Jim Breen

Jim Breen Profile Picture

Jim Breen is from a farming background. He studied Engineering in University College Dublin. He worked for agricultural media outlets and, most recently, was the mechanisation advisor for DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) and engineering programme manager at CAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise). He now lives in Offaly.

Tractor sales: Who topped one of Europe’s biggest markets in 2018?
Tractor sales: Who topped one of Europe’s biggest markets in 2018?

John Deere topped the new tractor market in France – one of western Europe’s largest markets – in 2018. However,...

4th-generation Valtra tractors to get Stage 5 engines this year
4th-generation Valtra tractors to get Stage 5 engines this year

Valtra is updating its N, T and S Series tractors (above 130kW) to Stage 5 emission standards this year. At...

Air-suspended front axle for Valtra’s latest N Series
Air-suspended front axle for Valtra’s latest N Series

Valtra will offer its AIRES air-suspended front axle (as an option) on its latest N Series tractors from 2019 on....

Pint-sized Valtra tractors get new gearbox and cab suspension
Pint-sized Valtra tractors get new gearbox and cab suspension

Valtra has updated its A Series tractor line-up, with the introduction of new A104 and A114 models with HiTech 4...

Samson takes over Pichon to become ‘Europe’s largest slurry tanker manufacturer’
Samson takes over Pichon to become ‘Europe’s largest slurry tanker manufacturer’

Samson Group (headquartered in Denmark) has taken over the activities of Pichon Industries. Back in November, we reported that Pichon –...

Argo Tractors targets €1 billion turnover within 5 years
Argo Tractors targets €1 billion turnover within 5 years

Argo Tractors (the Italian manufacturer of Landini, McCormick and Valpadana tractors) has ambitious plans for the next five years. At...

Kverneland celebrates 140 years and umpteen big-name acquisitions
Kverneland celebrates 140 years and umpteen big-name acquisitions

This year – 2019 – sees Kverneland celebrate 140 years as a manufacturer and supplier of agricultural machinery. The history...

New Holland’s futuristic methane-powered tractor wins big
New Holland’s futuristic methane-powered tractor wins big

New Holland has received the prestigious Good Design award for its methane-powered concept tractor. The award was bestowed by the...

Who in the machinery trade is worth their weight in gold?
Who in the machinery trade is worth their weight in gold?

As the FTMTA (Farm Tractor & Machinery Trade Association) Farm Machinery Show draws ever closer (February 7, 8 and 9), the...

Fancy a Chinese ‘interpretation’ of a John Deere?
Fancy a Chinese ‘interpretation’ of a John Deere?

This tractor (pictured above) was photographed at a recent trade fair in Wuhan, China. It’s the JotoDeer JT2104A; the brand-name sounds...

Valtra’s top design winner goes ‘Vertical’
Valtra’s top design winner goes ‘Vertical’

The winners of the 2018 Valtra Design Challenge were announced at the EIMA 2018 show in Bologna, Italy. The competition, which kicked...

Horsch embarks on 2-year, €23 million factory investment
Horsch embarks on 2-year, €23 million factory investment

German farm machinery manufacturer Horsch has embarked on a €23 million investment, which will be spent between now and 2020...

US tractor and combine sales ‘positive’ on a year-to-date basis
US tractor and combine sales ‘positive’ on a year-to-date basis

Sales of new tractors and combine harvesters in the US remain positive on a year-to-date basis, but some declines were...

Chinese tractor maker YTO to cease transmission production in France
Chinese tractor maker YTO to cease transmission production in France

Several media outlets are reporting that YTO – the Chinese tractor manufacturer – is to cease production of transmissions and...

Watch: Zetor releases footage of new-era Crystal HD
Watch: Zetor releases footage of new-era Crystal HD

Back on August 23, we brought you news that Zetor had unveiled its latest Crystal model – half a century...

John Deere extends its ‘fuel guarantee’ to the field
John Deere extends its ‘fuel guarantee’ to the field

John Deere has announced that, as of this month, the company’s Fuel Guarantee Programme will apply to field as well...

Who tops the league in one of Europe’s biggest telehandler markets?
Who tops the league in one of Europe’s biggest telehandler markets?

3,423 new telescopic handlers were registered in France last year (2017). But which brands topped the market? The 2017 tally was down significantly...

Amazone opens new €16 million factory in Germany
Amazone opens new €16 million factory in Germany

About a year after building commenced, Amazone has officially inaugurated its new factory in the Schleptrup industrial area near Bramsche...