PRODUCTS

Driving electric trucks forward

THE TRUCKING industry has made a decision about its future: electric needs to happen.

On January 18 the Australian Trucking Association and Electric Vehicle Council revealed they’d worked together to create the policies desperately needed to make electric freight vehicles take off.

EVC chief executive Behyad Jafari said the AdBlue shortage crisis was a potential warning about Australia’s extreme fuel insecurity.

“Why should Australia be dependent on China and the Middle East to keep itself moving when we could be using homegrown power?” Mr Jafari said.

ATA association chair David Smith said it cost $177 to fuel a diesel truck for 300km, but just $18 for an electric truck.

“If Australia gets left behind on the transition to electric and zero emission trucks, we risk our supply chains and exporters getting stuck with high, globally uncompetitive per km freight costs,” Mr Smith said.

The ATA and EVC also say electric adoption will end volatile diesel costs, reduce maintenance costs, improve urban efficiency and deliver better conditions for truck drivers.

Right now Australia is lagging behind the developed world when it comes to electric truck adoption.

Of the 58 electric truck models being manufactured, only 14 are available to the Australian

SEA Electric began in Melbourne 10 years ago and has gone on to have success in faster adoption markets such as the EU and North America.

market, signalling to the ATA and EVC that reform is urgently needed domestically.

Founded in Melbourne but now headquartered in California, SEA Electric was one of the stakeholders ATA and EVC worked closely with while drafting the policy agreement.

SEA Electric Asia-Pacific region president Bill Gillespie said the Australian industry would need

Key recommendations from the ATA and EVC policy agreement include:

■ exempting electric trucks from urban curfews; ■ changing Australian weight and width limits to accommodate batteries; ■ increasing Australia’s steer axle mass limit by one tonne so larger electric truck models can be deployed (currently the weight of the batteries is keeping them from meeting the 6.5 tonne limit); ■ exempting electric trucks from stamp duty; ■ mandating Euro VI emissions standards for all new heavy vehicle models from 2024; and ■ investment in public charging infrastructure to support on-route electric truck charging.

“encouragement and leadership” to create a viable pathway towards zero-emissions truck adoption.

SEA Electric started producing all-electric trucks and truck components in Australia in 2021, becoming the first manufacturer in the world to release a comprehensive range of EV solutions.

In December the business announced an agreement to supply Midwest Transit Equipment with 10,000 systems for use in North American school buses, showing how the technology is taking off faster outside Australia.

INTRODUCING EZFEED

Hustler’s brand new Silage Wagon Range... has silage feeding sorted!

REASONS WHY

EZFEED IS BEST-IN-CLASS

INDUSTRY 1st

INDUSTRY 1st

INDUSTRY 1st

1 100% Roller Chains >> With EzFeed, gone are the days of troublesome link chains and conveyor belts which require constant adjustment, fi ne-tuning and are often slipping or breaking, disrupting your feeding program. EzFeed is the fi rst wagon on the market to run a 100% roller-chain design to overcome this. And the chains are covered to prevent feed material building up in chains, sprockets and driver, ensuring longer life and less wear or stretch. 2 Hungry Boards >> Virtually indestructable, our replacable roto-moulded hungry boards can take a beating from your front-loader without turning to splinters or dinging up your nice new EzFeed silage wagon. Another industry fi rst from Hustler. 3 TwinFeed >> The fi rst silage wagon to feature left or right hand feed discharge for more feeding versatility. And with 5 positions for the discharge fl oor allows for easy setup when feeding into troughs.

Coming soon is an electric in-cab controller option for on the fl y feed direction change and hydraulic side-shift. 4 Simple operation >> As the name suggests EzFeed makes feeding silage easier than ever before. As standard, only one set of hydraulics is all it takes to connect and power the whole machine and our clever adjustable load-sensing hydraulics take care of the rest, making EzFeed the ideal wagon for low-skilled staff. 5 Proven Platform >> Built utilising our proven Combi wagon platform EzFeed has the toughest axle design on the market by a country mile, large suspension travel, comes scale ready for our industry fi rst FeedLink feed management system which weighs on both the jack/skid and drawbar, impact resistant puck-board fl oors, toughest bars and more.

PUCKBOARD FLOORS Proven on our Combi RX range, the massive impact resistance of our ultra high-density 15mm thick Puckboard fl oors never corrode, handle the heaviest root-crops with ease, and out last any other fl oor system on the market.

