The Farm Equipment team was all hands on deck and all boots on the ground in mid-February covering two of the agriculture industry’s biggest shows. Between the World Ag Expo, dubbed the largest annual outdoor ag exposition, held in Tulare, Calif., and the National Farm Machinery Show, the country’s largest indoor farm show, taking place in Louisville, Ky., 8 staff spent a busy but valuable week visiting countless exhibitors to get the latest news and product information from manufacturers and industry leaders. 

With so many manufacturers sharing updates, here’s a snapshot summary of who was showcasing what during the event. 

Kubota’s newest addition to its utility tractor lineup, the MX4900, features the largest chassis with an HST transmission that the company offers and a lower horsepower in both the ROPS and cab machines. Product team members updated our editors on the four new models that the MX4900 offers which they explained are ideal for customers doing loader work. The new tractors also give the customer a different entry point into the cost as the lowest cost offering in a cab they have within a utility realm for budget conscious customers. 

Ag Leader Technology introduced RightPath — passive implement steering to keep the implement centered on the guidance line. It’s compatible with both integrated and assisted steering systems from Ag Leader and is well suited for mixed fleets of new or older equipment. 

Last year Vermeer Corp. partnered with Bunning Spreaders and at the National Farm Machinery Show they introduced the results of that partnership — Vermeer Manure Spreaders. With 5 models available, the 2 smallest were designed specifically for Vermeer and the North American market, says Chris Druce, Bunning sales director. The two smaller models will be available to the full Vermeer dealer network, while the larger 3 require a separate contract, explains Vermeer territory sales manager Jordan Schiller. Key features include: heat treated boron auger flighting and teeth maximize wear resistance, a heavy-duty 80 grade chain provides reliability and minimized maintenance and the slats on the apron are independent from the chain making them easy to replace if damaged.

New upgrades to the LS Tractor lineup are being well-received by customers. “We’re excited to be displaying the new MT2 Series with several new features and upgrades,” says Jason Searles, regional manager for the Eastern US at LS Tractor. He’s hearing positive feedback from equipment dealers about the redesign, including new body lines and styles on the hood and loader in both the economy and premium versions, which includes a 3rd function valve and LED lights, among other features. He says dealers are able to meet the customer needs with its size, coupled with what Searles described as industry-leading financing of 120 months, and noted the company anticipates bringing back the popular 0% for 120 months soon. 

Also at NFMS, TYM North America showcased its fuel-efficient, eco-friendly turbo engine in its T4058P which offers a power shuttle for easy forward and reverse operation without stepping on the clutch pedal. 

Mahindra’s Mike Janor, business manager for midwest and northeast regions explained the updates to the 1626, one of the company’s top selling models which had two refreshers to meet customer’s needs. “We went from a rocker pedal to a dual pedal design which customers have been asking for, mounted the loader handle onto the fender for seamless design for ergonomics, and upgraded the loader for more lift capacity.” He adds that the 2100 Series comes in 2 platforms, an open station in a 23-horsepower and 26-horsepower, and a 26-horsepower cab tractor. Additional features for that series include upgrades to improve visibility in the cab, all LED lights and telematics, as well as a quick disconnect loader feature, dual pedals and 1,477-pound lift capacity.

Bush Hog introduced its first 20-foot heavy duty flex wing in Louisville. Features include 4 inch cut capacity, EZ-change blade bolts, EZ-adjust leveling rods, custom tuned isolators and upgraded heavy-duty axles. Product manager Rob Jarman says it will be available July 1, 2025.

Teagle’s Tomahawk 6100H made its North American debut at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville. The bale processor is designed to attach to a number of power units including a tractor’s front end loader or 3-point hitch, wheel loaders and skid steers. 

It’s equipped with a load sensing crossbeater that automatically reverses the crossbeater and bed chain to improve the flow of straw through the machine, explains Tom Teagle, managing director, and is available through Teagle’s distribution network now.

McFarlane Manufacturing’s new C3 was designed in response to what customers were asking for — a minimum tillage tool, says Gregg Koetting, key accounts manager. While the C3 had a soft launch in 2024, the National Farm Machinery Show marked the official product launch. 

