Torque Talk - real versatile is back for 2017

THE first lesson in marketing school should be: always listen to the market.

Inevitably that valuable first lesson gets lost as companies focus on profits and executives focus on bonuses.

But after all these years, the penny has finally dropped for Russian-owned and Canadian-based ag equipment manufacturer Versatile.

It's executive team has decided to return to the red, yellow and black colours of the original brand.

Why? Because this year's Legendary Limited Edition Versatile models, appropriately decked out in red, yellow and black, were such an outstanding success.

According to the company, the return to the heritage Versatile colours had always been discussed - yeah, right.

Another discussion, about Versatile being up for sale, met with a resounding "nyet" from company president Dmitry Lyubimov.

He was reported recently as saying the Russian ownership was committed to the company and its dealer network.

Catching thieves

THE incidence of farm thefts, vandalism and trespass remains a worrying trend for the farming community.

Which is why Silvan Australia has released an inexpensive self-contained and secure motion activated surveillance device.

It covertly monitors indoor and outdoor areas around the clock and can provide the valuable identification information needed to convict an offender, even a dog.

A dog? Yep. Silvan reckons you can identify a wild dog that may have attacked or killed valuable livestock.

Torque remains puzzled, having never seen a wild dog identifying itself, let alone hanging around after killing stock, waiting for the handcuffs.

But motion-activated security cameras and support equipment should be in the Christmas stocking, particularly to provide surveillance of the front gate (to also keep an eye on your kids waiting for the school bus), fuel storage tanks, et al.

The Silvan Selecta range starts with the Selecta V60, retailing at $209.

It has a 12-megapixel camera and works day and night with no glow night vision being detectable.

It can store up to 3400 images, which is often enough to identify an intruder or a vehicle - valuable information for police.

The activity is recorded to an 8GB SD card for viewing or it can be viewed direct from the camera.

The camera operates using only eight long-life AA batteries while the housing is IP 54-rated for permanent outdoor use.

The offer includes a mounting strap designed to secure the V60 camera in an out of sight location such as a tree or post or even within a building structure, as the camera lens achieves a 60-degree field of view.

An optional adjustable wall mounting bracket is available to provide a more permanent holding position.

Silvan Selecta spokesman Terry Trimby said the company provided an extensive range of equipment, including cameras that can Wi-Fi evidence over a mobile phone, or CCTV systems to provide live video monitoring linked to motion alerts on a smartphone.

"Optional multiple security camera options or indoor or outdoor wireless video systems are included in the Selecta range that are ideal for the oversight or securing of display sites, dealership yards or retail premises," he said.

Also buy one for your local machinery dealer.

Pressure on-the-go

JUDGES last week announced two gold medal winners of the SIMA Innovation Awards 2017, pre-empting the annual event to be held in Paris early next year (February 26 to March 2).

And both went to tyre manufacturers.

Trelleborg was awarded a gong for its combine harvester tyre inflation system, which automatically adjusts tyre pressure without the need for operator input.

Developed in association with Fendt on its combines, the VIP system increases tyre pressure as the grain tank is filled, and decreases the pressure as the tank is emptied.

A compressor and sensing equipment are mounted inside each front wheel rim, allowing left and right wheels to be inflated independent of each other.

Trelleborg says the system will be available in late 2017, and could offer an alternative to track units.

Michelin also weighed in with its "two-in-one" tyre technology, designed to offer higher efficiency both on and off-road.

Available to purchase early 2017, the Evobib tyres, available in 650mm and 710mm widths, use lugs which effectively fold into work when tyre pressures are lowered.

The manufacturer claims an increased contact patch by 20 per cent, when comparing a 710/70 R42 Evobib at 0.8Bar pressure (11.6psi) to its 710/70 R42 Axiobib at the same pressure.

Michelin said a central tyre inflation system is required to get the best from the new tyres, as traction in the field can be increased by up to 50pc, and fuel use on the road reduced by 5pc.

Case IH and New Holland picked up silver awards for their autonomous tractor concepts, which will both be on show at SIMA, the Paris International Agribusiness Show, which in French translates to, Paris Salon International de l'Agroalimentaire. SIMA fits in there somewhere.

AgTrader on the move

WITH more than 14,000 pieces of new and used agricultural machinery, merchandise and farm supplies, vehicles, livestock, water and irrigation equipment, AgTrader is fast becoming the website of choice for farmers wanting to buy and sell items they use.

AgTrader online is an extension of the classifieds that appear in the biggest national network of agricultural newspapers including Farm Weekly, The Land, Queensland Country Life, Stock Journal, Stock and Land and the North Queensland Register and is also promoted across Fairfax regional publications nationally.

Recent development focused on making it easier for users to find the items they are searching for, as well as making it much easier to list an item for sale, and this has resulted in a significant lift in people visiting the site.

"This time last year AgTrader was attracting 35,000 visitors a month who looked at 380,000 pages, currently, nearly twice as many people visit the site each month and they are looking at over 700,000 pages," AgTrader channel manager David Wallace said.

"It is one of those growing beasts - the more people become aware of the site, the more items that are listed and the more the number of pages people look at each time they visit," Mr Wallace said.

In recent months AgTrader has increased the number of machinery dealers and equipment suppliers.

This had led to the introduction of a search by dealer function that visitors can select to view the items listed by hearby individual dealers.

Visit agtrader.com.au or call 1300 681 938.