“Vermeer AX chippers offer the latest innovations for arborist work,”
“The AX17 offers many of the same advantages as the larger AX19 model, but with a smaller footprint, making it a great option for contractors doing a lot of city work or looking for a high-production chipper that can be pulled behind a vehicle and does not require a CDL.”

explains Steve Weldon, product specialist for Vermeer Environmental equipment.

The Vermeer AX17 brush chipper is powered by a 130-hp (96.9-kW) Cummins T4F diesel engine and has a 26-inch (66.0-cm) drum with two knives. It is equipped with horizontal offset feed rollers and a durable, fixed infeed table to take in large logs and tree limbs. The AX17’s intelligent feed system provides over 6,500 pounds (2,948.4 kg) of pull-in power. It uses the Vermeer SmartCrush system to increase down pressure on the material being fed and assist when feeding forked or branchy material. It also comes with the patented Vermeer SmartFeed feed-sensing control system that monitors engine RPMs. It automatically stops, reverses and shifts material back and forth to help reduce the need for labor at the rear of the machine. Plus, operators can use a full-function remote to operate the feed rollers, move forward or in reverse, stop the machine, control the infeed crush feature and rotate the chipper’s chute while away from the machine, further reducing the need for labor.

The AX17 can be outfitted with a patented winch boom that provides 3,200 pounds (1,451.5 kg) of pull-in force to help load large materials. The winch can be raised out of the way when mechanically feeding the machine. The brush chipper was built with safety in mind with its a patented bottom feed stop bar. Mounted over the feed table, the four-position upper feed control bar has dual stop positions and allows the operator to stop the feed rollers and select forward or reverse operations.

Other features of the new Vermeer AX17 brush chipper include an easy-to-access lower clean-out door and the Vermeer EcoIdle engine control system that minimizes fuel consumption when the machine isn’t actively being fed.

Source: Vermeer

The post Vermeer Presents AX17 New Brush Chipper appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

These new machines are manufactured at the Vermeer manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China, and built with the same high-quality parts and components that Vermeer is known for around the world. The new naming structure indicates a new generation of pipeline drills from Vermeer for the emerging markets that come with several enhanced features that enable high functionality, productivity, and ease of use.

“We understand that operators in Asia, Latin America, and other developing nations are looking for a drill that’s specifically for their market. That’s why we designed the D130S and D60S with the power and productivity they have; so that operators in these areas could have drills that meet their needs,”

said Colm Rafferty, vice president of developing markets of Vermeer.

The need for the D130S and D60S came from hearing that operators in developing nations needed a way to facilitate greater connectivity and support the development of both rural and urban areas. With new infrastructure needing to be developed, including telecommunications (fiber optics), water, electricity, gas, and oil pipeline installations across varying ground conditions and locations, a new machine was necessary to take on challenging, large-diameter drilling projects without worrying about space restrictions. Both drills are capable of tackling those infrastructure projects. They are also designed to keep surface disruption to a minimum, which helps in densely populated or residential areas.

“We wanted to create machines that built upon their predecessors, still delivered the same high manufacturing quality, and were specific to operators drilling in developing nations. These drills are compact, powerful, and productive enough to appeal to operators large and small, and I believe can make a big difference in a company’s drilling capabilities and efficiencies,”

explained Rafferty.

These units will be available in select nations throughout Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and select countries in Europe.

The D130S is equipped with 130,000 lb (578,200 kN) of thrust and pullback and 15,000 ft-lb (20,337 Nm) of rotational torque, helping it penetrate through different and difficult terrains.

The D60S has 60,000 lb (266.9 kN) of thrust and pullback and 9,000 ft-lb (12,202.4 Nm) of rotational torque, helping it penetrate through different and difficult terrains. This power makes it one of the most powerful drills in its class.

Another enhancement made to both drills is the PLUS+1 control system to maximize precision and reliability. Paired with the drill’s AutoSteer system, which automates certain drill head motions, it allows operators to set and adjust rotation duration and direction while maintaining a pre-set thrust pressure to get through hard ground conditions. To top it off, the console design of the drill was updated to provide a user-friendly bore path adjustment experience for the operator.

Other features on the D130S include an operator-controlled rod loader, climate-controlled cab, optional crane, and optional front-mounted stakedown system.

The additional features on the D60S include a tethered remote control, ease of serviceability, three-speed gearbox, operator-controlled rod loader, and climate-controlled cab.

