Table of contents for Harvest 2020 in Profi

The dimensions, 4.5m lift height and 1.25t payload are the same, but the Stage V engine is not the only update on Weidemann’s T4512 compact telehandler, which comes with a new cab and drive system. Yanmar still supplies the Stage V engines. There are two power options - 25hp (no after-treatment system) on the basic version and 45hp (DPF and DOC). The new ECDrive (Electric Control Drive) is claimed to increase the basic engine performance. There are four drive modes. Auto mode ensures maximum performance. In eco-mode, the engine speed reduces to 2,200rpm once the desired driving speed has been reached. The two other optional drive modes are designed for use with hydraulically-operated attachments. The smaller engine has a top speed of 20km/hr. The 45hp is available in 20km/hr or…

The close attachment of the new Vendro rotary tedder range shifts more weight to the tractor’s front axle, helping to reduce transport length and lift requirement compared with the KW range they replace. Covering working widths from 4.7m to 11.2m, the nine model Vendro range comprises two four-rotor models (470 and 560), three six-rotor versions (620, 680 and 790), two eight-rotor tedders (820 and 900) and the 1020 and 1120 10-rotor units. Fitted with either five, six or seven tine arms per rotor, rotor diameters are: 470 (1.5m), 560 (1.8m), 620 (1.38m), 680 (1.5m), 790 (1.7m), 820 (1.38m), 900 (1.5m), 1020 (1.38m) and 1120 (1.5m). The Vendro models use the same OptiTurn rotors as the recently launched Highland tedder range, the patented tines of which orbit closer to the rotor…

Local service and the cost of ownership are key reasons why JDS Contracts is currently running a New Holland selfpropelled. But that is not to say the business is not willing to look at other makes; indeed the firm’s foraging history is a mixed bag of New Holland and Claas machines. Foraging has long since been on the list of services offered by the Co Down based operation. Today, JDS Contracts is in the hands of the second-generation, with Adrian Douglas joining his father in 1985, and now his sons, Mark and Stuart, are also part of the business. As well as silage making, JDS Contracts tackles the usual list of contracting tasks in a mixed farming area — slurry spreading with tankers and an umbilical system, baling, combining, hedging,…

After years of rumours, speculation and grainy internet images, John Deere finally went public with limited details of its new X9 flagship line of combines at Agritechnica. Yet it was only at this year's harvest that we managed to get a better look under the panels … to see how the new twin-rotor design would achieve the claimed headline 100t/hr. Slotting in above the 625hp S790, the X9 has been built to compete with the likes of the 790hp AGCO Ideal 10T, Claas Lexion 8900 and even the 700hp New Holland CR10.90 — all machines that will be out of the grasp of many farms. But, for big farming enterprises that can justify the price tag, John Deere now has a look-in. So, starting from the front and working our…

There is no such thing a cheap Claas Jaguar 900, serious effort to find a used model forming one part of the buying equation. Operating costs to include ongoing maintenance will demand some serious number crunching, just as is the case when opting for new. A patronising start to a used buying article, maybe, but no apologies. The most cost-effective used buy needs a realistic approach to matching potential performance (with trailer logistics to keep a forger running) to the money that needs to be available for both in season and longer-term maintenance. With this in mind, what follows is a broadbrush outline of how the Jaguar 900 models have evolved over the past decade and some tips on what to consider when looking for a used example. If you…

Between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, north of Bordeaux, there is an area with peaty soils where last season maize was planted. After heavy storms and persistent rainfall, the farmer and operator of a biogas plant stood in the mud facing the lodged crop of maize. What to do? Regular forage harvesters had little hope so it was time to call upon some specialist assistance. Alexandre Peltier from YouTube channel, MRAgriFrance along with his father Guillaume were on hand to show the challenging conditions at Médoc. The first forager on the scene was a Claas Jaguar 890 on dual wheels. The result was trench like wheel ruts that forced the Jag to go home with its tail between its legs once it had been rescued by a Quadtrac.…

