Table of contents for Harvest 2022 in Profi

Welcome to the extra issue in the profi magazine calendar… our Harvest Special. Understandably there is a lot of noise and fanfare when makers launch new flagship combines. All that research and development isn't cheap, and neither is the eye-watering price tag of these high-output machines. But now the chaff and dust have settled, how did the Claas Lexion 8900 and John Deere X9 1100 perform in the UK this summer? We've visited farms running both of these flagship combines to see how they rate them. And what a summer it’s been! The desert-dry conditions have taught us that regular harvester cleaning is more than just good practice; it can save a machine from ‘a thermal incident’. On this point, a leaf blower is a handy tool for a quick…

BEN BURGESS ACQUIRES JW DOUBLEDAY Long-standing John Deere dealer JW Doubleday is to be sold to Ben Burgess. An agreement has been reached to transfer all staff and sites, with a completion date expected shortly. The deal will see Ben Burgess expand into Lincolnshire for the first time, adding four more sites to its existing seven. It will take over the sites at Holbeach, Old Leake and Swineshead in Lincolnshire, as well as increasing its footprint in Norfolk with Doubleday’s depot at Kings Lynn. It means that, from November, Ben Burgess will serve farmers and contractors in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Rutland. UK TRACTOR REGISTRATIONS After a couple of months of year-on-year declines, UK registrations of agricultural tractors (over 50hp) moved slightly above last year’s level in…

The Swedish manufacturer says that its new range of Silocut shear grabs not only allow silage to be cleanly removed from the clamp with less power but also split and cut wrapped silage bales. Suitable for tractor loaders, compact wheel loaders and mid-sized telehandlers, there are three sizes: M+, L+ and XL+. Available with replaceable bolt on tines or as a casted tined implement, the latter version of the M+ has profile cut tuff tines welded in the carriage. The Silocut L+ offers the versatility to tackle different silage types and bales, and with the bucket also handle loose material. The XL+ is described as a high-capacity attachment for cutting clamp silage and splitting bales. Both L+ and XL+ versions are available with a bale wrap handler, to unwrap, split…

HARVEYONE The 3.5t HarveyOne single-row self-propelled harvester is the result of work between Grimme subsidiaries Schmiede and Asa-Lift. One of two test platforms, the rubber-tracked machine was made using as many off-the-shelf Asa-Lift and Grimme components as possible. Powered by a 55hp engine, and working at speeds up to 1.0km/hr, the current platform provides space for four manual sorters, but the research team is busy looking to automate this with an optical sorting system. The basic concept can be applied to other crops, and it has also been used to lift beetroot, onions and garlic. The plan is to test a lifting unit in carrots in the future. The engineering goal is to have two machines working in sync and supported by a carrier vehicle to automatically swap full boxes…

Following on from the introduction of the Jumbo 7000 (profi 8/21) with an 850mm rotor, power belt drive and moveable front, Pöttinger is now going even further with the Jumbo 8000. Instead of the 48 knives with theoretical chop length of 34mm, the Austrians have crammed in 65 knives and reduced the chop to just 25mm. But before we get to the knife bank we should probably start at the wagon’s hitch, as a few other things have changed along the way. Contactless steering Together with ME Mobil Elektronik, Pöttinger has developed a new electronically controlled forced steering system that doesn’t need a mechanical steering sensor between tractor and wagon. Instead, the steering signal is now determined by a gyroscope (gyro compass) installed on the right of the frame and…

With the advance of new tech and automated features on today’s machines, should the interface between man and machine (the Human Machine Interface, or HMI for short) be adapted, and, if so, how will that look in the future? The ‘Driver’s Cab 4.0’ project is developing a workplace that is capable of recognising the driver’s current stress level and responding to it. This should prevent operators experiencing excessive strain, and, on the other hand, also provide the opportunity to do another task, which would normally be carried out after completing the field job — such as checking up on the grain logistics or drier and any other elements that may need managing. Further partners of the Institute of Industrial Engineering and Organisation and the KIT Dept of Mobile Machinery are…

