New Products
Extended-release cattle wormer
Merial has introduced Longrange™ (eprinomectin), the first extended-release injectable cattle wormer that provides season-long persistent parasite control for 100 to 150 days in a single dose, dependent on parasite species.
The company says it takes about 100 days of continuous parasite control to break the parasite life cycle and begin to reduce the parasite burden on pasture. Season-long control is possible because of the Theraphase™ technology that releases the active ingredient for an extended period after injection.
The recommended dose volume is a single spring dose of 1 mL per 110 pounds (lb.) of body weight. Longrange is a prescription drug and should be given only by subcutaneous (sub-Q) injection in front of the shoulder at the recommended dosage.
The new dewormer is available in 500-, 250- and 50-mL sizes and contains sufficient solution to treat 100, 50 and 10 head of 550-lb. cattle, respectively.
Producers using the 50-mL product should administer using only polypropylene syringes. Those using the product from the 250- or 500-mL bottles should administer using only automatic dosing syringes provided by Merial.
Each 250- and 500-mL bottle is manufactured with an individual plastic bottle protector to reduce the risk of breakage during shipping and everyday use. The bottom of the bottle protector has a convenient built-in chuteside hanger.
For more information visit www.thelongrangelook.com.
Book release
Pat Goggins has released a 500-page autobiography, Pat Goggins: As I Saw It, detailing his career and productive life over eight decades. Goggins, who was inducted into the Saddle and Sirloin Portrait Gallery in Louisville, Ky., in November 2011, is a bit of an anomaly when compared to most of the 350 other inductees. Most of them have been leaders in just one facet of the industry — packers, professors, showring stars, auctioneers or breed-changing seedstock producers — but Goggins has been one of the West’s best-known purebred auctioneers, the owner of three Montana auction yards, a well-known Montana rancher, an Angus seedstock producer of merit, and the publisher of several well-read weekly ag newspapers.
In his spare time, Goggins did his civic duty as a bank board director; held various officer positions in several state and national organizations; volunteered to benefit 4-H and FFA; made numerous trips to Washington, D.C., on behalf of the livestock industry; attended Mass every Sunday; and raised six fine children.
The book is filled with numerous photographs and newspaper clippings and is available from Western Ag Reporter for $50. For more information call 406-259-4589.
Protect round-bale quality
John Deere has introduced B-Wrap, an alternative to indoor bale storage that protects bales with a patented material featuring Tama SCM Technology™. This material sheds rain and snow and helps protect bales from ground moisture. In addition, the material has microscopic pores that allow water vapor inside the bales to escape.
The wrap comes in rolls just like net wrap and works in John Deere 7, 8 and most 9 Series Round Balers equipped for applying net wrap. A dealer needs to install a simple B-Wrap kit, which allows a baler to switch between net wrap and B-Wrap. For producers baling in the field, switching between net and B-Wrap takes less than five minutes.
Because the new wrap costs more than net wrap, the company believes producers will use it mainly to protect their best-quality hay, or hay that will be stored for an extended amount of time. In addition to protecting all types of baled hay, the wrap can be used when baling crop residue such as straw, cornstalks and peanut hay.
The new wrap was jointly developed by the John Deere Ottumwa Works and Tama Plastic Industry and will be available for the 2013 hay season.
For more information visit www.johndeere.com.
John Deere app
John Deere has introduced the John Deere Mobile Farm Manager, an application that can be downloaded free from the Apple Store. It is compatible with iPad and iPhone mobile devices and connects to customers’ Apex farm-management software.
Functions that producers will find useful include field maps, historical reports, GPS tracking, field navigation and soil sampling grids. In addition, customers with the app can share agronomic information with ag service providers, farm managers and other advisors as needed. This streamlines the communications process and helps ensure the accuracy of various applications and production practices.
To activate Mobile Farm Manager, customers should contact their John Deere dealer to purchase and receive their activation code, which they can enter into Apex. The activation allows the transfer of data stored in Apex to the devices with the app.
To learn more, see your local John Deere dealer or visit www.johndeere.com.
Cordless trimmer/edger
Oregon has announced the expansion of its 40V Max® Cordless Tool System with the ST250 Trimmer/Edger, HT250 Hedge Trimmer and the C750 Rapid Battery Charger. The tools use the company’s PowerNow™ battery platform, a system of Lithium Ion batteries that are compatible across all of the cordless tools.
The trimmer/edger has a dual-line cutting head and flip-down edge guide. It uses the company’s Swift Load trimmer for fast, easy string loading and reliable bump-feed line advancement. The trimmer features a variable-speed trigger and comes standard with the company’s Platinum Gatorline™. Weighing just 9.4 lb. with the battery pack, the straight shaft trimmer has an adjustable, large-grip handle.
The hedge trimmer features 24-inch (in.) laser-precision-cut blades for longer reach, and cleaner, more efficient cutting for healthier plants. The hedge trimmer features dual-action blades for reduced vibration, low noise and smooth cutting action. The hedge trimmer has a variable trigger and weighs 8.8 lb. with the battery pack.
The battery charger (sold separately) charges either battery pack in 30 minutes, so the user with multiple batteries can use one battery while the other quickly charges. Lithium Ion technology provides for a better customer experience with features such as longer run times, constant no-fade power, no memory effect and the ability for the battery packs to hold their charge for months in storage.
All products will be available in Spring 2013 at retailers across the United States and Canada. For more information visit www.oregoncordless.com.
Transport two bales in one trip
Westendorf Manufacturing has developed a new four-tine double bale spear that will allow transportation of two bales at one time, cutting handling time in half. The bale spear has heavy-duty construction that includes four, high-quality 49-in. heat-forged tapered spears.
It is available with many style quick connectors to adapt it to most loader models available on the market. It can also be mounted to the rear three-point on a tractor.
For more information visit www.loaders.com.
Tailor the TIG welding arc
Victor Technologies has redesigned its Thermal Arc® 185 and introduced the Thermal Arc 186 AC/DC inverter for HF TIG (tungsten inert gas), Lift TIG and stick welding. The 186 features 15 amps more TIG welding power, sports a new digital operator interface that makes setting weld parameters more intuitive, and delivers it at a lower price.
The 186 provides a welding output of 10 to 200 amps with a duty cycle of 20% when TIG welding 200 amps/18 volts. Stick-welding duty cycle is 16% when welding at 120 amps/26.6 volts and is suitable for welding with 6011, 6013, 7014, 7018 and other electrodes up to 5/32 in. in diameter.
The unit weighs 48.4 lb., uses 208-230V input power and provides advanced AC wave shaping and pulsed DC TIG controls that enable operators to improve weld puddle control, control the weld bead profile, reduce heat input and increase travel speeds. The 186 is designed for mobile contractors and fabricators, as well as applications in the aircraft/aerospace, appliance, maintenance/repair, automotive, and boat and trailer industries.
The 186 also provides advanced stick-welding controls, including adjustable Stick Arc Force and Hot Start Control. These features allow end users to adjust arc characteristics to optimize performance for different electrodes and help prevent the electrode from sticking.
For more information visit www.victortechnologies.com.