Presented by Case IH as the world’s most powerful self-propelled forage harvester at Agritechnica in 1997, the Mammut 8790 would undergo further field tests and trials throughout 1998, and the first production machines duly hit the market for the following season. Case IH acquired the forager in 1997 when it took over the Bidell Group, which included Mengele and the Fortschritt factory in Saxony where the Mammut 8790 was beingdeveloped. 544hp and a large drum The Mammut 8790 had a 16.0-litre Deutz V8 engine with a rated output of 544hp. At the time, this was around 50hp more than any of its competitors could call on. However, this Deutz motor was swapped for an even more powerful 570hp Daimler-Chrysler engine from the 25th machine produced. The flagship Mammut model also…

Finnish firm Elho, always good for some off-the-wall thinking, has already brought us the Scorpio stone collector and front/rear tractor mounted Twin grass swather. It didn’t disappoint at Agritechnica last year when it showed the trailed Cobra 7710T forage harvester. Designed for 250-400hp tractors, the result is very impressive, but before discussing the technical details the initial question concerns the reason for its development? Well, the growing season in Finland, and other Nordic countries for that matter, is too short for maize silage and livestock farmer focus is squarely with grass. The investment in a dedicated self-propelled forage harvester for the relatively short season is a hefty one, and many contractors favour trailed machines of which there are now relatively slim pickings. While CNH Industrial owned Kongskilde is still making…

Rostselmash is a massive agricultural machinery manufacturer. To give you just some idea of how big, the 130ha production site at Rostov-on-Don employs more than 10,000 staff. And the Russians are eager to showcase what they have, in terms of hardware and knowledge, beyond their home market. Last year Rostselmash introduced the new 611hp RSM F2650 self-propelled chopper, which was developed from scratch using components sourced in the west. For instance, under the bonnet is a transversely mounted Mercedes motor. The OM473LA is an in-line, six-pot engine with a 15.6-litre displacement. Into the guts of the machine, the new chopping cylinder has been specifically designed for this forager. Gone is the 24 V-blade drum as fitted in the 395hp RSM1403, to be replaced by a multi-blade drum with 48 knives,…

For years, arable farmers have been following combines with cultivators in order to encourage weed seeds to chit, the emerging volunteers then getting sprayed off before drilling commences with the next crop. But, with the long-term future of glyphosate still looking doubtful, farmers are already looking at ways of reducing their dependence on chemicals. Australian farmers have been forging ahead with systems designed to destroy any seed as it leaves the combine sieves, resulting in fewer weeds to control in the following crop. But the HWSC system can only process the seeds harvested by the combine such as ryegrass, so weeds like blackgrass, which shed their seeds before the combine gets to the field, will need a different strategy. Both the Australian Seed Terminator and the Canadian Seed Control Unit…

One of two Comia hybrids, the other being the slightly smaller C20 2Roto, the threshing cylinders on both are similar to those of the existing sixwalker C10 and C12. The main difference is that the walkers have been swapped for the twin rotor unit. We’ve had a lengthy chat about the hybrid project with marketing manager, Kim Döfnäs, who is based at the factory at Pori in the south-west of the country on the Gulf of Bothnia. Driven by customer requests for a larger Class 6 machine, the initial discussions for the hybrid gained momentum in 2016. Based on an older Comia 3000-Series chassis, one of several prototypes was in Finnish fields for testing for the 2018 harvest. Another was shipped to Brazil early last year to gain experience in…

After studying all current combine harvester designs, Georg Bauer put his thinking cap on to come up with the Maximus, a future combine concept that uses off-the-shelf components (except for the 18m header). It's just waiting for a manufacturer brave enough to take it from the drawing board to the field. Georg is unable to embark on a project of this scale, one reason being his age — he was 91 in June. However, by designing this new model, he wants to give manufacturers a nudge and show that it is indeed possible to generate maximum output performance, remain within transport width limitations and have a good weight distribution. Here are the stand-out details of the Maximus combine: The crop flow is split into two lengthways systems. This means the…

It takes 1.0 litre of water to generate 1.7m3 of steam. It’s a funny old world, here in Europe farmers carry out all sorts of operations to try and bale hay and silage in as dry as possible conditions, but American farmers use a steamer to add moisture to the material before it is baled. They have various reason for doing so. Fed up with watching the fragile Lucerne leaves shatter from their stems and reduce the value of his hay crop, Dave Staheli was inspired after watching a tortilla steamer at a taco restaurant - could the same concept be applied to haymaking? To find out he took a box of Lucerne to the kitchen and put the crop into a steam cooker – and he really liked the…