The post Introducing the All-New Vermeer D130S and D60S Horizontal Directional Drills appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

1. The ability to swap out tooling quickly with two knock-out dowel pins
2. The capability of reaming directly from the transmitter housing
3. The elimination of starter rods and adapters in certain applications

Since the Vermeer Ultra X3 uses a robust spline connection system, tooling doesn’t have to be threaded on, eliminating the need for breakout tongs to make and break torqued tooling connections. Operators just need to align the spline on the tooling with the spline on the housing, then secure tooling by tapping in dowel pins. The system is capable of handling the torque of reaming diameters up to 10 inches (25 cm) in most conditions from the transmitter housing. Also, it’s set up to use a full offering of plate bits and rock toolings like the Vermeer Gauntlet, Lance, and single roller cone bits.

The Ultra X3 housing uses a standard API rear connection and also works with quick-connect systems like the Vermeer QuickFire HD connection system. However, Jason Zylstra, product manager for Vermeer Lifecycle products, said contractors who seldomly remove their housing may find value in skipping the expense of starter rods and collars because there is a quick connect on the bit side of the housing.

“With the Ultra X3, contractors can sub out conventional quick-connect components for a transition adapter rod, increasing operational efficiency.”

Zylstra also said that using the Ultra X3 system can help reduce the size of the exit pit in some applications.

“Since the Ultra X3 doesn’t require the housing be removed for most pullbacks, HDD crews can changeover from pilot to pullback in a smaller space. Smaller pit requirements can also help reduce restoration work,”

he explained.

The Vermeer Ultra X3 is available in three different sizes covering all HDD models rated up to the 40,000-pound (177.9-kN) drill range.

• Ultra X3 375 for HDDs in the 40,000-pound (177.9-kN) drill range — Vermeer D40x55 S3 HDD or Ditch Witch JT40 HDD
• Ultra X3 325 for HDDs in the 24,000-pound (106.8-kN) drill range — Vermeer D23x30 S3 HDD, D24x40 S3 HDD, or Ditch Witch JT30 HDD
• Ultra X3 275 for HDDs in the 10,000-pound (44.5-kN) drill range — Vermeer D10x15 S3 HDD or Ditch Witch JT10 HDD

Source: Vermeer

The post Vermeer Presents the Ultra X3 appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

With dealership locations in Birmingham, AL, Boynton Beach, FL, Buford, GA, Clearwater, FL, Ft. Myers, FL, Jacksonville, FL, Marietta, GA, Miami, FL, Orlando, FL, Pensacola, FL, and Savannah, GA, Vermeer Southeast offer new and used equipment for sale, as well as rental, parts sales, and full-service capabilities.

“Fecon’s forestry mulching tractors and attachments are well built and have a great reputation in the industry. They are a great complement to our product offering,”

said Mark Miller, Vermeer Southeast Vice President of Sales.

Source: Fecon

The post Fecon Adds Vermeer Southeast as Forestry Mulcher Dealer appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The new Vermeer QuickFire HD connection system for utility horizontal directional drills (HDD) helps reduce the labor involved with changing over from pilot bore and pullback tooling. This new connection system builds upon the original Vermeer QuickFire system introduced to the market more than 10 years ago.

“The QuickFire HD system expands the types of ground conditions contractors can use this type of quick connection system for. Crews familiar with the original QuickFire system will recognize the same 4-turn makeup on the QuickFire HD system, only they’ll now have some new ease of use of and reliability-minded enhancements,”

explained Jason Zylstra, product manager for Vermeer Lifecycle products.

The new Vermeer QuickFire HD system uses two heavy-duty roll pins to secure the locking collar over the non-torqued threaded connection. Resembling other proven Vermeer designs, this retention feature has performed well in extensive field tests. Also, the QuickFire HD allows the collar to be assembled at any orientation to avoid having to rotate the collar to align it with the retention bolt hole, unlike some other systems.

The new Vermeer QuickFire HD system is available in three sizes:

• QuickFire HD 300 for HDDs in the 10,000-pound (44.5-kN) drill range — Vermeer D10x15 S3 or Ditch Witch JT10 HDD
• QuickFire HD 400 for HDDs in the 24,000-pound (106.8-kN) drill range — Vermeer D23x30 S3 or Ditch Witch JT30 HDD
• QuickFire HD 460 for HDDs in the 40,000-pound (177.9-kN) drill range Vermeer D40x55 S3 or Ditch Witch JT40 HDD

Also, Vermeer offers weld-on connection options to cost-effectively convert existing tooling to the QuickFire HD connection system.