The seedbed management tool chops, crimps and conditions. Growers can use it as a residue management tool to roll over, knock down and scatter crop residue. It can also be used to crimp mature cover crops to kill without chemical application or crimp immature cover crops to provide mulch and suppress weeds. 

The C3’s beveled blades require less weight than conventional crimpers. For conditioning, the C3 creates a level seedbed with minimal tillage. The vertical action of the blade at the soil surface avoids creating a density layer. It allows farmers to plant earlier in damp, cold soils by exposing the soil and accelerating warming. It also covers more acres per hour with operating speeds up to 10 mph, Koetting says. 

The Leeb VL sprayer from Horsch features an AutoSelect system that offers up to 16 different nozzle profiles that can be saved and it can be switched on and off from the cab. If the work isn’t interrupted, the optimum pressure range and the corresponding nozzle size are controlled automatically and continuously, says Horsch’s Tracy Flikkema. The boom height automatically adapts depending on the nozzle spacings that are defined in the nozzles’ profiles. 

Titan Goodyear has expanded its R14T line, offering larger sizes for sprayers, combines and grain carts. A continuous arc bar angle and shape provides what Titan describes as unparalleled traction and cleaning. The high lug-to-void ratio is ideal for hard surface application with a lug designed for cleaning and traction in softer soils. The biting edges lead to increased hillside stability and less drifting in combine and sprayer applications due to the high lug-to-void ratio. 

Pelican 2 from Pyka is touted as the “world’s most productive autonomous spray aircraft,” which combines productivity and precision to deliver lower direct operating costs than any other aerial application solution on the market. It was on display at World Ag Expo. The plane runs on 4, 25-kilowatt electric motors powered by 3 battery packs. The payload capacity of the plane is about 80 gallons. It also comes with 4 spare battery sets of 3 with each set lasting around 30-45 minutes. The spare sets can be fully charged in about an hour and can be easily swapped out for the other battery set as needed. 

During NFMS, AGCO announced the release of the Hesston by Massey Ferguson SB.1436DB small square baler. Producing two rows of bales per field pass — doubling output over a single baler producing 14-by-18-inch bales — the baler delivers greater field performance, unmatched bale consistency and industry-leading uptime to help commercial hay producers meet today’s challenges, according to Jessica Williamson, marketing manager for Massey Ferguson Hay & Harvesting. 

“The SB.1436DB is built to meet the needs of modern hay producers who face increasing pressure from labor shortages, tight harvest windows and demanding quality standards,” says Dane Mosel, marketing manager, Hesston by Massey Ferguson. “With its heavy-duty design and groundbreaking technology, this baler helps operators achieve better efficiency and superior results, reducing costs while increasing profitability.”

John Deere announced the release of two new planter upgrade options — MaxEmerge 5e and ExactEmerge meter upgrades which it is making available for a variety of Deere planters, allowing farmers to update the meters on planters without replacing the entire row unit. Than Hartsock, Deere VP Precision Upgrades, shed light on the news with our editors. 

He explains multiple operator benefits: ability to keep existing row units and upgrade to high-speed electric drive meters; cover more acres per day with planting speeds up to 10 mph; leverage the dual electric motors with Brushbelt seed delivery system; and realize a 20% improvement in population accuracy with curve compensation.

Mike Sevick, business manager with New Holland North America discussed several new products and feature, including the 9200 Series CR 10 Corn Head in the all new CR10 and CR 11 combines, as well as a T8 Tractor and big baler 340 in the new styling being introduced in North America. The tractor also offers IntelliSense’s LIDAR technology to help automate the process of large square baling. 

New Holland’s PowerStar series of tractors and its updates were also on display at World Ag Expo, where editors got a firsthand look at the updates on the Powerstar 120. The front of this tractor now has an updated heavy-duty front axle for increased lifting capacity. There is also a new CNH-designed front-loader that was designed specifically for the tractor to improve visibility and better longevity of the hydraulic lines. The inside of the cab also has a new “brake-to-clutch” feature which means when a farmer engages the brake, it will automatically engage the clutch. The new and improved Powerstar 120 also has increased hydraulic flow that features an 82 liter-per-minute pump which adds more flexibility for rear implements.