Tractor, harvester IT comes of age
Over the last halfdecade, digital technology has appeared to be the “must-have” for tractor and machinery companies, who believe that bringing IT to tractors and farming will offer its customers huge benefits.
An ‘unbeatable’ offer will point up Claas Harvest Centre’s Fieldays promotion.
The offer, on JCB Loadall 526-56 telescopic loaders, is part of the Harvest Centre network’s celebration of 25 years marketing JCB agricultural machinery in New Zealand. All 2019 loaders will carry an anniversary logo and special discounts will apply across the range.
The popular Loadall 526-56 lifts up to 2.6 tonnes to 5.6m, uses a turbocharged 100hp Dieselmax 4-cylinder engine, four-speed powershift transmission and has hydraulic capacity of 80 L/minute.
Also on display will be the Fastrac 4220 (235hp) high performance tractor with continuously variable transmission, all round self-levelling suspension and optional four wheel steering. Four equal size tyres, 50/50 weight distribution and all wheel disc braking allow operating speeds up to 60km/h.
Maximum lift at the rear linkage has been increased by 30% to 8000kg and the front linkage lifting capacity is increased 20% to 3500 kg.
New chassis and suspension allow a maximum vehicle weight of up to 14 tonnes including a load of four tonnes on the rear deck.
The Farm Master 435S Agri wheeled loader is also improved - in performance and efficiency, typically to help it clear the high volume outputs of self propelled foragers.
A 435S Agri fitted with a 4m buck rake can clear a trailer load in one pass, allowing plenty of time to roll and seal the heap before the next trailer arrives.
Also on display will be the new Claas Orbis 600 SD and Orbis 750 maize front attachments available in working widths of 6.0m and 7.5m. These deliver optimal crop flow, are highly efficient and reliable and use a proven combination of large and small discs.
The new models have a new folding system for rapid set-up and transport, a transport width of 3m, an integrated vibration damping system allowing road speeds up to 40km/h and two transport wheels to bear the main load of the attachment and meet permissible axle loads.
Newly designed fingers ahead of the knives reduce crop loss and have points which can be removed for harvesting laid maize.
A new tilting frame concept, standard for the Orbis C-Flex, ensures a centred feed of crop to the pre-compression rollers. Depending on conditions, the angle of the frame can be set at zero degrees in normal conditions or six degrees for difficult conditions including laid maize.
Ground tracking options include Auto Contour which provides active control of the lateral compensation and can permit stubble height as low as 85mm.
A two-speed gearbox governs the speed of front attachments, a three-speed gearbox governs the speed of the feed drums, and an automatic function for the variable front attachment drive allows optimum crop flow.
A communication module transmits data to the forage harvester to save settings for future use.
An extended oil change interval of 2500 hours or five years reduces service costs,
Also at Fieldays will be the new Claas Disco Move 3600 and 3200 mowers. These machines offer up to 1m vertical movement and 30 degrees lateral travel, allowing them to work efficiency and safety in the roughest of paddocks.
Both units have the maker’s Max Cut cutter bar, pressed from a single piece of steel and using a wave shape design to push discs further forwards, improving cutting quality.
Available in 3.4m and 3m cutting widths, respectively, the new units have a manoeuvrable headstock that allows the mower to move independently from the tractor front linkage when coupled directly or using an A-frame attachment.
The headstock includes Claas’s Active Float integrated hydraulic suspension and a low pivot point.
Active Float eliminates the need for suspension spring coupling points. Suspension pressure can be adjusted in use by a single acting hydraulic service.
An adjustment guide allows the front link arms to be set at the right height from the tractor cab, to remain fixed during operation. The mower is raised and lowered via integrated hydraulics.
Both models can be configured as a mower only (F), with a tine conditioner (FC) or with a roller conditioner (FRC).
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