Source: Vermeer

The post Introducing New Vermeer Quickfire HD Connection System appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

“Our team is dedicated to developing practical ways to help forage producers make the most of their available labor and get the most out of their time in the field,”

said Vermeer Research and Development Manager Kent Thompson.

“We work to identify solutions that producers don’t even realize are possible, all focused around their hay operation.”

These advancements build on a history of innovation at Vermeer, which is celebrating 50 years of its large round baler — an innovation that changed the way hay and forage producers feed and fuel the world.

Autonomous Bale Mover

The bale mover concept, nicknamed “Bale Hawk” will travel around the field autonomously via onboard sensors to locate bales, pick them up and move them to a predetermined location.

“This machine helps save labor time and associated costs, by eliminating the manual step of moving bales. The autonomous bale mover senses where it is relative to a bale, allowing it to plan a route to pick up that bale. Today, it can pick up three bales at a time before delivering and unloading them to a predetermined location,”

said Thompson.

Onboard Bearing Temp Sensors

These wireless, battery-powered temperature sensors will help operators monitor baler bearing temperatures from the cab, helping to provide predictive maintenance notices to operators before the bearing reaches its end-of-life.

“When given this information ahead of time, operators can order new bearings and replace them before they reach the end-of-life or fail due to contamination, which helps keep balers in the field when it matters most,”

said Vermeer Forage Innovations Senior Engineer Nathan Dockter.

Automated Baling Assistance Technology

This windrow guidance system for the Vermeer ZR5-1200 self-propelled baler will use light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors to track the windrow and automatically steer the machine.

“The automation can allow the operator to focus on other aspects of the baling process — it is a step towards us taking the guesswork out of creating a consistent, good-looking bale,”

said Vermeer Forage Innovations Senior Systems Engineer Gary Burns.

Field Data Management App

The Forage Commander app will connect the user’s smart device via Bluetooth to the data gateway unit located on the baler to provide the latest field stats for each customer, including bale weight, bale moisture, bales per hour, and more. From this data and customer information, the Forage Commander can generate an invoice to email directly to the operator’s customer.

“This app is really designed for an operator who wants to better understand their productivity in the field or is looking for a more convenient tool to help manage their custom hay operation,”

said Vermeer Product Manager Shawn Wang.

Source: Vermeer

The post Vermeer Innovation Concepts Address Agricultural Labor Challenges appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

The agreement establishes Vermeer dealerships as the exclusive distributor for two of BRON’s tracked utility plows in the 200-HP (149 kW) and 300-HP (224 kW) class and provides them the ability to sell the line of BRON utility plow attachments.

BRON is a family-owned company based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. The brand has supported utility and underground infrastructure installation markets for more than 40 years and has reliable, heavy-duty plows and attachments that include static and vibratory plows, trenchers, rippers, add-on plows, and more.

Vermeer is teaming up with BRON to support customers who are working to keep up with major global investments in rural fiber and underground infrastructure. BRON’s products complement the Vermeer utility plow lineup by providing additional options for heavy-duty plows and attachments that are geared for some of the deeper and more extreme installation applications.

“This agreement positions Vermeer to better help our customers capture more of the underground telecom and energy work that will be required to provide more reliable access to critical infrastructure around the world,”

said Vice President of Environmental and Infrastructure Sales, Dave Wisniewski.

“As a fellow family-owned company, we are excited to deepen our partnership with Vermeer and its dealers around the world. Our products, partnered with the reach and expertise of the Vermeer dealer network, put us all in a stronger position to support our customers with the tools and service they need to stay productive,”

said Robert Hall, president of BRON.

BRON expects its products to be available at Vermeer dealerships in February 2021.

Source: Vermeer

The post Vermeer Enters Distribution Agreement with BRON for Utility Track Plows and Plow Attachments appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

From a single 2.875-in API box x box body, contractors can interchange wing sets for cutting diameters of 8 in (20 cm), 10 in (30 cm), and 12 in (30 cm). With the ability to change sizes, users can maximize their investment in a single body.

According to Jason Zylstra, Vermeer lifecycle product manager, having replaceable wings can also help maximize efficiency in the field.

“These wings are meant to be replaceable. In the event of a damaged wing, a single replacement wing can be installed on the job site. If a standard hole opener gets damaged, the entire tool is out of commission until it’s repaired.”

he explained.

Vermeer has sourced premium PDC inserts that, in an independent study, showed significantly better wear characteristics than the inserts commonly found in PDC pilot bits.