We receive lots of tips and tricks on combine harvester tuning and fettling, ranging from grain tank extensions and extra work lights through to easier servicing. Here is a collection of the best tips that you can carry out on your combine in plenty of time for next harvest. So, have a flick through the following pages to see if you're inspired by any of these reader tips and modifications. Indeed, if you have any of your own to pass on, please email us with the details at profi.ed@kelsey.co.uk…

Slotting in between the A and N Series, Valtra’s new 100-135hp four-pot G range represents the first time the maker has offered five tractor ranges. Built at the Finnish plant in Suolahti, it comprises the G105 (105/110hp), G115 (115/120hp), G125eco (115/125hp), G125std (125/130hp) and the G135 (135/145hp). Sourced from AGCO’s plant in Changzhou (China), the four-cylinder 4.4-litre Stage V engine (SCR and DPF but no EGR) offers a power boost in all models at field speeds when driving in B5 or higher. The block is mated to a six-speed and four range (24f+24r) powershift. Shifting from B to C range and C to D ranges is automated and the parking brake is integrated in the powershuttle lever. The AutoTraction hill-hold function keeps the tractor stationary even on steep hills without…

There was quite a bit of hype about long-chop forage maize, and, when it had abated, we'd learned one thing — that the way maize kernels are cracked in the forager merits your maximum attention if the grain is to be quickly and fully digested in the rumen or a digester. Contractors want to be flexible so they can offer their customers as many variations in chop lengths as possible, along with optimum grain processing. Our test machine was a Big X 780 with the VariLOC gearbox, which allows various chop length ranges. This reduction gearbox mounts on the pulley where it can reduce the drum speed from 1,250rpm to 800rpm. This extends the chopping range from 3mm to 24mm — without removing a single blade. But what about the…

The door opened during transport, the machine bounced in the field and folding the bunker was a real pain. Yet these shortcomings were in stark contrast to the good running gear, enormous hopper capacity and the impressive output of the Evo 290. Grimme has been busy and made numerous improvements to the early machine that featured in our practical test last year. Here's a run-through of what has changed: The hydraulic hoses have been re-routed to eliminate chafing. New driveshaft solutions are being trialled with the supplier … to overcome the shaft's premature wear. All of the main mountings were updated — modified kinematics for the mid-ridge alignment mechanism and new, more responsivelow-frictioncylindersaresaid to reduce bounce. With Grimme's hydraulic depth adjustment option, separate control of the individual rows is also…

A trio of trailed combine pickers collect the snack food that many like to nibble on — peanuts. Here in Randolph County, in the US state of Georgia, the Amadas 2120 trailed combines are heading back to the fields as the season starts in September and runs to the end of November. Peanuts are actually a legume and take around 140 to 150 days to mature. The pictured crop was pulled from the ground by peanut diggers and placed upside down in rows for two to three days before the harvesters moved in, allowing the crop to dry in the sun. The harvesters separate the nuts in their pods from the remains of the plant. According to the American peanut board, the crop yields around 4,000lb/acre or 4.48t/ha, and, because…

The profi ‘How it works’ series explains the tech behind all types of equipment in the farming sector — from simple bits of kit through to the most sophisticated, complex and costly machines. There are several variations of timber harvesting heads, each boasting many different details. Here we explain the more general design. A forestry harvester fells a tree in several main steps, some of which are carried out simultaneously and within seconds: it grips the tree, makes the cut, removes branches, cuts the logs to length and then sorts and stacks the various elements. Harvesters are mostly deployed in pine and young broadleaf stands, which have relatively straighter trunks and fewer limbs so are therefore more suited to mechanical logging, The big eyecatchers on a harvester head are the…

The Stoke Hall Farm dispersal sale on behalf of PH Bourne and Partners was conducted by Market Draytonbased Barbers Auctioneers and saw over 300 lots go under the hammer. The sale included five tractors, a forager and various grassland, cultivation and yard machinery. The machinery had been superbly maintained by Mr Bourne and his attention to detail gave extra confidence to the buyer’s that attended the sale and hammer prices didn’t disappoint. Top of the lots were the pair of classic Renault tractors that seem to be an uncommon sight these days on the used market. Leading price was awarded to the 2001 Renault 345X and loader combination with a colossal 15,000 hours on the clock, its superb condition and recent front tyres helped this tidy package to reach £15,500.…