills farm worker
• Safety breach sees farm fi ned £80k
• Farm failed to properly assess risks
• Suitable controls must be in place
Tractor tyre changes should only be carried out by competent staff following health and safety guidance, farmers and contractors are being warned.
The reminder was issued after a Lancashire farm partnership was fined £80,000 last month following the death of a man killed by an exploding tractor tyre at a dairy farm in Hutton, near Preston.
Joshua Hardman, who was 23, suffered fatal head injuries as he helped to inflate a tractor tyre at the farm. The father of one from Longridge, was working as a farmhand at the dairy unit run by W Hesketh & Sons.
At the time of the incident, Mr Hardman had been helping farm partner Bill Hesketh re-seat and inflate a
large tractor tyre. As Mr Hesketh inflated the inner tube within the tyre, it suddenly exploded.
The sudden and catastrophic release of compressed air propelled the wheel rim into Mr Hardman, causing traumatic head injuries.
He was taken to hospital but died after a further deterioration in his condition.
‘Heart
of
gold’
In a statement, his family said: “Joshua was a very loving, caring, kind and gentle person. He had a heart of gold. He was also an amazing dad, and it is heart-breaking he will never reach his full potential in that role.”
An HSE investigation found that W Hesketh & Sons had failed to properly identify and put in place the nec-
Proper procedures should be followed when changing commercial tyres
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essary measures to control the risks involved when inflating large commercial tyres.
The investigation found that the tyre, wheel rim and inner tube were poorly maintained. No assessment had been made to determine whether the damaged tyre, inner tube and wheel rim were suitable to be inflated safely..
Tragic incident
W Hesketh & Sons, of Grange Lane, Hutton, Preston, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety rules. They were fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £8,605 costs by Preston Magistrates Court on 4 February.
The incident took place in 2021. After the hearing, safety inspector Anthony Banks said: “This was a tragic incident, and a much-loved young man has lost his life. It could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.
Before undertaking the inflation of large commercial tyres, all employers must correctly assess the risk and have in place suitable controls for the task, said Mr Banks.
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Pristine Fordson Super Dexta in auction for charity
An iconic 1963 Fordson Super Dexta tractor will be auctioned by Cheffins with all proceeds to the Addenbrookes Charitable Trust.
Auctioneers believe the machine –resplendent in its orange and blue livery – could raise up to £20,000 when it goes under the hammer this October as part of firm’s 200th anniversary celebrations.
The tractor was purchased by Cheffins last summer from an auction for Dave and Pete Ingalls in Lincolnshire. It has been fully restored by Youngs Agricultural Services in Stretham, near Ely, Cambridgeshire.
Smithfield announcement
The Fordson range was extended in early 1962 with the introduction of the Super Dexta. This new model was announced at the Smithfield show in November 1961, but did not go into production until the Apri 1962.
The revised nose-cone on the Super Dexta was the result of changes to the cowling to accommodate a larger radiator. This Deluxe model has ‘live’ power take-off, hydraulics and a pickup hitch.
The following year saw the launch of the New Performance tractors – the ultimate and final development of the Fordson range. The new range saw the Super Dexta fitted with an up-rated P4696 Minimec pump which boosted
following events over the coming months.
20 April - National Tractor, Stowmarket, Suffolk
29-30 May – Suffolk Show, Trinity Park, Ipswich
7 June – Tractor Fest, Newby Hall, Yorkshire
8 June – Thurlow Nunn Standen anniversary road run, Suffolk
5 July – Saffron Walden Carnival, Essex.
The tractor will attend other events, announced during the year.
the power to 44.5hp, explains Cheffins director Oliver Godfrey.
“One of the most sought-after collectors’ machines, the Fordson Super Dexta is somewhat of an icon among vintage tractor circles.”
Over the coming months, the tractor will take part in agricultural shows and festivals across the country (see panel, above). When sold, the proceeds from the auction will be donated direct to the Addenbrookes Charitable Trust, said Mr Godfrey.
“We would like to encourage as many people as possible to come and see the Cheffins Charity Tractor in all its glory at various events throughout the year and look forward to it going under the hammer.”
The tractor will be sold as part of the Cheffins Vintage Sale on 18 October, hosted at the Cheffins Machinery Saleground at Sutton, near Ely. For full details about the auction, visit www.cheffins.co.uk.
Jack Wyatt appointed sales director at Spearhead
Spearhead Machinery has appointed Jack Wyatt to the role of sales and marketing director as it prepares to unveil a number of new machines.
Mr Wyatt joined Spearhead in 2021 after completing an agricultural engineering degree. He has gained broad experience across the company – most recently as export sales manager.
“We’re keen to support all our customers with strong and reliable machines while growing the Spearhead brand in all sectors and markets around the world,” said Mr Wyatt.
“With direct user feedback and a skilled UK manufacturing base, we’ll continue adding further value to every machine purchased.”
Closely involved in product development, Mr Wyatt has proved to be a valuable link between customers and the Spearhead engineering team – helping to develop new features on various machines.
