Varner Iron Talk presented by Varner Equipment

Your host, Devin Varner, welcomes guest Devin Adam, a seasoned mechanic with over 20 years of experience who currently runs the mobile service truck and works in the shop at Varner Equipment. The episode covers Devin Adam's journey from childhood tinkerer to professional technician, including his current role working on equipment ranging from Deutz tractors to Mahindra machines.

Key Discussion Points:

Early Career & Background

• Started working in automotive at age 15, opening a shop in Hotchkiss during his sophomore year of high school
• Moved to Fort Collins for four years, working in landscaping and running a plasma CNC machine for side work
• Returned to Western Colorado and ran his own service truck business before joining Varner Equipment full-time

The "Dusted" Deutz 6175

• A customer tractor with catastrophic engine damage after running a full year without air filters due to a deteriorated rubber boot on the air filter housing
• Previous misdiagnosis led to unnecessary cylinder head and turbo replacement instead of addressing the root cause
• Now requires complete engine replacement – an expensive proposition for a 6.1 liter single-turbo Deutz

Shop Projects Update

• Multiple 6075 Mahindras in for service, including joystick valve repairs and a coming video on a 2145/2155 Mahindra with front-end driveline issues
• Heavy disc repair season with blades and bearings
• Ongoing 1950 International L120 pickup restoration for Devin Varner's son Lincoln – engine out, full documentation on YouTube

Service Truck Realities

• Devin Adam's previous 2000 International 4700 service truck struggled with power on hills, often requiring second gear at 20-25 mph in mountainous terrain
• Current Freightliner Century class 8 truck with CAT C12, 10-speed, and hydraulic/electric crane – considerably more capable
• Single biggest challenge running independent service: being a "one man show" handling all parts ordering, research, and invoicing

Technology & The Future

• Biggest learning curve returning to dealership work: emissions systems and proprietary software on modern tractors
• Wish for manufacturers: remote diagnostic capabilities over WiFi for rural customers
• Personal project: developing WiFi-based HVAC monitoring system using AI-generated code for temperature/pressure sensors and push notifications

Advice for Aspiring Technicians

• Devin Adam's recommendation: work in a shop several years before going independent – "hands-on shop experience, especially with if there's other people in the shop that know what they're doing"
• Service truck work is "at least twice as hard" as shop work due to environment, tooling limitations, and working alone

In this episode of Varner Iron Talk, Devin is joined by his sons, Lincoln and Emmett, for a fascinating look at the history of Deutz-Fahr—one of the world's oldest and most influential agricultural equipment manufacturers. They trace the company's origins back to 1864 in Cologne, Germany, where the first engine factory in the world was founded, and explore how Deutz's innovations helped shape not only the tractor industry but also companies like Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce aircraft engines, Lamborghini Tractors, and more. If you've ever wondered who Deutz-Fahr is or why the brand has such a loyal following around the world, this episode provides the answers.

The conversation also covers Deutz-Fahr's major milestones, including its acquisition of Fahr, its brief ownership of Allis-Chalmers, its connection to Steiger, and its modern partnership under SDF (SAME Deutz-Fahr). Along the way, the Varners share interesting stories about the brand's legendary air-cooled engines, its role during both World Wars, and the engineering legacy that continues to influence today's tractors. The episode begins with a shop update featuring an unusual four-wheel-drive warranty repair on a Deutz-Fahr 8280 tractor and finishes with current market insights, making this an informative discussion for farmers, equipment enthusiasts, mechanics, and anyone interested in agricultural history.

PLEASE NOTE: About 45 minutes in our audio did quit working, so the quality was pulled from our video and is lessened. Thank you for your patience, we're farmers not sound engineers!

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Visit Us: Varner Equipment 1375 Hwy 50 Delta, CO. 81416 Phone: (970)874-0612 📧 Email: [email protected] Website: VarnerEquipment.com Looking for parts? Visit our online parts store at VarnerParts.com for agricultural, hay, forage, and farm equipment parts. We're constantly adding inventory and helping farmers keep their equipment running when it matters most. Like, Comment & Subscribe for more farm equipment arrivals, walkarounds, and equipment deliveries.

