By Farm Progress staff

Four Farm Progress editors tracked down new products at the 2018 Farm Progress Show. Some of the products were so new they were still prototypes.

The new-products team included Curt Arens, field editor for Nebraska Farmer; Tom J. Bechman, editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer; Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist; and Mindy Ward, editor of Missouri Ruralist. Each editor picked two products that stood out from the dozens they discovered.

“It doesn’t have to be a big, flashy product,” Ward says. “I found one that was just a neat idea that will make life smoother for anyone who handles barbed wire.”

Check out this year’s selections:

MINDY’S FAVORITES
• Bargain barbed-wire winder. Rolling up barbed wire. It’s one task farmers dread. However, Danuser introduces a solution at a price that won’t break the bank. The Python Wire Winder is a quick attachment capable of rolling up three-quarters of a mile of barbed wire and 6 miles of smooth wire. The sturdy metal unit is designed with two disks and an axle line. A 2-inch hex connection attaches it to an auger system. The shaft is placed into the ground to stabilize it. Ten slots in the winder allow for multiple strands to be rolled at once. The wire winder relies on auger speed to turn. The winder allows for a secure tie before rolling begins. At the end of the line, simply tie off the wire, unlock the pin and raise the auger. The wire will remain on the axle and is ready to remove. The Python Wire Winder lists at $395, available this fall. Call Danuser, Fulton, Mo., at 573-642-2246 or visit danuser.com.

• Secure seed box. Tom Beck, owner of Clarks Ag Supply, heard from farmers who were clipping their rubber hopper seals with the seed box, resulting in seed spilling over the deck. So, he developed a system that would save the rubber and secure the box for transport. Beck has unveiled his new flat deck design, called EasiLock. With a simple turn of the handle, four hooks emerge from the corners along with the rubber hopper chute. When the box is ready to remove, turn the handle, and the locking hooks and rubber hopper seal fold into the decking. With this system, farmers no longer must rely on tie-straps or rods. A one-box system is roughly $4,800. However, Beck can fabricate a system for multiple seed boxes. This product will be available in February. Call Clarks Ag Supply, Clarks, Neb., at 866-246-2588 or visit clarksagsupply.com.

To see the EasiLock system from EasiLoad in action, watch the video below.

CURT’S PICKS
• Fast front disk mower. The Disco 3600 F/FRC Move front disk mower from Claas is loaded with fast-moving hay-cutting ability for high-horsepower tractors; in fact, a similar 3500 model helped break a hay-cutting world record. A Claas Axion 880 tractor pulling a Disco 1100 RC conditioner mower and 3500 FRC harvested 348.7 acres in four separate fields in eight hours, cutting alfalfa that averaged 2.34 tons per acre at a rate of 43.6 acres an hour. With a wide 40-inch up-and-down movement independent of the tractor and Active Float-integrated hydropneumatics suspension, the 3600 Move mower is available with no conditioner or with either a tine or roller conditioner. The 3600 Move mower has a new Max Cut cutterbar for a superior cut and easy maintenance in a working width of 11 feet, 2 inches. Safety Link protects the operator if a disk would shear off. Visit claasofamerica.com.

• Utility workhorse. With up to 34 cubic feet of cargo volume that can haul up to 1,200 pounds, the Mahindra Retriever Series utility vehicles can tow up to 2,500 pounds in the 1000 gas model and 2,100 pounds in the 750 gas or 1000 diesel model. Retrievers can run up to 60 miles per hour and are equipped with a true four-wheel-drive, auto-lock front differential and push-button rear differential lock. These Mahindra UTVs have 27-inch tires on 14-inch aluminum wheels and run on a 77-inch wheelbase with ground clearance of 12 inches. They can be equipped with a standard or Flexhauler cargo box, with electric-powered box lift. Flexhauler box sides convert into a flatbed. The Retriever 1000 Gas Standard LE starts at $17,399. Visit mahindrausa.com or call 877-449-7771.

CHRIS’ CHOICES
• Massey Ferguson silage balers. Massey Ferguson is entering the silage-specific market with its RB4160V and RB4180V variable-chamber balers for spring 2019. The RB4160V can make 4-by-5-foot bales, while the RB4180V can make 4-by-6-foot bales. A variable chamber means you can make bales from 36 inches up to 71 inches in diameter. The balers feature a 17-knife adjustable cutter and the company’s HydroFlex Control system that allows the automatic mechanical floor to flex downward to better handle plugs. This could be a good tool for farmers baling high-moisture hay. Balers start at $60,000, but the company is betting that better-quality feed will more than offset the price. Visit masseyferguson.com.

• Rugged and roomy UTVs. The new five-seat Caterpillar utility vehicles can fit a lot of people, are rugged and have some pop. The company is releasing diesel- and gasoline-powered versions, which build on two-seater versions released earlier this year. The gasoline-powered CUV 85 is a 50-hp unit that tops out at 45 miles per hour. The speed can be “locked down” to 25 mph. The diesel-powered CUV 105D is a 25-hp unit that tops out at 25 mph. “We really designed this from the ground up to be a work vehicle,” says Norma Aldinger, marketing manager for utility vehicles. List price is $16,799 for gas and $17,999 for diesel. Each vehicle has a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds and a rear cargo capacity of 1,000 pounds. Learn more at caterpillar.com.

TOM’S TAKES
• Precision-age tillage tool. John Deere is one of several companies launching precision tillage tools. The 2660VT features adjustments you can make as conditions vary, all on the display screen. VT stands for “Variable Intensity Tillage,” made possible using TruSet Tillage Technology. You can adjust disk angle and down pressure on various components — even on the rolling basket. Disk blades are mounted individually, with 10 inches of vertical travel to flex independently. You can preset prescriptions, such as “light tillage” or “heavy stalks,” and the tool will make a series of adjustments on the go with one touch on the screen. Working widths vary from 20 to 50 feet. Visit deere.com.

• Liquid tender trailer. Farmer ingenuity has developed all kinds of liquid tender trailers, often starting with an older, flat semitrailer bed. Demco introduces a 42-foot-long bed for 2019 designed from the start to be a liquid tender trailer. It features two black 3,200-gallon poly tanks, ready to go down the road safely. The trailer has an 11-foot open deck area between the tanks where you can add whatever you need. Spokespeople say growers can customize it to fit their individual needs. The trailer features four sets of aluminum steps. List price is $36,500. Contact Demco, Boyden, Iowa, at demco-products.com. 

To see photos of these products, click through the slideshow.