Spearhead had its second-best year in 2024. Working with its network of dealers and distributors across the UK and overseas, the company unlocked several new markets, including a 100-machine contract in Denmark.
Moving into 2025, Spearhead plans to launch several new machines along with updates across its full product range. These will include a range of attachments and new developments for rotary mower customers.
The tractor has been fully restored by Youngs Agricultural Services
Tractor giant expands self-repair solutions
John Deere has confirmed plans to help customers maintain and repair their machines by rolling out new digital functionality.
The machinery giant says the move will provide even more support to customers and farmers who use independent workshops, including the ability to reprogramme John Deere manufactured electronic controllers.
New functions will primarily expand the repair options in the USA. But John Deere says functionalities have also been added for European customers, who already have many options of their own.
The company says this will give customers more choice when it comes to repairing and servicing machines – enabling users to use the John Deere Operations Centre for maintenance and machine information..
New features include a free Equipment Mobile app with extensive machine information including opera-
New deal for AGCO and SDF
AA number of new digital tools are available tor and parts manuals, maintenance schedules, quick reference information, error code searches and software updates.
The extension offers a user-friendly, centralised platform with a comprehensive range of tools for the entire life cycle of machines. Parts can already be found and purchased online using Shop.Deere.com.
GCO has signed an agreement that will see SDF produce a streamlined low-mid range horsepower tractor portfolio for the Massey Ferguson brand.
Beginning mid-year 2025, tractor specialist SDF will produce proprietary tractors with up to 85 horsepower for most global markets. The deal is seen as an agreement which will benefit both companies – and farmers.
“AGCO and Massey Ferguson’s farmer-first approach is centred on creating a consistently exceptional experience for our farmers,” said Massey Ferguson snior vice president Luis Felli.
“This partnership will strengthen [our] position in the low-mid horsepower tractor segment globally, allowing us to provide more farmers with straightforward, dependable and high-quality equipment to drive their productivity and maximise profit.”
Agri-tech event aims to shape the future
Aspecial convention of agri-tech lead
ers will gather this month in a bid to develop the sector and take it to where it needs to be.
The Agri-TechE Challenge Convention event will take place on 4 March at NIAB’s, Park Farm, near Cambridge. The keynote speech will be given by George Freeman MP, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science & Technology in Agriculture.
Agri-TechE director Belinda Clarke said the event would help build investor confidence, or devise new, creative ways of financing the innovation pipeline. This could include publicprivate partnerships and a longer-term com mitment to research programmes.
Next level
“It’s time to explore how we can elevate UK agri-tech to the next level,” said Dr Clarke.
class research and a forward-thinking farm ing industry, UK agri-tech still had untapped potential. But challenges remained around scaling exciting technology for widespread on-farm adoption and commercial success.
tween research, technology, and on-farm productivity, it said.
“We hope a discussion across the ecosystem will help identify what we need to do to be the preeminent location for agri-tech development,” said Dr Clarke.
“Our Challenge Convention event aims to bring together the expertise across the agri-tech community to challenge the existing convention – and agree on what needs fixing, changing, or delivering to unlock the untapped potential for UK agri-tech.”
The Challenge Convention will comprise three sessions – for farmers; researchers and tech developers; and investment and policy. Each will delve into areas where more can be achieved, aiming to provide a rounded view of how to move UK agri-tech forward.
“I hope it gives us a consensus of ambition that the industry can work towards fulfilling,” said Dr Clarke.
The sector needed clear targets, a joinedup policy framework and a stronger link be-
The one-day even is open to everyone interested in agri-tech research, development, adoption and policy. For details, visit www.agri-tech-e.co.uk
How data technology reduces lamb stress
An innovative project is helping sheep producers save time and money by measuring and monitoring lamb performance.
The Lamb Monitor project is a partnership between David Ritchie Implements and the UK Agri-Tech Centre – with funding from Defra and the Transforming Food Production (TFP) Challenge Programme.
Weighing lambs for liveweight gain and suitability for sale is an essential task in sheep production. But it can be time-consuming and stressful for the lambs involved.
Essential task
This means some producers weigh lambs less than once a fortnight, meaning daily live weight gain is not being monitored.
The Lamb Monitor platform enables datasets to be obtained more frewuently without additional stress. This data allows lamb producers to monitor growth rates, enabling ad-
vanced and accurate predication of lamb sales as well as providing infor mation with which to alter feeding, grazing and breeding management.
The project is comparing three sys tems to find out which is best. They in clude walk-over weigher, creep-feed attractant and climb-on platform with a data-handling app which will work with all three designs.
Automation
The project will also develop a me tered feed creep system, which pre vents dominant animals getting more than their share of feed and provides a restriction on intake of feeds which could cause ill-health if over-fed.
Ritchie product development man ager Charlie Brown said: “We hope to bring some level of automation and improved efficiency to the sheep industry.
“The first prototype was created after farmer-led interactions resulted in us making efficiencies within the
Using one of Ritchie’s trial farms and three of the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s satellite farms, Ritchie will construct initial prototypes for each design of weigher and commission them on-farm for validation.