Forrest Farms near Stowmarket in Suffolk has operated Claas Lexion combines for 23 years, and a flagship model forthe past 10 seasons. For harvest 2020 the business’s combine was updated with a new 8900 TerraTrac replacing a 2017 Lexion 780TT. The 8900 has now completed its third season on the farm, clearing just over 1,620ha (4,000 acres) which includes some contract work, giving owner James Forrest and farm foreman and combine operator, Rob Hale plenty of time to get to grips with the latest in a long-line of high output machines. The Forrest family’s experiences with Lexion combines with the maker’s APS Hybrid threshing and separation system, consisting of a conventional APS threshing setup combined with the twin-rotor Roto Plus secondary separation, dates back to 1999 when a Lexion 480…

Sunflowers have become an increasingly popular cut flower in recent years, but along with much horticultural produce, their production has always been labour intensive. L&D Flowers is aiming to tackle that issue by mechanising the harvesting and packing process and using the latest equipment for growing to further increase efficiency and profitability. The company is the market leader in sunflowers, growing 270ha, with Tesco as its biggest customer, alongside Marks and Spencer, Lidl and Waitrose. “We were unique as both a grower and packer of flowers, although this is becoming more of a popular model,” explains director James Lacey. “My goal is to automate the entire process, and working alongside Tong Engineering, we have recently developed one of the most advanced sunflower packhouses in the industry, designed around mechanised harvesting,…

Most British contractors run anything from one to four large square balers. There are others with more, and a handful with up to 10 on the books. Supplying straw to power stations in Brigg and Sleaford (Lincolnshire), Ely (Cambridgeshire) and Snetterton (Norfolk), Cambridgeshire-based AgriBale reckons to be the only contractor to run 14 big balers; all Massey 2200 series models made at the former Hesston plant (now owned by AGCO) in Kansas, North America. The contractor does not have any combines and is a pure baling specialist, paying farmers for the straw in the field. Operating within a 100-mile radius of Rectory Farm, on the outskirts of Luddington village, near Peterborough, during the short summer season the contractor’s machines visit 50-60 farms and bale approx. 20,250ha (50,000 acres). Wheat is…

Increased global demand for 900hp to 1100hp self-propelled forage harvesters is behind the launch of the Krone Big X 980 (979hp) and 1080 (1,074hp). Powered by the same Liebherr Stage V compliant V12 as the flagship 1,156hp Big X 1180, the modified PowerSplit on the Big X 980 and 1080 matches available engine power to current requirements at the touch of a button. When the full engine power is not needed, the forager can work in the eco-power mode. X-Power is selected for situations that require the full power of the engine. The optional engine speed management helps to reduce fuel consumption by automatically lowering the engine speed, for example, when changing trailers. Both newcomers can be ordered with the high-lift cab and XtraPower. The latter allows additional engine power…

Kverneland has added trailed versions to its Enduro/Enduro Pro range of stubble cultivators. Aimed at medium-sized farms, the new Enduro T and Enduro Pro T are available in working widths of 4.0m, 4.5m and 5.0m. Sitting alongside the mounted folding models of the same width, the new additions are designed for one-pass cultivating, levelling and consolidating. Tine distance is 280mm, row distance is 750mm and underbeam clearance is 870mm. Maximum working depth of the Enduro is 30cm (35cm Enduro Pro). The trailed models can also be combined with the Actipress single/twin and double cage rollers. Offered with two type of tines, these can be equipped with a wide choice of bolted (heat-treated or carbide) and knock-on shares. The auto-reset Triflex 700 provides extra strength in stony conditions. This has a…

The majority (40%) of you told us you have already installed roof-mounted solar panels in last month’s Twitter poll which asked: ‘Are you planning to install roof-mounted solar panels to reduce purchased electricity costs?’. For those who haven’t installed roof-mounted solar panels yet, 26.7% of you said you’re planning to do so within the next year and 13.3% said it’s on the agenda in the next five years. However, 20% of you said you’re not planning to install them at all. We will be sharing another poll on our Twitter page in the coming weeks, so make sure you head over to @profitractors (or scan the QR code) for where we’ll ask: ‘When it comes to replacing wearing metal on ploughs and cultivators, do you fit genuine parts or pattern…