100% ROLLER CHAINS Say good-bye to troublesome link chains and conveyor belts! EzFeed utilises 12,000lb roller chains on all fl oors, combined with the toughest bars on the market to reduce maintenance and downtime. We’ve also covered the main chains to prevent feed material from getting in sprockets or chains for even longer life. UNIBODY DESIGN Our all steel, welded Unibody design combines strength with simplicity thanks to clever engineering that provides a greater stength to weight ratio and less fatigue than other wagon designs.

TWIN FEED The fi rst silage wagon to feature left or right hand feed discharge for more feeding versatility. And with 5 positions for the discharge fl oor allows for easy setup when feeding into troughs.

Efficient, safe and easy to use

GCS PARTNERS In Farming is a family farm owned and operated by Glenn and Colleen Moxey with Shane their son and his family based in the Central West region of NSW, near Forbes. They have been making hay in this area for over 30 years.

The farm is a mixed operation.

“We produce mainly lucerne and hay in the summertime, somewhere between 50,000 and 60,000 little bales of lucerne. We have about 20,000 to 30,000 little bales of cereal and then we do about 5000 to 10,000 big bales of hay for our own stock and for sale,” Shane said.

Before owning a Hustler wagon, Shane was using hay feeders. Because of the multiple trips to the paddocks and the soil compaction due to the herd concentration and foot traffic, “in wet times that ended up being a boggy mess,” Shane explained.

The Hustler Combi RX148 multi-feeder wagon feeds out bales of any type in a long windrow, encouraging the cattle to move and to spread around the feed over hundreds of metres. As the feed is never concentrated in a few spots, the soil can regenerate quicker, offering a better pasture efficiency.

The waste caused by using hay feeders/hay rings was also significant. The Hustler now allows Shane to distribute a more adequate volume of feed, which is less trampled by the cattle, significantly reducing his hay waste.

Time and ease of use are among the many benefits of the Hustler Combi RX148.

The Hustler Combi range is able to feed out every supplementary type of feed, including all bale types, shapes and sizes and any type of loose feed including fine chop silage, maize silage, root crops, vegetables and more.

For Shane’s operation, the most important was to find a large-capacity feedout wagon able to handle the big eight foot square bales made on the farm. This type of wagon isn’t always easy to find, and mixer wagons aren’t suited for the job.

The Hustler Combi RX148 “just ticked all the boxes,” Shane said. “It fed out, presented and it was safe to use and quite easy to use.”

Health and safety on farm is a growing concern. Heavy machinery is becoming safer, but the fact that the Combi wagon is 100 per cent hydraulically powered makes it less dangerous than a PTO-powered machine.

Safety was definitely “one of the main reasons why we’ve got this piece of machinery,” Shane said. “One-man operation, you take all your bales to the field in one trip and you’re not carrying big loads of hay on the front of the loader across highways. It just travels up the road so safely.”

The Combi wagon is also a piece of machinery easy to use, even for low-skill operators. This becomes an asset on large-scale farms as it takes less time to train new employees on the equipment.

Today, Shane has improved his feeding efficiency thanks to the Hustler Combi RX148 feedout wagon and can spend more time on other important tasks around the farm.

“The biggest commodity wasted on a farmer is time. The best thing about the Hustler for us is pre-Hustler it was taking nearly half a day when we’re in the drought feeding, and now we can feed more cattle in two or three hours in the morning. Makes life easier,” Shane concluded.

BUILT TOUGH

Multi 4 & Multi 5 Bale Feeders

You expect strength, quality and performance from your farm machinery and McIntosh Bale Feeders deliver all three.

The range of McIntosh Bale Feeders are designed to a strength and performance standard with an all steel construction. Every detail has been carefully thought out to reduce breakdowns and provide trouble free operation for years to come.

Next-level emissions technology

THE CASE IH Puma tractor series has received its first major styling updates in more than a decade, and combined with some key design upgrades, it addresses customer needs and offers the latest in engine and emission technology solutions.

Due to arrive this spring, the new MY2021 Tier 5 Puma Series sports a distinctive new hood with the latest Case IH family styling, and all models now meet Tier 5 emission standards.

