What is going to be the next "Big Thing"

[steve08]

From my memories, in the early fifties farmers went from horses and mules to tractors. In the fifties only about 3-4 farmers had a brush Hog in my county, now every farm does. In the fifties, we dug all our post holes with hand diggers, now we all have PTO diggers. We went from pitman mowers to beltdrive mowers in the sixties and seventies. Then we went from beltdrive sickle mowers to disc mowers in the eighties and now every farmer that does much hay has one. From Disc mowers to Discbines is the trend currently. Hay tedders were not even considered a needed implement until about 15 years ago and now every hay farmer has one.
In your opinion, what do you see as the "next big thing" in the implement area in the following years? Ken Sweet

I hope it's a green Chopper that ya can run with a 30-40HP Tractor

 

[kebo]

I think run flat (or flatproof) tires will become standard on them. Not sure how they will do it with loaded tires but they should be able to come up with some new design that will work. Maybe like it's done with skidsteer tires?

 

[Yandaddy1110]

I can see gear shift transmisions being phased out and well as 2wd

 

[jimmyj]

I think somehow they'll combine genetic engineering in crops with technology and automation. Something like soil sensors that signal when to plant, how much fertilizer to add and plants or animals that signal when they are ready to harvest/milk/etc. and unmanned crop harvesters. Also grain crops on shorter stalks to avoid straw, richer nutrition content, freeze resistance, spoilage resistance and so on.

Scary in some ways but interesting in others.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Scary in some ways

I second that! Has anyone on here seen "Food Inc." ???

 

[nspec]

I'm gonna second the diesel electric theory. Already making a huge resurgence in the commercial marine industry and now starting to creep into the construction equipment as well (Cat dozer). Actually, all the large LeTourneau mining trucks and loaders have been diesel electric for years, haven't they? There are so many more electronics in the tractors now, and the electric over hydraulic controls are fantastic. I believe John Deere has at the very least a prototype diesel electric tractor. Diesel engine only puts out the power it needs for any given task and no more. Electrically driven hydraulic pumps for drive motors, electrically driven pumps for hydraulic remotes, and an electric pto. Super efficient, compact, and pretty reliable stuff. Electric motors allow for precise and instantaneous control. In some ways I believe it is easier to build a machine this way also.

Give it another 10 years and I guarantee it will be more prevalent - if for no other reason, than it will cut down on emissions by allowing tractors to be operated on less horsepower for the majority of their tasks, only taking advantage of their full rated diesel engine power when a full electrical demand is absolutely called for.

Guys, don't be confused - the tractor doesn't run on batteries - it still has the diesel engine which runs ALL THE TIME. It just drives a generator instead of a gearbox which then distributes the power to the different electric motors. For instance, each drive wheel would have it's own motor (no drive shafts or gearboxes) and would only get the power that is called for. Think - truly independent 4 wheel drive! Much less wheel slippage as power can be split between the other non slipping wheels. You'll be able to run your pto slower without affecting ground speed/wheel power or hydraulic flow - everything is independent.

Thoughts?

 

[jinman]

Naw, too late for Goats, They are all ready here in Ky in great numbers. Ken Sweet

Hey Ken. . . He didn't say old goats.:laughing:

I think those who come up with really good equipment ideas are the ones who can look at an operation and figure a more efficient or effective way of handling something. For example, look at round balers. We cut the hay, let it dry, and then windrow it for the baler. The baler picks up the hay and rolls it tight, secures it with netting and drops it onto the ground. We then come along with a tractor and lift it off the ground and put it onto a trailer or haul it to a stacking point at the edge of the field and again drop it to the ground. For final transport, you have to lift the bales again and load them/stack them onto a trailer. If you can reduce the number of times you have to handle that bale with a different piece of equipment, or set it down and lift it up again, I think you'll have a winner. Making equipment more flexible or a process better is the way to create a winning product. That's not only true in farming, but about anything related to producing product. Simplify, save time, save effort and you have a winner. The genius is in seeing how to do that so well that nobody can be without your product; easily stated, but hard to do.:cool2:

 

[jimmyj]

It just drives a generator instead of a gearbox which then distributes the power to the different electric motors. For instance, each drive wheel would have it's own motor (no drive shafts or gearboxes) and would only get the power that is called for. Think - truly independent 4 wheel drive! Much less wheel slippage as power can be split between the other non slipping wheels. You'll be able to run your pto slower without affecting ground speed/wheel power or hydraulic flow - everything is independent.

That is pretty cool!

 

[leonz]

As long as we are speculating,

and I am not making a total

"spectacle" of myself (insert A&* there)

as its still early I would think a mobile

hay cuber/bagging plant for bagging super

sacks of hay for all users being horse, cattle,

sheep, hay contractors, will be the winner take

all in the towed implement category which wil

reduce spoilage to almost zero.

 

[Rob-D]

Front 3PH implements.
I'm seeing traces of this already and if you do a search you'll see it too. I just bought a front snow blower that runs off the front 3PH and Deere has other implements that work with it. If you look at the info from Deere on the front 3PH it notes how other manufacturers are making implements for it.

It allows more versatility from the tractor.

Rob