The new Gen 7 Vario 700 is a bit of a departure from the current Gen 6 machines. For starters, the five newcomers span 203-283hp with the power being squeezed from a new AGCO Power six-cylinder, 7.5 litre engine instead of a Deutz block used in the 144-237hp line-up. The range-topping Vario 728 gets a power boost to 303hp, a system Fendt calls Dynamic Performance the name indicating that the system functions purely dynamically, rather than being related to driving speed and is intended for pto applications. Also revised is the drivetrain, with the new VarioDrive distributing power dynamically between the axles as needed, eliminating the need for manual switching between field and road modes. The Gen 7 tractors gain features from the higher horsepower ranges where engine, transmission, hydraulics…

The idea for this brief product look was the purchase a few years ago of a mains-powered leaf blower-vac to blow a combine clean in the yard between jobs. The blower in question worked well enough but the hassle of the cable and not being able to use it in the field soon meant it was relegated to occasional use. To get a better understanding of the differences we assembled the following: ● Makita BHX2501 (petrol powered) ● Makita DUB363 PT2V (cordless) ● Sovereign blow vac (corded electric) ● Stihl BG86C (petrol powered) ● Stihl BGA86 (cordless) We used the loan blowers as you would expect for just general machine blowing down with a little and often approach working best. A concentrated blast of compressed air will be more effective…

Both of these featured cleaning guns are sold on Amazon’s site for about £120 (Tornador) and £135 (BGS) including VAT, and by other retailers. Both have a plastic tank, which holds about one litre. From here, the two guns suck the water or cleaning agent and atomise it with a rotating nozzle at the front of the gun. As the name suggests, the Tornador unit creates a suction/tornado effect by rotating its plastic hose, which is intended to suck the dirt and grime from the material being cleaned. In contrast, the cleaning gun from BGS has a rotating metal tube that is slightly angled with a plastic hose inside. When compared to the Tornador, the rpm are higher and the spray is more cone-shaped. It also seems a more solid…

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Did you know over 9,000 farmers currently benefit from our unrivalled advice? If you want to know what they know, why not take out a subscription to profi for the latest news, updates and guidance, as well as our unique DLC tractor tests delivered to your door, every single month. Subscribers also enjoy free access to our 26-year test archive, PLUS receive a complimentary copy of Agricultural Trader every month. Or why not treat someone else? It’s the gift that keeps on giving, all year round! Editor, Profi International WHAT OUR SUBSCRIBERS SAY "I've been subscribing to profi for the last 15 years because it keeps me up to date with modern technology and we refer to it when buying machinery"Mark Riddle, John Rowsell Ltd, Winchester,…

After being separated in 1990 from the former East German farm equipment manufacturer VEB Fortschritt, the MDW business, based in Singwitz, near the eastern Saxony town of Bautzen, entered the combine market for the 1991 harvest season. In its range were three revised combines: the E514 and the E524, each with a 1. 30m wide concave and four straw walkers, and the E527 with a 1.63m channel width and five straw walkers. Under importer Bonhill, the East German combines had enjoyed some success in certain parts of the UK. For manufacturing reasons, the individual straw walkers inside the MDW were unusually wide at 325mm, an odd match for the concave width and the size of the separation and sieving areas. By the time the new 527 went on sale in…

The pair of X9 combines operated by Scott Melton, farm manager for Caley Farms in Norfolk, are now in their third harvest due to the farm having initially run a pre-production machine in 2020. So it would be fair to say that Scott has as much experience as anyone in the country of using X9 combines in anger. These two flagship monsters are the farm’s latest in a long line of John Deere combines. “I was brought up around John Deere machinery,” explains Scott. “Later, when I first started here we had a 9880 STS combine, and then progressed through various S-Series models, eventually settling on four 2012 S690i machines. They have been decent combines for us, running at 50 to 60t/hr in good conditions, and they did the job…