The new Puma models have a long wheelbase with horsepower ranging from 185-240 — and still feature the impressive 6.7-litre FPT Industrial six-cylinder engine. Available with the continuously variable transmission, this tractor is designed to generate power and optimise fuel efficiency.

“The reliability of our Puma tractor range has always made it attractive to our customers. We have taken this appeal to the next level with the new design and feature updates,” Case IH ANZ’s Seamus McCarthy said.

“Emission-compliant power has been a major focus of research and development at Case IH and these new Pumas feature the latest in this technology. Our patented High Efficiency Selective Catalytic Reduction exhaust gas after treatment ensures we meet emissions standards without the need for exhaust recirculation, which optimises engine power and performance for customers.”

The Case IH Puma is sporting some exciting new updates.

On the Tier 5 Puma Series, engine service interval levels have been extended to 750 hours, while transmission oil service intervals have been pushed out to 1500 hours, meaning fewer oil and filter changes over the lifetime of a machine, lowering the cost of ownership.

New front axle suspension improvements include reactive steering as standard, which allows the wheels to return to a straight position after making a turn, creating an enhanced ride for operators. An adaptive steering control option allows smooth operation and accurate steering in both field and road operations.

The CVT transmission is renowned for offering intelligent efficiency. In these new Puma models, there’s improved acceleration and deceleration, better shuttle behaviour, as well as drive pedal sensitivity, cruise control override, better multi-controller sensitivity, and position detection.

Other features include: ■ optional hood-mounted camera; ■ fully integrated front hitch is optional, with increased linkage travel and front wheel clearance; ■ upgraded road and work lights, including hood work light options; ■ a low-mounted front windscreen wiper for improved visibility in wet or dusty conditions; ■ cool box with cover on the front end of the steering column; ■ new left-hand aluminium steps with high performance LED ingress lighting; and ■ optional hand wash tank.

For more information contact your local Case IH dealer.

2021 sales finish on a high

Last year was a bumper year for tractor and machinery sales.

TRACTOR SALES have exceeded 18,000 units for the year following another stellar month in December with sales across the nation up two per cent on the same month last year, according to Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia.

This has resulted in a full year rise of 25 per cent above 2021.

Sales were strong in all states fuelled by the excellent harvest season and supported by government company tax incentive programs.

In NSW sales were up four percent for December and were 39 per cent ahead for the year. Queensland was again strong up three per cent and fi nished up 23 per cent full year. Victoria was down two per cent in December but was up 14 per cent for the year.

Sales in Western Australia recorded a drop of one per cent for the month following a frantic harvest season, to be 33 per cent ahead for the year. South Australia had a fi ve per cent lift for the month and was up 16 per cent for the full year, Tasmania bounced again and fi nished 22 per cent up for the year while sales into the Northern Territory enjoyed a strong year to be 21 per cent up.

All performance reporting categories have enjoyed strong rises for the year, beginning with the under 40 hp (30kw) range which was up 13 per cent despite an eight per cent drop in December due to ongoing supply challenges.

The 40 to 100hp (30-75kw) range was again up strongly 16 per cent in the month, up 27 per cent for the year, the 100 to 200hp (75-150kw) category was up three per cent to fi nish 23 per cent ahead. The large 200 hp (150kw) PLUS range came back to earth with a 17 per cent drop in December but still fi nished 56 per cent ahead of 2020 in support of harvest operations across the nation.

Baler sales enjoyed a signifi cant bump in December and fi nished just shy of 1000 units, down on 2020 by around 24 per cent and sales of out-front mowers fi nished in line with 2020.

Much has been written about the challenges surrounding supply, not just relating to agricultural machines. Industry forecasts for 2022 indicate another solid year ahead supported by very healthy commodities markets.

The TMA was engaged in a wide range of important issues throughout 2021 with the most recent of these being the situation regarding supply of AdBlue.

While the industry is making headway on replacing supply shortages, the matter of machine integrity has been brought into sharp focus with some in the industry questioning the viability of disengaging the emissions management systems on diesel tractors.

TMA members have been very strong on this topic, fully supporting a farmer’s right to repair machines but not supporting the right to modify. This example goes to the heart of the TMA position — read more on the TMA website.

Also note, the 2022 TMA conference has been scheduled for Wednesday July 20 at the Hyatt Essendon Fields in Melbourne. Visit the website for more details. ■ Source: https://www.tma.asn.au/

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