Welcome back to Varner Iron Talk!

• Host Devin Varner welcomes guests David Crowell (territory manager for Colorado, Wyoming, western Nebraska, and northern New Mexico) and product demonstrator Brian Farini from Krone North America during a "Heydays" demo event in Delta, Colorado, where they ran multiple Krone hay tools alongside other brands.

• They open with a shop segment on a John Deere 4520 compact tractor with leaking front steering knuckles, using it to explain how undersized compact tractors with loaders overstress tight front-end designs originally intended for loader-less markets, and advising buyers to size tractors so they aren't lifting at rated max every day.

• Market insight: Western Colorado and much of the western U.S. face severe water shortages and drought, weak commodity prices (with stronger cattle), high equipment/input/fuel/interest costs, and cautious farmers who are repairing balers and disc mowers instead of buying new unless rebates and low interest make upgrades compelling.

• Krone positions itself as a dedicated hay and forage company that "does nothing else," building heavy-duty, commercial-grade equipment and leaning on targeted in-field demos rather than brochure sales, especially for high-investment machines.

• They highlight Krone's strengthened parts and logistics network: multiple warehouses (Olive Branch, MS; Reno, NV; Texas; Pennsylvania; Canada) plus a highly automated 24/7 German parts center, and new U.S. assembly lines in Olive Branch that pre-assemble rotary rakes and tedders ~80% to slash dealer setup time.

• Core equipment focus: they dive into Big X forage harvesters (up to 1,156 hp Big X 1180 with 12–14 row heads and 12" Optimax kernel processors), Krone's EasyCollect/XCollect corn heads with front collector chains for smoother feeding, the Big M 36' self-propelled mower with EM roll conditioners and integrated mergers, and the EasyCut TC 400 hydro-swing mower with unique narrow transport and wide 116" conditioner roll.

• They showcase Krone's big square balers: Gen 3/4 and Gen 5 3×3/3×4 machines with VFS (Variable Fill System) continuous rotor feeding, heavy gearbox-driven drivelines with no shear bolts, longer HDP chambers for higher density, new PowerClean fan systems, fold-down twine boxes, and the new low-pressure V-knotter that handles heavier twine with fewer issues. [Core hay tools: they emphasize Krone's SafeCut one-piece cutterbars with sacrificial roll pins, quick-change knives, configurable disc rotation patterns, heavy-duty tedders with OctaLink drives and long throw patterns, and PTO-driven rotary rakes with sealed cam-track gearboxes and curved tines that reduce ash content and produce tall, airy windrows for cleaner, higher-quality hay.

• Culture and support: David Crowell and Brian stress Krone's people-first culture, close internal relationships from Germany to North America, and field-based teams (sales, product, service, regional managers) who support dealers and customers directly; they emphasize that customers shouldn't feel like numbers and that agriculture is a community focused on feeding America.

• "Cool products" and fun facts: David Crowell highlights massive class 9–10 combines and the explosion of digital tools and online training, while Brian spotlights Krone's new CombiPack HDP 4×6 round baler-wrapper (about 80 wrapped bales/hour); they also note Krone's origins in North America with three-point sickle bar mowers, its status as Europe's largest semi-truck trailer manufacturer, and the Krone family being the largest John Deere dealer in Germany.

Thanks for tuning in and we hope to see you next time!

Today we're speaking with Mitch Chvatal and Mark Miller with Beaver Valley Supply. We'll talk all about the Manufacturers in the Industry and how their relationship with local dealers impacts the customer.

Thanks for joining us!

Welcome to the very first episode of Varner Iron Talk. Before we dive into tractors, equipment, repairs, and farming topics, we wanted to start by telling our own story.

In this episode, Devin and his two oldest sons share how Varner Equipment began, how it has grown over the years, and why we're launching this podcast. We're also sharing what you can expect in future episodes.

Thanks for joining us as we kick off this new adventure!