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Weeder reduces reliance on agrochemicals
Farmers and contractors are being advised to contact their local Kuhn Farm Machinery rep to discuss the availability of a new mechanical weeder.
The Kuhn Starliner rotary hoe removes weeds in young crops and aerates the soil surface. But the company says the UK won’t initially receive any Starliner models.
The Starliner joins the Rowliner and Tineliner in Kuhn’s growing range of implements for farmers using mechanical weeding and novel techniques to reduce their reliance on plant protection products.
Rotary stars
The sole model available in the range is the Starliner 630, which has a 6.3m working width and folds to 2.96m wide for transport. Central to the design are the machine’s 63 rotary stars, each of which are individually mounted and suspended, explains Kuhn arable specialist Ed Fanshawe.
The rotary stars follow ground contours and avoid crop damage. Each arm has 28kg of constant ground pressure through individual torsion springs to help break up crusty soil surfaces and uproot weeds.
fixed around the edge of each star and face rearwards to lift the top few centimetres of soil to improve aeration.
The tips are individually replaceable and easily displace the smaller weed plants. Displaced weed plants remain on the surface once the machine has passed over the soil.
The machine can be adapted to winter and spring crops including wheat, barley,
ous different growth stages, says Mr Fan shawe. But timing is essential to avoid excessive crop damage, he adds.
Aggressivity of the machine can be altered by increasing forward speed, between 1225kph, or adjusting gauge wheel height.
The Starliner removes small weeds in young cereal and maize crops
Apollo Tyres says its new premium Vredestein Traxion CropCare tyre provides 30% more stability when used on agricultural sprayers.
The Traxion is Apollo’s first Very-High Flexion (VF) sprayer row crop tyre – which the firm says sets new standards for stability, self-cleaning and long life.
Key category
Modern sprayer tyres are designed to ensure stability while the machine is driven – including on the road. This includes managing substantial sideways forces that occur due to the machine’s high centre of gravity.
This product will be an important addition to Apollo’s VF portfolio, ensuring we have highly competitive solutions across
all key categories,” said Guido Boerkamp, Apollo’s head of off-highway tyres.
Engineered specifically for trailed and self-propelled sprayers, the new Vredestein tyre is initially available from the first quarter of 2025 in two sizes – VF 380/90 R46 and VF 380/105 R50.
This type of row crop tyre is relied upon by arable farmers and contractors for fitment to trailed and self-propelled crop sprayers, where a narrow tread is required to drive between crop rows.
The Vredestein Traxion CropCare features a steel-belted radial carcase, a Stabiliser Ring in the central portion of the tread and a Bead Stabiliser that together enhance lateral stiffness by 30% compared to key competitor tyres.
The result is stable and accurate driving behaviour – on the road and in the field. Sprayer tyres must also be wear-resistant to maximise lifespan in challenging conditions, including higher speed on-road driving and four-wheel steering.
The tyre features a new iteration of the acclaimed Vredestein Traxion tread to deliver very high levels of durability and an even pattern of wear. This ensures the tyre will match other Vredestein Traxion products in offering best-in-class lifespan.
Househam Sprayers saved from administration
Well-known self-propelled sprayer manufacturer Househam Sprayers has been rescued from administration.
The assets and trade of the Lincolnshire business, which entered administration last month, have been acquired by the Househam Group –putting the business on a stable financial footing.
“We look forward to continuing our focus upon innovation, operational excellence and delivering high-quality products and exceptional service to all our customers,” said managing director Robert Willey.
Househam’s product range includes the Harrier, Air-Ride and Spirit models. It also operates a UK-based global parts division, maintaining an inventory of over 24,000-line items and spare parts.
To support a new phase of growth, a senior management team has been established to work alongside Mr Willey, providing strategic guidance and industry expertise to drive innovation
and operational efficiency.
Mr Willey said the move would provide a platform for long-term sustainability and growth. The Househam Group remained fully committed will continue to manufacture and supply high-quality self-propelled crop sprayers, he added.
Mr Willey expressed his enthusiasm for the transformation: “We are excited to relaunch under a new name while continuing to deliver the expertise and quality our customers and partners trust.”
The transition will not impact ongoing projects or customers, ensuring seamless business operations, said Mr Willey. Househam will retain a team of 47 employees, collectively bringing over 380 years of experience and knowledge to the company.
The wealth of expertise would ensure it was well-equipped to support customers and meet their needs effectively. “This transition strengthens our foundation, ensures continuity in our services, and unlocks new
The selfpropelled sprayer range includes the Houesham Spirit
growth opportunities.”
Mr Willey said the company wanted to thank all stakeholders for their support duiring the transition. Customers, suppliers, and partners will receive direct communication about the change – including invoicing and contractual changes.
The board of directors includes Nick Snowden (commercial), Dean Eaton (operations) and Frank Pearson (finance). Senior managers include Andrew Todd (supply chain), Stephen Melton (product support), Andrew Tingey (engineering) and Danielle Pole (HR and marketing).