German company Fliegl Agrartechnik has acquired the rights to produce the self-loading Cargos forage wagons. The product name will initially be retained, but they will be sold under the Fliegl brand name. Earlier this year, Claas announced that Cargos production would stop at the end of this season to free up more production capacity for Orbis row-crop headers. Production will be moved from the Claas facility at Bad Saulgau to the Fliegl site at Kirchdorf, near the Austrian border. The first wagons are expected to be in production early next year. A new sales network will be set up to market them. The company says that it is open for talks with existing Fliegl partners and with interested new sales partners.…

Blueberries are a big crop in the Netherlands. Concentrated mainly in the south of the country, Schrijnwerkers, one of the largest growers, harvests around 800t a season from two locations totalling 85ha. Harvested in July and August, the difficulty and cost (currently €18/hour) of recruiting the necessary pairs of seasonal hands to pick these volumes was the main reason for the grower to purchase one of the first Harvy500s. “We need 220 people,” says operational director, Leon Schrijnwerkers. “This year we struggled to find 150.” The Dutch grower has run self-propelled blueberry harvesters for 30 years, taking delivery of the first three-wheeled US-built Korvan 9000 in Europe in 1992. Now on 2,500 hours, it works at his brother’s blueberry farm. Leon still continues to run a second Cummins-powered 9000 which…

Combining on slopes has always been a tough challenge. Opinions differ as to whether a modern harvester should be equipped with an automatic self-levelling system, and, if so, what type? In Germany it is estimated that about 4% of the arable cropping area has a gradient of more than 15%, and more than two thirds of tillage land has a slope of up to 5%, while around one fifth falls into the 5-10% bracket. There is about 6% sitting on a 10-15% incline. These statistics may not seem too dramatic at first glance, but take a combine without self-levelling from the flat plains to the rolling hills and you'll quickly realise how much of a difference some form of hillside correction can make to output and limit losses. Losses on…

The topic of 'tuning forage harvesters' is something we've covered several times before, but the optimisation tweaks from the G-S-R team, Günter Schneider, Marcus Groß and Bernhard Ranz, go beyond adding some extra lights or an air hose to help keep the machine clean. The trio went straight to the heart of the machine and developed various mods for foraging in the hilly fields of the Alps. In total, the harvesting team has seven forage harvesters in operation, primarily for grass harvesting. Especially during the first cut, when the company is at its busiest, any tweak that helps to get through the workload is a valuable tip and well worth having. It’s all about maximising output. On a sturdy rail The U-steel bar part of the blade grinding system was…

“There is no ready-made solution yet,” is the current reply when German farmers ask as to what crops they can plant and grow to best effect on the country’s rewetted marshland areas. And possibly even more important, they need to know the optimum methods of growing and managing those crops. The reality is that there are still more questions than answers. What is certain, however, is that marsh and bogs are important CO2 reservoirs: the water-saturated bog ensures that dead plants do not decompose, but are preserved, thus larger amounts of carbon are fixed in the soil. When marshland and bogs were drained so they could be used for farming, the carbon was converted and released as CO2. Rewetting is now considered as a strategy to reverse this effect. Management…

LONG-TERM REPORT Deutz-Fahr 9340TTV The 9-series was seen as an important addition to the Deutz line-up in 2015, opening the door to farms wanting more power. After four years and 4,500 hours clocked, here is one owner’s verdict. PRACTICAL TEST Weidemann 9580T Sharing many of its components with the Kramer KL55.8T, the 12t Weidemann 9580T shovel can stretch to 5.5m. But just how useful is it? We've been finding out. PRACTICAL TEST Kuhn mechanical drills Premia, Integra and Sitera — from the simplest technology to full ISObus capability, there are many differences between these three Kuhn mechanical drills, as our in-depth practical test will demonstrate in the November issue. TUNING Storing machinery Struggling for shed space but want to keep all of your machinery under cover? Profi readers have been…