“Each wing is designed with a row of carbide buttons strategically placed to help protect the stability of the PDC inserts,”

explained Zylstra. The PDC insert pitch has been industry research-informed to optimize the balance rate of penetration and impact resistance. In the event of needing pushback during reaming, rotary backout cutters have been welded to the backside of each wing.

The post Vermeer Adds Replaceable Wing PDC Hole Opener to HDD Tooling and Accessories Line appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Robotics continues to drive innovation in manufacturing at Vermeer

From welding robots that complete tedious and repetitive weld tasks on the shop floor to automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that move heavy carts, automation has helped keep team members safe and remove waste from processes. Vermeer’s journey with AGVs began in 2016 when two units were installed to carry carts between Plants 6 and 7. However, after the July 2018 tornado took out Plants 5 and 6, the AGVs and the infrastructure to support them in Plants 6 and 7 were damaged to the point that they had to be decommissioned. We’re excited to share the next generation of automation at Vermeer – autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

Before Vermeer gets into that, here’s a quick rundown on the history of these handy cart-moving robots and the technology behind them. AGVs have been around since the early 1950s – back then, they were guided by a set path of wires on the floor. AGVs continued with methods like wire, tape lines, and painted lines for the next 60 years. Within the past 15 years, they’ve adopted much of the same technology now used in self-driving cars. This navigation allows AGVs to detect when an obstruction is in their path, causing them to stop. However, they ultimately still follow a fixed path.

AMRs – which are used today in Plant 4 – follow a fixed path, but they can also make basic decisions. Where an AGV would see an obstruction and stop, an AMR can find a way around the obstruction. This is thanks to their navigation, which reads the contours in the immediate environment to figure out its location in the plant, unlike the AGVs in Plants 6 and 7 that relied on reflectors and pushbuttons placed along a specified route to navigate.

The AMRs in Plant 4 currently use this laser-based navigation – called natural navigation – to bring parts from central receiving to the assembly line.

Source: Vermeer

The post Vermeer Keeps Going with the Advanced Manufacturing appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.

Just in time for the busy summer construction season, RDO Equipment Co.’s new, full-service store in Dayton is open. The Dayton store is the result of an integration between two previously separate stores in the area and is designed to better meet the equipment and technology needs of customers in the north metro area. The new 45,000-square-foot store combines the parts support of RDO’s former Brooklyn Park location and the Topcon technology focus of its former store in Bloomington.

“This new store came about as a result of listening to our customer needs and responding to the market conditions. Our customers wanted the efficiency of a total solutions experience in one location. The Dayton store is built to do just that.”

John Weber, General Manager said.

Serving customers in the construction, environmental, roadbuilding, surveying, and underground industries, the Dayton store has the space and breadth to service customer needs for John Deere, Vermeer, and Topcon equipment. Features of the new store include:

• Large showroom with dedicated space for Deere and Vermeer equipment
• $2M in parts inventory
• 16,000-square-foot service shop to accommodate all makes and models of equipment
• Separate 1,100-square-foot service area devoted to Topcon technology

In addition to expanding RDO’s footprint to support the John Deere and Topcon customers in the area, Steve Rosenow, Midwest Regional Vermeer General Manager says that the new store is a testament to the increase in RDO’s Vermeer business, as well as Vermeer’s continued growth and expansion of its product line. He added, “The addition of the Dayton store allows us to be closer to our customers and better support them with equipment, parts, and service.”

According to the region’s Vice President, Kelly Gress, the team is eager to serve customers’ full equipment, parts, and service needs, while remaining committed to following the state’s guidance for health and safety. As with all RDO locations, he says the Dayton store is in compliance with safe social distancing and hygiene practices recommended by the CDC, including 6-ft distance barriers at the parts counter and curbside parts pickup, limited points of entry, and thorough daily cleaning.

In addition to creating new opportunities for customers, the RDO Dayton store brings approximately 50 jobs to the area including parts, sales, service, and administration. There are still a few critical positions open; those interested in joining the RDO team may visit the RDO Careers website.
The Dayton store is conveniently located at 11030 Holly Lane, directly adjacent to Interstate 94 and the 610 interchange. Completing RDO’s footprint of full service for customers on both the north and south ends of the metro, there are also two existing RDO stores in neighboring Burnsville. One is dedicated to Vermeer industrial and tree care equipment, parts, and service. The other features John Deere equipment, parts, and service, and now further integrates Topcon technology and support.

Source: RDO Equipment

The post RDO Equipment to open a full service store in Dayton appeared first on North America FarmQuip Magazine.