December 2021 - 46

NOTES FROM THE FARM
Exhaustive approach needed for equipment upgrades
Speaking of exhaust management, I
JERRY MILLS
Mills Apple Farm
jerry@millsapplefarm.com
just paid a big repair bill for the track
loader. It has a tier-three system and uses
higher engine speed to generate enough
heat to burn off particulate matter in the
exhaust filter.
I spent one morning running it at
Apple season finished early: Rots
did us in. It is diabolical how rots wait
until the last minute to strike, but at least
that gave us time to harvest apples until
the pumpkins came in. The best part is
that our customers are good sports and
when we explain why the crop is this way,
they cheerfully pick anyway. Part of our
problem is that we have never tried to
sell green apples, and when we wait until
the sugars appear, it is often too late. That
may be to our advantage in that customers
know tree-ripened apples taste better.
Tool of the month: A new
125-horsepower John Deere 6105E
tractor. We have always needed one
larger tractor. The " little " John Deere
5320s kept breaking when overloaded. I
don't know how much we spent repairing
transmissions, PTOs and clutches caused
by being hooked to machines too big for
them, but in " my day, " 55 horsepower
was considered a " big " tractor.
I may have made a mistake with
slow RPM while picking up brush. At
noon, a red warning flag appeared on the
instrument screen. The filter was plugged
and heat backup had destroyed wiring to
the sensors.
This was the first year we kept bird
A John Deere 6105E utility tractor with Jerry Mills at the wheel. The E stands for electric
over hydraulic controls, making it the easiest large tractor Mills has ever driven, but also
the most complicated. Photo: Mills Apple Farm/Marine, Illinois Jerry Mills
the new one, however. The E stands
for electric, and that it has. It has an
electrically controlled clutch, PTO,
exhaust emissions and more gauges than
one person can keep track of.
The engine has a tier-four diesel exhaust
fluid (DEF) system. Older diesels emit
pure nitrous oxide, a deadly air pollutant.
This one injects a solution containing
urea into exhaust gasses, producing pure
nitrogen and water. An extra tank inside
the fuel tank holds DEF fluid. Fill both
tanks at the same time. DEF liquid costs
$10 a gallon at John Deere.
Anyone could jump on the old tractors
and go. Not so with this one. There are too
many extra important procedures. I think
I will have to assign it to one operator and
no others will be allowed to drive it.
Purchase was easy, one-third down
and two payments a year apart, and no
interest.
feeders up through the summer. Birds
were so interesting during the winter that
we hated to see them go. Cardinals, for
instance, normally disappear in summer,
but leave a feeder out and they never leave.
We also saw the migratory birds up close.
Our favorites are the hummingbirds,
miracles of smallness and selfishness.
Males spend their days chasing all other
creatures away from " their " feeder. Their
quickness in flight defies the laws of
physics and makes me wish I still had my
pilot's license.
Health hint: A doctor at our hospital
told me today that anyone over 75 years
of age who has a fever has a health
emergency and should immediately go to
a hospital. I did not know that. VGN
" THE LARGEST EAST COAST AUCTION EVER " VEGETABLE AND GRAIN FARMING LINE
TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS!!
SATURDAY DECEMBER 11 @ 9:00 A.M. AND 10:00 A.M. SUNDAY DECEMBER 12 @ 10:00 A.M.
SWEDESBORO (GLOUCESTER CO.) NEW JERSEY USA
Owners retiring from multi-generation farm converting to huge commercial agri-business operation, selling will be!
(A Sampling Follows!)
2018 JD 9520R, E-18 power shift; JD 8370R, MFWD, IVT trans.; (SEE other tractors on web!)
2020 (new this year!) CIH Magnum 250 Cut-ATS C (250 h.p.) only 50 hrs!;
2018 Ramsey Highlander Self Propelled harvest (box or bulk) aid telescoping two belt
system complete with 5th wheel transport cart!; 2019 NH SP310F self propelled Sprayer,
60-90 ft. booms, auto steer, 1200 gal.;
2018 JD 1795 Exact Emerge no till 12 row corn/bean planter, deluxe!!; CIH 8230 AFS (4WD)
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Tractors: 6130R; (5) 5075E; 6230; (2) 6105M; 5525; (4) 6620; 5500; (2) 2640;
PLUS Thirty (30) More Tractors!!;
Landoll 7530VT 29 ft. vertical till tool, deluxe! Forigo (new) G45-450 15 ft. 3 row
vegetable bedding machine; JD 2630 TruSet 30 ft. cushion gang disk; Krause 35 ft.
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Four (4) Truck Tractors; 1991 Rogers 65 ton lowboy; Four (4) dump trailers;
Seven (7) reefers;
See webpage (www.pirrunginc.com) for complete list and pictures as available including video of working NH sprayer and Ramsey Highlander! Daily Pay Terms! See Conditions of Sale!
NOTE: Well maintained family owned equipment. All in use up to end of 2021 season! Saturday Sale is Tractors/Trucks/Field Machinery.
Sunday Sale is Greenhouses/Packing Lines and Warehouse Type Equipment!
SEE FULL List (pictures when available), Daily Terms of Sale and Updates on Webpage:
585-728-2520
44 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
Email: PirrungAuctioneers@frontier.com
http://www.pirrunginc.com http://www.VegetableGrowersNews.com
December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021
