New harvesters at the cutting edge
New CLAAS Lexion 8000 and 7000 series combine harvesters have arrived in Australasia, reports Claas Harvest Centre.
This shift was driven by contractors switching to using high capacity self-propelled units and a widespread adoption of forage maize.
One Finnish company, Ehlo, suggests trailed forage harvesters might be making a comeback with the introduction of its concept Cobra 7710. Suggesting that many operations have high horsepower tractors available to run such a harvester, they also mention the chance to achieve better timeliness alongside much lower capital investment compared to a self-propelled outfit.
Suitable for tractors from 250 to 400hp, the Cobra 7710, unusually runs a driveline that sees a 1000 rpm direct drive from the tractor to the chopping cylinder, eliminating the need for expensive gearboxes.
Up front, a 3.0-metre wide, hydraulic folding pick up, moves away from the conventional design, to encompass short, sprung tines, under a curved hood, not dissimilar to the company’s crop conditioner. Eliminating the need for tine bands, the unit is said to “tease out” lumps in the feed being delivered to the transitional augers. Twin augers, rotating at 680 rpm convey the crop to a hydraulically driven feed roller housing, that incorporates three lower and two upper rollers to meter crop to the chopping cylinder.
The transversely mounted cylinder is 770mm diameter by 1000mm wide, dimensions not much different to a self-propelled unit, that carries two banks of twelve knives, which features electronic sharpening and automated shear bar adjustment.
Discharge, on the left-hand side of the machine is via a hydraulically controlled spout that has a maximum height of 5.8 metres. Addressing operational issues, knock sensors in the pick-up hood detect stones or metal, in doing so, stopping the feed roller system. In turn, the feed roller system incorporates a load sensing system that alerts the operator to any potential blockages. If a blockage should occur, the pick-up will raise automatically to stop crop feed.
Additional features include a hydraulic folding spout assembly, a telescoping wheel axle for increased stability on slopes and hydraulic forks at the rear for lifting silage additive containers/pods.
Release is scheduled for 2020 in Scandinavia, with wider availability in 2021.
